These soft and fluffy lemon cupcakes are truly divine filled with lemon curd and topped with raspberry buttercream frosting. Garnished with fresh raspberries and flowers, they're a perfect springtime treat!
This recipe takes one of the best flavor combinations of all-time - lemon and raspberry - to the next level. If you're someone who views cupcakes as merely a vehicle for frosting, this cupcake recipe is here to change your mind!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
The lemon cupcakes are light and fluffy yet perfectly moist, made with a simple batter that's adapted from my super-versatile and easy vanilla cake recipe. They're infused with lots of lemon flavor, thanks to both lemon zest and lemon extract, and then they're stuffed with tangy lemon curd.
The ultra-creamy, sweet-tart raspberry buttercream frosting is truly the cherry on top. Its flavor is as bright as its color, and its the perfect complement to the lemon cupcake and filling.
These cupcakes would be absolutely perfect for serving at a bridal or baby shower or for Mother's Day brunch!
If you love the sweet-tangy lemon flavor of these cupcakes, you'll love my Grandma's lemon bars and my lemon poppy seed loaf cake recipe, too!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and measurements.
Lemon Cupcake Ingredients
Cake Flour - Cake flour helps to create a cupcake that is soft and tender.
Lemon Zest - Lemon zest adds lots of lemon flavor to the cupcake batter. Be sure to use freshly grated lemon zest for the best flavor, and only grate the outer rind of the lemon, since the inner white pith is bitter.
Vegetable Oil - Vegetable oil adds moisture to the cake batter, creating a cupcake that's more moist than one made using butter alone.
Lemon Extract - Lemon extract adds concentrated lemon flavor to the cake, allowing us to add lots of flavor without having to add lots of liquid (like lemon juice) to the batter.
Filling & Frosting Ingredients
Lemon Curd - Zesty lemon curd adds a bite of bright, tart lemon flavor to the cupcakes. I of course love homemade lemon curd, but you can use store-bought if you prefer.
Freeze-Dried Raspberries - Freeze-dried fruit is my favorite way to add natural fruit flavor and color to frosting. We'll grind the fruit into a powder and add it to the frosting with the powdered sugar. If you can't find freeze-dried fruit at your local grocery store, it's available at major retailers like Target and Amazon.
Special Equipment
In addition to essential baking equipment (like a mixing bowl and spatula), I recommend some special tools for making this recipe.
- A stand mixer or electric hand mixer, for mixing the cupcake batter and frosting.
- Paper cupcake liners.
- A standard cupcakes pan, for baking the cupcakes.
- A medium or large cookie scoop, for scooping the cupcake batter into the pan.
- A food processor, for grinding the freeze-dried raspberries.
- An apple corer, for coring the cupcakes.
- 2 piping bags, small round piping tip, and a large round piping tip for filling and frosting the cupcakes.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for detailed recipe instructions.
Step 1: Make the cake batter. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Step 2: Combine sugar and lemon zest, rubbing zest into the sugar to release the lemon oil from the zest.
Step 3: Add butter to the sugar and beat until blended and smooth.
Step 4: Add egg and yolk, and beat on high speed for one minute. Add vegetable oil and lemon extract and beat until blended.
Step 5: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients alternately with the milk, mixing on low speed until blended.
Step 6: Fill each cupcake liner ⅔ full with batter. Bake the cupcakes at 350ºF for 16-18 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool completely.
Step 7: Make the frosting. Using a food processor, grind the freeze-dried raspberries into a fine powder.
Step 8: Beat butter until smooth. Add vanilla and salt and beat until blended.
Step 9: Add sugar and powdered freeze-dried raspberries slowly, mixing until well blended. Add milk and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Step 10: Fill and frost the cupcakes. Core each cupcake by pressing and twisting an apple corer downward in the center, pressing down just halfway through the cupcake and removing a piece of cake.
Step 11: Use a piping bag with a small round tip or with the end cut off to fill the hole in each cupcake with lemon curd.
Step 12: Use a piping bag fitted with a large round tip to pipe a flat swirl onto each cupcake, covering the lemon curd. Use a small spatula to spread the piped frosting, creating an outer ridge with a bowl in the center. Garnish with fresh raspberries and flowers.
How to Core and Fill Cupcakes
Filling cupcakes is actually a lot easier than it looks! As shown in the step-by-step recipe photos above, I used an apple corer to cut a hole into the cupcakes for filling. There are actually a few different ways you can do it. No matter which tool you use, be sure to only cut about halfway down the height of the cupcake.
- Apple Corer - An apple corer is my favorite tool for coring cupcakes because it's just the right size and easy to use. Simply press the corer into the center of the cupcake, press down while twisting, and remove the "core" of the cupcake.
- Large Piping Tip - You can use a large piping tip (preferably one with "teeth"), just like you would use an apple corer, pressing down in the center of the cupcake and then pulling upwards to remove the core.
- Melon Baller - A melon baller can also work for scooping out a bit of the center of the cupcake.
- Small Paring Knife - A small paring knife can be used to carefully cut a hole into the center of the cupcake.
Once you've cored the cupcake, I highly recommend using a pastry bag with a small round piping tip (or simply with the end of the bag cut off) and piping the filling into the hole. This is much easier and cleaner than trying to spoon filling into the small hole in the cupcake.
Allison's Top Tips
Rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar really helps to enhance the lemon flavor in the cupcakes, so don't skip this step.
Be sure to beat the butter and sugar for the full 3 minutes and beat the eggs for a full minute. These steps helps to aerate the batter, giving the cupcakes better rise and a softer texture.
Be careful not to over mix the batter after the flour mixture is added. Over mixing will make the batter dense and gummy.
The best way to know when your cupcakes are finished baking is to poke them. If the tops are lightly golden and domed and they spring back when poked gently with your finger, they're finished baking.
Storage Instructions
Refrigerator: Store filled and frosted cupcakes in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. For the best flavor, let the cupcakes sit at room temperature for up to 30 minutes before serving.
Room Temperature: If you choose not to fill the cupcakes with lemon curd, then the cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
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Recipe
Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
Special Equipment
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Paper cupcake liners
- Cupcake pan
- Medium or large cookie scoop (optional)
- food processor
- Apple corer
- 2 Piping tips, one small round and one large round (optional)
Ingredients
Lemon Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cup (150 grams) cake flour
- 1 ⅛ teaspoons (4.5 grams) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3 grams) fine sea salt
- ¾ cup (166 grams) plus 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (3 grams) freshly grated lemon zest (from 2 small or 1 large lemons)
- ¼ cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons (27 grams) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) lemon extract
- ½ cup (113 grams) whole milk, room temperature
- ¼ cup (57 grams) lemon curd
Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
- ¾ cup (18 grams) freeze-dried raspberries
- ¾ cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons (6 grams) vanilla extract
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 5 ¼ cups (630 grams) confectioners' sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (45 grams) whole milk
- fresh raspberries, for garnish (optional)
- fresh flowers, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Line cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.
Make the cake batter.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.1 ¼ cup (150 grams) cake flour, 1 ⅛ teaspoons (4.5 grams) baking powder, ½ teaspoon (3 grams) fine sea salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl), combine sugar and lemon zest. Using clean hands, rub zest into the sugar to release the lemon oil from the zest.¾ cup (166 grams) plus 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon (3 grams) freshly grated lemon zest
- Add butter to the bowl with the sugar and beat using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, creaming the butter and sugar for 3 minutes until blended and smooth.¼ cup (57 grams) unsalted butter,
- Add egg and yolk, mixing on low speed until blended. Then turn mixer up to high speed and beat for one minute.1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk,
- Add vegetable oil and lemon extract and beat until well blended.2 Tablespoons (27 grams) vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon (5 grams) lemon extract
- With the mixer running on low speed, add one third of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until blended. Add half of the milk, continuing to stir until combined. Add another third of the flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk, and then the final third of flour mixture, blending slowly between each addition. Gently fold in any final bits of flour, being careful not to over mix the batter.½ cup (113 grams) whole milk,
Bake the cupcakes.
- Fill each cupcake well ⅔ full with batter.
- Bake the cupcakes for 16-18 minutes, or until the tops spring back when gently poked. Let the cupcakes cool completely.
Make the frosting.
- Using a food processor, grind the freeze-dried raspberries into a fine powder.¾ cup (18 grams) freeze-dried raspberries
- In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer), beat butter on medium-high speed until smooth.¾ cup (170 grams) unsalted butter,
- Add vanilla and salt and beat on medium-high speed until blended.1 ½ teaspoons (6 grams) vanilla extract, 1 pinch fine sea salt
- Add sugar and powdered freeze-dried raspberries slowly - one cup at a time - beating well on medium speed and scraping the bowl often.5 ¼ cups (630 grams) confectioners' sugar
- Add milk and beat on high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy.3 Tablespoons (45 grams) whole milk
Assemble the cupcakes.
- Core the cooled cupcakes by pressing and twisting an apple corer downward in the center of each cupcake, pressing down just halfway through the cupcake and removing a piece from the center of each cake.
- Use a piping bag with a small round tip or with the end cut off to fill the hole in each cupcake with lemon curd.¼ cup (57 grams) lemon curd
- Use a piping bag fitted with a large round tip to pipe a flat swirl onto each cupcake, covering the lemon curd. Use a small spatula to spread the piped frosting, creating an outer ridge with a bowl in the center.
- Garnish cupcakes with fresh raspberries and serve.
The Editor says
These would look great at a bridal shower, tea party or wedding reception...they're absolutely beautiful.