I feel like I crave the flavors of summer all year long. There is something so magical about these Lemon Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream! The flavors, the light, warm, refreshing flavors of summer that tastes amazing any time of year! Try my Strawberry Muffins for another summertime favorite! Looking for more cupcake recipes? I’ve got you covered.
Lemon Cupcakes
As much as I love the comforting aroma’s of pumpkin and spice, or the biting coolness of mint, or even the rich decadence of all things red velvet… I can’t help but crave the light citrusy tang of lemon. I slightly adapted my Cherry Limeade Cupcakes to make them lemon and boy was that a good idea!
These cupcakes are infused with lemon before AND after baking! Lemon juice goes into the batter, you bake, and then brush each cupcake with more lemon juice hot out of the oven. It’s magical I tell you!
Strawberry Buttercream
Strawberries go for about $5 a container at my local grocery store and lemons are $1 each! Since I didn’t win the lottery recently, I splurged and got just one lemon.
As far as the strawberry, I compromised and made a recipe utilizing strawberry jam instead of fresh. This worked beautifully! I was able to get the sweet hint of strawberries and not break the bank.
I stumbled upon a recipe using jam for the buttercream. This is quite a genius way to add a specific flavor to the buttercream, as I noticed that the first ingredient in jam is sugar!
Now don’t look too closely at this picture or you might start seeing things. Ha! I can’t tell you how many people have told me these look like boobs. (Also, sorry for saying boobs on my blog.) But they do. I can’t deny it! They would be perfect for Breast Cancer Awareness month!
Lemon Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream
Ingredients
Lemon Cupcakes
- 1½ cups (192g) all-purpose flour sifted
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
- ½ cup (1 stick, 113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup (123g) whole milk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Strawberry Buttercream
- ½ cup (1 stick, 113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅓ cup strawberry jam or preserves
- 3 cups (384g) confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
Lemon Cupcakes
- Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare cupcake tins. (This recipe yielded 15 cupcakes for me.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- In stand mixer with paddle attachment (starting on low), cream together room temperature butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add in eggs, one at a time and mix until just blended.
- Add in vanilla, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and milk and mix for about 30 seconds on low. Slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Remove from mixer then fold in lemon zest with spatula.
- Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 18 to 20 minutes.
- Use a pastry brush to brush remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice over the top of the cupcake while they are still warm.
- Let cupcakes cool completely and dry before topping with strawberry frosting.
Strawberry Buttercream
- Place butter, vanilla and jam in stand mixer with whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high for 1-2 minutes, or until fully incorporated.
- With mixer on low, add in sugar, one cup at a time. When mixer starts to struggle, drizzle in milk one tablespoon at a time.
- After all milk as been added whisk buttercream on high for 1-2 minutes.
- To make cupcakes, put buttercream in a pastry bag with a large open tip. (or no tip at all, just the opening of the bag) and pipe out dollops on top of cooled cupcake.
- OPTIONAL: Sprinkle with gold Star Dust.
Video
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Recipe adapted from Cherry Limeade Cupcakes.
I hope you will make these today and enjoy a little summer-time flavor journey just like I did!
just stumbled upon this… I have all the ingredients .. Going to start making them now , even though it’s 9:15 pm. I love lemon and with strawberry buttercream, oh my gosh
Oh good! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! 🙂
These look so good Amanda! You’re right – it’s the time to start looking forward to Spring, even if it is a way away here!
Yes.. it is very far away. But that flavors just might get me through!
I could totally go from some Summer flavors…and maybe some of the warmth! 😉
I love strawberry and lemon together, and these cupcakes are gorgeous! Pinned!
Thank you!
Amanda!!! These cupcakes are gorgeous!!! Happy birthday, Mom!!! 🙂 I’m going to save these for a day where I do want to be transported to summer and “see the tall blades of grass straining to stand up in a warm summer breeze.” I can see it, yo!! love this! I can’t believe that I am actually looking forward to some snow tomorrow .. (why?) and will be pulling out this gorgeous recipe next month. . when the snow won’t be so pretty . . can’t wait to see you later this morning! 🙂
Ha ha… I will hold you to it! 🙂 Loved meeting with you this morning… Love you!
I am craving all things lemon right now. Something about the lightness is just so great after having months of warm, rich desserts filled with spice.
Yay!! I don’t feel so alone now. And I hope to see a bunch of lemony goodness on your blog!! 🙂
These are incredibly beautiful – so ethereal and light, absolutely puts me in a sunny warm state of mind. I don’t know how you do it – that color and texture on the buttercream is just beautiful! And don’t think I don’t notice that fluffy cupcake itself! Happy New Year to you and may there be plenty of gorgeous cakes and cupcakes to celebrate all the milestones of the year!
You are the sweetest! Thank you for those incredibly kind words. 🙂
Yum! These make me miss summer!
Yup. Me too. Have a blessed day!
Yes! The flavors of summer are gorgeous, especially in these cupcakes!
Thanks girl!
Oh, I would love a summertime flavor journey right now! These are just the prettiest ever, Amanda! I love the way you piped the frosting, and that sprinkling of gold star dust is perfection 🙂
Thank you sweet friend!!
Can’t wait to try these….but they look way to pretty to eat:)