Lemon Cupcakes

These delicious Lemon Cupcakes are filled with a luscious cream cheese lemonade filling, frosted with lemon frosting and garnished with a lemon wedge. So if you are a lover of anything lemon, this cupcake recipe is definitely for you.

There are all kinds of pastries and cakes to enjoy, but none so zesty and vibrant as those endowed with lemon. Lemon cake, especially when iced, is one of the most exciting sweets to enjoy. It always has that sweet and tart combination that dances on your tongue.

Sugary treats tend to act as a pick me up, but lemon cakes are always a little extra perky. However, I’m not content to just leave lemon cakes alone as they are. I have a very special and surprisingly easy-to-master recipe that will change everything you know about lemon cupcakes.

One of the main reasons I love lemon cupcakes more than a lemon loaf or lemon cake is the things you can do to a cupcake that won’t be as easy with those other treats.

The unique thing I introduce in these truly spectacular lemon cupcakes is a remarkable cream cheese filling that you will see is just phenomenal. These filled lemon treats are literally bursting with a gorgeous symphony of flavors. Well, the bursting part is literal, the rest is just flowery language.

With this recipe, I’ll show you how to make these delicious cupcakes with the sensational filling and frosting on top. It’s a fantastically layered, robust, and dazzling lemon-flavored treat that you are going to adore as we rush into spring.

Lemonade Cream Cheese Filling

The star of these lemon cupcakes is definitely the lemonade cream cheese filling. There is nothing like biting into a lemon cupcake to find the sweet creamy surprise of piped in filling. If making filled cupcakes at home is a new experience for you, read on and I will help you find the best way to accomplish this.

It’s easy and very worth it. I’m hooked. Now that I have done this, I want filled cupcakes all the time. I especially like how the cream cheese plays with the lemon pudding mixture. Every element of these lemon cupcakes uses lemon, so the cream cheese filling is more than just a sweet soft creamy texture in the middle of your cupcake. It’s also a vehicle to carry that citrus element even farther and drive that brightness home.

The secret weapon of the filling for the lemon cupcakes is lemonade concentrate. The beauty of lemonade is in the balanced blend of sugar and tart citric acid. That powerful combination works through the filling components to perfect the flavor and make every bite as satisfying as the last.

Important! Room Temperature Eggs and Butter

One thing you don’t want to do when making this recipe is to start cracking eggs right out of the fridge. Eggs and butter should get a chance to come up to room temperature before you try using them in this cake mix. The reason is that room temperature egg yolks break more easily and the yolk and the whites are able to blend more thoroughly. This is important to the overall consistency of the cupcake batter.

Room temperature butter is important because it also better incorporates with the batter as you mix it. Cold dairy products mix together less effectively. The end result of baked goods made with room temperature eggs and butter is noticeable. The cake is overall lighter and fluffier. This is a desirable trait in cupcakes and an important quality in cupcakes you wish to fill with some sort of cream.

How to Know Your Cupcakes are Baked

Your cupcakes should remain a little bit shiny on top when you remove them from the oven. You don’t want to overcook them. However, undercooking them is a bigger problem. To be sure of doneness, stick a toothpick into the center and watch as you pull it out. If it comes out clean, then your cupcakes are ready for the next step, which is coring and filling up your cupcakes with that delicious lemonade filling.

How to Core a Cupcake and Fill with Cream

There are two different approaches to getting cream filled homemade cupcakes. The first way is to inject the cream using an applicator nozzle and a pastry bag. What this does is fill up the air pockets inside the cupcake with cream. It is not as neat in the center, but it gives the cake a consistent creaminess throughout. The way to get the cream to stay in the center is to core the cupcake before spooning the cream mixture into the cupcake.

First, you will want to wait for the cupcakes to completely cool down before attempting to fill them with cream. The next thing you need to know is that when you core a cupcake, you will be left with an opening on the top where the cream spills onto, rather than being locked into the center. Carefully applying frosting over the top will help create the illusion that the cream filling is at the center of the cake.

If you don’t have a cupcake corer, you can always just use a paring knife. Once you lift out (and eat) the unwanted piece, you can then fill in the gap with whatever you want.

Ingredients For homemade Lemon Cupcakes

• All purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda
• Sugar, salt
• Butter, eggs
• Fresh lemon juice, lemon zest
• Buttermilk
• Cream cheese
• Frozen lemonade concentrate
• Instant lemon pudding
• Evaporated milk
• Powdered sugar

(Actual measurements and directions are in the recipe card below.)

How To Make Homemade Lemon Cupcakes

For The Lemon Cupcakes

• Start out by preheating the oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pan with liners or spray with a non stick spray.
• Allow the butter and eggs to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat butter on high for 1 minute. Add sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice. Beat until well combined scraping down the sides. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well.
• Add flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, Mix on low speed after each addition until well combined.
• Pour into prepared cupcake liners and bake at 350° for 19-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.
• Using a cupcake corer, remove the center of each cupcake. Let cupcakes cool completely before filling and frosting.

For The Lemonade Cream Cheese Filling

• In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese for 2-3 minutes then add lemonade concentrate, mix well.
• In a small bowl, beat lemon pudding and evaporated milk together for 2 minutes. Mixture will be extremely thick.
• Add pudding mix into cream cheese mixture, beat until well combined.
• Fill cupcakes with lemonade filling using a piping bag and tip.

For the Lemon Frosting

• In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and lemon juice until light and fluffy.
• Gradually add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until desired consistency is obtained. Stir in lemon zest.
• Frost cupcakes and enjoy! Store in the fridge to keep cold.

Try These Delicious Lemon Cupcakes Today

Here are a few more delicious cupcake recipes that can be found on the blog:

• Banana Nut Cupcakes
• Pumpkin Pecan Cupcakes
• Chocolate Avocado Zucchini Cupcakes
• Gingerbread Cupcakes with Molasses Frosting

Here are a few pics that are the perfect size for pinning to Pinterest.

Enjoy, Terri

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