Soft, Moist & Easy Lemon Cupcakes
Soft cupcakes bursting with bright lemon flavor & made with just fresh lemons - no artificial extract! Topped with creamy ermine cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Making the Lemon Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 375 °F
- Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip on high speed until frothy. Once frothy, continue whipping while sprinkling about a tablespoon of the granulated sugar into the egg whites. Whip until the egg whites reach soft peaks, then transfer to another bowl and set aside.2 large eggs, separated, 175 g granulated sugar
- Add the rest of the granulated sugar and the lemon zest to the bowl of the stand mixer and rub the zest into the sugar for at least 2 minutes to release the flavor. It should resemble wet/kinetic sand once done.2 large lemons, zest only, 175 g granulated sugar
- Add the rest of the dry ingredients (cake flour, baking powder & salt) to the sugar/zest mixture and give a quick mix to evenly distribute.130 g cake flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Add the oil to your dry ingredients and beat on medium speed with a flat paddle attachment until combined.100 g neutral oil
- Add the egg yolks and sour cream to the flour mixture. Mix at medium speed for 2 full minutes.Stop the mixer about halfway through to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure that everything gets incorporated.2 large eggs, separated, 200 g sour cream
- Using a spatula, gently fold in the whipped egg whites from earlier by hand until completely incorporated.
- Pour the cupcake batter into a cupcake pan prepared with cupcake liners. Fill each cupcake three-quarters of the way.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375 °F or until the cupcakes spring back when pressed lightly.
Measuring the sugar at this step is not needed - you can just eyeball it using a regular spoon.
Making the Cream Cheese Ermine Frosting
- Add the sugar, all-purpose flour & milk to a saucepan and whisk to remove any clumps.200 g granulated sugar, 45 g all-purpose flour, 200 g whole milk
- Add the whipped cream cheese to the saucepan and whisk over medium heat until the mixture is smooth and has a glue-like consistency.113 g whipped cream cheese
- Transfer the roux base to a heat-resistant bowl, cover with lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool.
- Once the roux base has cooled, transfer it to the bowl of your stand mixer and whip at medium-high speed until a little fluffy.
- Add the butter 1-2 tablespoons at a time, allowing the mixer to run until the last chunk has been completely incorporated.225 g unsalted butter
You can place it in the freezer to speed up the process, but set a timer so you don't forget it!
Assembling the Cupcakes
- Transfer the ermine cream cheese frosting to a piping bag with your favorite piping tip.
- Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, pipe the frosting on to the cupcakes in the desired shapes & enjoy!
- These cupcakes can sit out for up to 2 hours at room temperature, but after that they should be refrigerated due to the dairy in the frosting.
Nutrition
Notes
- If you opt for imperial measurements spoon the flour into the measuring cups, then level with a knife to avoid adding more flour than the recipe calls for
- If starting with block cream cheese for the frosting, whip it so that it dissolves more easily when making the roux base for the frosting. You can also blend it.
- Whip the egg whites for the cupcakes to soft peaks only. It will incorporate more easily into the batter.