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Lemon Cupcakes are bright, tender, and bursting with fresh lemon flavor, topped with a swirl of sweet strawberry buttercream that makes them as pretty as they are delicious, and I baked a batch for Maddie’s spring birthday and they were gone in minutes. If you love a citrusy dessert, these are sunshine in cupcake form, right alongside our lemon blueberry cupcakes.
A splash of lemon juice, fresh zest, and sour cream keep these cupcakes moist, soft, and packed with real lemon flavor.
Lemon Cupcakes Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 17 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 37 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 24 cupcakes
- ⚡ Calories: 296kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Bright, tangy lemon with sweet strawberry buttercream
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our lemon blueberry cupcakes
Quick Answer
Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk melted butter, oil, sugar, eggs, sour cream, buttermilk, lemon juice, and zest. Combine the two, fill 24 liners, and bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes, then 350 for 10 to 12 more. Cool, then top with whipped strawberry buttercream.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Both lemon juice and zest. The juice brings bright, tangy flavor while the zest adds aromatic lemon oils, so every bite tastes like real lemon, not extract.
- Sour cream keeps them moist. The fat and gentle acidity in sour cream give the cupcakes a soft, tender crumb that stays fresh for days.
- Two temperatures build the dome. Starting hot sets a nicely domed top, then lowering the heat finishes the centers without drying out the edges.
- Oil plus butter. Butter brings the flavor while oil locks in moisture, so these cupcakes stay soft long after they cool.
- Strawberry buttercream balances the tang. The sweet, fruity frosting plays off the bright lemon for a cupcake that tastes balanced, not sour.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They are bright and tangy with a soft, moist crumb that stays tender for days.
- The strawberry buttercream is a dreamy pink swirl, just like the frosting on our strawberry cupcakes.
- One batch makes 24, perfect for birthdays, baby showers, and spring parties.
Key Ingredients
Here is what gives these lemon cupcakes their bright flavor and soft crumb.
- Fresh lemon juice and zest give the cupcakes their bright, real lemon flavor.
- Sour cream and buttermilk keep the crumb moist, soft, and tender.
- Melted butter and oil team up for rich flavor and lasting moisture.
- Pureed strawberries flavor and naturally tint the buttercream a pretty pink.
- Powdered sugar whips into the smooth, fluffy frosting, the same base as our lemon cheesecake cupcakes.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Switch up the flavors with these easy ideas.
- Swap the strawberry buttercream for a tangy lemon frosting, like our lemon cheesecake cupcakes.
- Fold fresh blueberries into the batter for a lemon blueberry version.
- Top with a cream cheese frosting instead for a richer finish.
- Use raspberry puree in the buttercream for a different berry twist.
- Turn the lemon flavor into a whole dessert spread with our lemon bars.
How to Make Lemon Cupcakes
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together in a bowl.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, oil, and sugar.
- Whisk in the eggs until fully combined.
- Add the sour cream, buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest, and whisk until smooth.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until the batter is smooth with no lumps.
- Divide the batter among 24 liners, bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes, lower to 350 and bake 10 to 12 minutes more until a toothpick comes out clean, then cool completely.
- Make the strawberry buttercream by whipping the butter, then beating in powdered sugar, salt, strawberry puree, vanilla, and strawberry extract until light and fluffy.
- Frost the cooled cupcakes and add any garnishes you like.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Zest before you juice so you capture every bit of the lemon oils.
- Use room-temperature eggs, sour cream, and buttermilk so the batter comes together smoothly.
- Do not overmix once the flour goes in, stir just until smooth to keep them tender.
- Bake at two temperatures for a nicely domed top and an evenly baked center.
- Cool completely before frosting so the buttercream does not melt.
- Strain the strawberry puree for the smoothest buttercream, the same trick we use on our strawberry cupcakes.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These lemon cupcakes are made for spring, perfect for Easter, baby showers, and birthday parties. The pink and yellow combo looks gorgeous on any dessert table.
Serve them with more citrusy treats like our lemon bars and a slice of lemon blueberry coffee cake.
Building a cupcake spread? Add our lemon blueberry cupcakes and pretty strawberry cupcakes for variety.
Lemon Cupcakes FAQs
They are bright and tangy from real lemon juice and zest, balanced by a sweet strawberry buttercream. The crumb is soft and moist, not dense, so they taste light and fresh.
Starting at 375 degrees gives the cupcakes a quick rise and a domed top, then lowering to 350 lets the centers finish baking evenly without drying out the edges.
Yes. Lemon buttercream, cream cheese frosting, or a simple vanilla all work beautifully. Strawberry just adds a pretty pink color and fruity contrast to the lemon.
Keep frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving so the buttercream softens.
Yes. Bake the cupcakes a day ahead and store them unfrosted, then whip the buttercream and frost the day you plan to serve them for the freshest look and taste.
Freeze the unfrosted cupcakes in a freezer bag for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature, then frost with fresh strawberry buttercream.
Craving more citrus desserts? Try our lemon bars or a slice of lemon blueberry coffee cake next.
For another bright citrus treat, try our lemon brownies, thick, chewy, and full of fresh lemon.
Lemon Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream room temp
- ¼ cup buttermilk room temp
- ¼ cup lemon juice fresh squeezed
- zest of 2 lemons
For the frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 tablespoons pureed strawberries
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon strawberry extract optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Get your cupcake tin out and line 24 sections with liners, set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda, set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, oil, and sugar.
- Add the eggs and whisk them in until combined.
- Add the sour cream, buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest, whisk to combine.
- Lastly, add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir together until smooth with no dry patches or lumps.
- Divide the batter between the liners, 3 tablespoons of batter each. Bake for 5 minutes, lower the temperature to 350°F and bake an additional 10-12 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Take the cupcakes out and place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cupcakes are cooling, make the strawberry buttercream. Add the butter to the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and whip until smooth. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time followed by the salt, scrape down the sides as needed. Add the strawberry puree, vanilla extract, and strawberry extract if using. Stir it in until combined, scrape down the sides then turn the mixer on medium-high and whip for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Frost the cupcakes and add any garnishes if using.
Notes
- Make sure that the ingredients that call for room temperature you use at room temperature, this is essential for the way that these turn out.
- You can halve this recipe if you’d like.
- If you do not have a 24 count cupcake tin, bake these in batches.
- These can be frozen, see my tips above.
- You can use other frosting flavors, again see tips above for suggestions.
- Add garnishes such as lemon slices, strawberry slices and mint if desired.
Nutrition
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