These delightful Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes are super moist and very zingy. Leave them just as they are or top with lemon flavoured buttercream. I guarantee this cupcake recipe will give you perfect results every single time!
Thousands upon thousands of you use my recipe to make the loaf cake version of lemon drizzle, so I thought it was high time I published this highly requested cupcake recipe.
Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes are bright, zesty and zingy and they are so moist and delicious they would make the likes of Mary Berry proud!
You will love these cupcakes because:
-Moist and light sponge
-Zesty and zingy citrus flavour
-Quick, easy and cheap to make
My original lemon drizzle loaf is covered with a simple icing sugar flavoured with lemon juice but that doesn't seem quite fitting for cupcakes.
I think if you're looking for a cupcake recipe you want a buttercream to top it off.
Otherwise, it's just a fairy cake, no?
In fact, before I made the cupcakes I polled readers on Instagram and Facebook to ask if you'd like a lemon drizzle cupcake recipe with or without lemon buttercream.
More than 80% of people wanted a recipe with buttercream. And I don't blame you!
I chose to top the cupcakes with a naturally flavoured lemon buttercream. I didn't use lemon flavouring, instead, I opted for lemon juice and lemon zest for an authentic flavour bursting with zingy citrus.
Of course, with the addition of the lemon syrup, these cupcakes are incredibly flavourful and you could absolutely leave them unadorned.
The lemon buttercream is a pretty special addition though and I recommend it.
I toyed with the idea of adding lemon curd to the centre of the cupcakes or drizzled on top but in the end decided it would be overkill.
The cupcakes are so moist they don't need it but I do think lemon curd would work with regular lemon flavoured cupcakes.
How to make the Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes
It only takes about 5 minutes to whip up these super easy lovely little cupcakes!
I left my butter out of the fridge for a good 24 hours before I made these but as the temperatures are still pretty cold here it wasn't really soft enough. I cut it into cubes and gave it a 20-second blast in the microwave. It wasn't melted but soft enough that it didn't stick to my beaters.
Cream the butter and sugar until it is really light and fluffy, then add the lemon zest and eggs one at a time. I spend about a minute beating in each egg as this is the only chance you're going to have getting air into the mixture.
Next sieve in the self-raising flour and then fold it in by hand using a spatula or wooden spoon. Stop stirring before all the flour has been mixed in and add the milk. Then mix until you can no longer see white streaks of flour. Finally, divide the mixture evenly between 12 cupcake cases.
The Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes took exactly 18 minutes in my fan oven. Timings might vary slightly but you'll know they are cooked when you touch them with your finger and they spring back.
Make the drizzle
When the cupcakes have 5 minutes left to bake in the oven, make your drizzle so it's ready to pour over as soon as the cupcakes are ready.
To make the drizzle all you need to do is add the lemon juice and icing sugar to a small saucepan. Place this over a low heat and stir it until the sugar dissolves and it thickens and looks glossy and syrupy. This will take one or two minutes.
As soon as the cupcakes come out of the oven, pour over the drizzle. There will be enough syrup for one tablespoon of drizzle per cupcake.
When you've added the drizzle, leave the cupcakes to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then transfer them to a wire cooling rack.
At this point you can leave the lemon drizzle cupcakes just as they are, or read on to find out how to decorate them.
How to make lemon buttercream
To make the lemon buttercream, beat the butter until it's creamy. Then add the icing sugar a little at a time (so you don't end up in a cloud of icing sugar!)
Next add the lemon zest, juice and double cream (or milk). The lemon buttercream should be light and creamy and the consistency of spreadable butter.
If it's too thick, add a splash more cream. Too thin, add more icing sugar a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.
I added a tiny amount of (affiliate link) Sugarflair Canary Yellow food colouring gel to get the sunny yellow colour but this is of course, completely optional.
For more comprehensive instructions read my recipe: how to make perfect lemon buttercream.
Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag. I used a Wilton 1M nozzle. When they have cooled, pipe the buttercream in swirls on top of the cupcakes.
For extra moist cupcakes
- Make sure the butter and sugar are well creamed and the eggs have been beaten in well.
- Fold the flour into the cupcake mixture - don't use an electric whisk.
- Take care not to overbake, these cupcakes will take 20 minutes tops!
- Add the drizzle as soon as the cupcakes come out of the oven
- The buttercream frosting will act as a seal between the cupcake and frosting which will help to keep them moist.
- Store in an airtight container for 3 days.
More lemon desserts you'll love
Lemon Cake
Lemon Possets
Lemon Cordial
Lemon Cheesecake
Lemon Tart
Lemon Truffles
Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes
These delightful Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes are super moist and very zingy. Leave them just as they are or top with lemon flavoured buttercream. I guarantee this cupcake recipe will give you perfect results every single time!
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 125 g unsalted butter
- 175 g caster sugar
- 2 large eggs
- zest 1 lemon
- 175 g self-raising flour
- pinch salt
- 4 tbsp milk
For the drizzle
- Juice 1 lemon
- 100 g icing sugar
For the buttercream
- 220 g unsalted butter
- 500 g icing sugar
- zest 2 lemons
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp double cream, (or milk)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180ºC/160ºC Fan/Gas 4/350ºF Line a tin with 12 cupcake cases.
- Cream butter and sugar until it's very light and fluffy then add the lemon zest and eggs, one at a time, beating together well after each addition.
- Sieve in the the flour and the salt and gently fold it into the creamed mixture by hand. Stop stirring before it's completely mixed in then add the milk and mix together until you can no longer see white streaks of flour.
- Divide the mixture evenly between 12 cupcake cases. Bake in the centre of the oven for 18-20 minutes until they are lightly golden and spring back when touched.
- Meanwhile, make the drizzle by adding the lemon juice and icing sugar into a small saucepan. Place over a low heat for 1-2 minutes, the sugar will dissolve and the drizzle will thicken and look like syrup.
- As soon as you take the cupcakes out of the oven, spoon over the drizzle. There will be enough for one tablespoon of drizzle per cupcake. Leave the cupcakes to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack.
- To make the buttercream, beat the butter until it's creamy then add the icing sugar and beat well for 3-4 minutes. Add the lemon zest, juice and cream. Beat until smooth and the consistency of spreadable butter.
- Transfer the lemon buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M nozzle (or similar) pipe swirls on top of each cooled cupcake. Grate over a little lemon zest for an extra lemony kick!
Notes
FOR EXTRA MOIST CUPCAKES
- Make sure the butter and sugar are well creamed and the eggs have been beaten in well.
- Fold the flour into the cupcake mixture - don't use an electric whisk.
- Take care not to over bake, these cupcakes will take 20 minutes tops!
- Add the drizzle as soon as the cupcakes come out of the oven
- The buttercream frosting will act as a seal between the cupcake and frosting which will help to keep them moist.
- Store in an airtight container for 3 days.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 531Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 9mgCarbohydrates: 76gFiber: 1gSugar: 64gProtein: 3g
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