Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Frosting at Home

Hello, Regular Cake Flavor.

If you’ve been hanging around this blog the last 12 years, you know lemon and I have a thing. Worth keeping it wholeheartedly. So much so that when I’m asked “chocolate or vanilla” – I say lemon. There’s even a lemon dessert section on SS.

Earlier today I shared my lemon cake mix recipe and in this post I’ll show you how to turn the mix into the most notable (you guessed it) cake! They flavor is perfection, the crumb texture is tender and the cake as a whole is that m-word that we only associate with cake. I topped these gems off with a giant dollop of from-scratch lemon buttercream.

How about I show you?

To Make These Lemon Cupcakes (or 2 9-inch cake pans) Set out:

• recipe for kitchen-made lemon cake mix
• water
• grapeseed oil (or light neutral tasting oil)
• eggs
• vanilla
• lemon extract

Preheat your oven to 350° and line a standard muffin tin with paper liners. If making a cake, grease and line 2 (9-inch) cake pans.

Add all of the lemon cake mix to a large mixing bowl, or bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

Then add in 1 cup water, 2/3 cup grapeseed oil, crack in 3 large eggs, and add in 1 teaspoon of both vanilla extract and lemon extract.

Mix on low speed, slowly increasing a bitt until the combined.

Measure 3 tablespoons of batter per liner. Bake on the middle rack of your preheated oven for 14 to 16 minutes or until a tester comes out with only a few crumbs attached.

Allow to cool until safe to handle. Then remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

To Make The Lemon Buttercream Set out:

• softened unsalted butter
• sifted powdered sugar
• lemon juice
• milk
• pure vanilla extract
• lemon extract

In a large mixing bowl, add in 2 sticks (1 cup) softened unsalted butter. Mix on low, for 2 to 3 minutes until light and creamy.

Gradually add in 4 cups powdered sugar that has been sifted. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl before each addition.

Mix until all the sifted powdered sugar is incorporated.

Gradually add in 2 tablespoons milk.

And 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Mix until thoroughly combined.

Lastly, measure and add in 1/2 teaspoon of both vanilla and lemon extract. You know the drill, mix on low until combined.

For a stiffer buttercream, add more powdered until you’ve reached the desired consistency. If you find the buttercream too stiff, add more lemon juice or milk.

Transfer buttercream to a piping bag fitted with desired tip and frost cupcakes. I didn’t shoot this part because I need two hands while frosting, and I’m still not great at it 😅.

I garnished each one with a thinly sliced lemon half and coarse sparkling sugar. 💛

Prepare to die and go to lemon heaven after your first bite.

Enjoy! And if you give this Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!