Creamy Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling

Here is my favorite lemon cupcake recipe, with fluffy vanilla cupcakes, a tangy lemon curd filling, and a smooth lemon buttercream frosting that brings it all together.

These lemon cupcakes are what I make whenever someone in my family needs a little pick-me-up. The bright lemon flavor always puts a smile on everyone’s face, and they’re perfect for spring celebrations or just because you’re craving something citrusy and sweet.

What Kind of Lemons Should I Use?

For the best flavor in your lemon cupcakes, you’ll want to use fresh lemons rather than bottled lemon juice. Meyer lemons are a great choice if you can find them – they’re sweeter and less acidic than regular lemons, which makes for a more balanced flavor in baked goods. However, regular grocery store lemons (usually Eureka or Lisbon varieties) work perfectly fine and are much easier to find year-round. When picking lemons, look for ones that feel heavy for their size and have bright, unblemished skin since you’ll be using the zest. Make sure to wash and dry your lemons well before zesting, and try to only zest the yellow part of the peel since the white pith underneath can be bitter.

Options for Substitutions

These lemon cupcakes are pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here are some options if you’re missing ingredients:

• All-purpose flour: You can substitute with cake flour for a lighter texture (use 1 3/4 cups instead of 1 1/2 cups), but don’t use self-rising flour as it already contains baking powder and salt.
• Whole milk: 2% milk, buttermilk, or even non-dairy milk like almond or oat milk work fine. If using buttermilk, reduce the baking powder to 1 teaspoon since buttermilk adds extra lift.
• Fresh lemon juice and zest: While fresh is best for that bright flavor, you can use bottled lemon juice in a pinch. For zest, dried lemon peel works but use only 1/3 of the amount called for.
• Lemon curd: Store-bought works great, or you can make a quick version with lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and butter. You could also skip the filling entirely or use lemon jam as a substitute.
• Unsalted butter: Salted butter is fine – just reduce the salt in the recipe by half. For the frosting, make sure your butter is really soft or it won’t cream properly.
• Powdered sugar: You can make your own by blending granulated sugar in a food processor until fine and powdery, though store-bought gives the smoothest frosting.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making lemon cupcakes is overmixing the batter once you add the flour, which can lead to tough, dense cupcakes instead of light and fluffy ones – mix just until the ingredients are combined and no streaks of flour remain.

Another common error is filling the cupcake liners too full, so stick to about 2/3 full to prevent overflow and ensure even baking.

When adding the lemon curd filling, wait until the cupcakes are completely cool or the filling will melt and create a mess, and use a small spoon or piping bag to create a small well in the center rather than trying to hollow out too much cake.

For the best lemon flavor, make sure your butter is truly at room temperature before creaming it with the sugar, and don’t skip the lemon zest – it provides much more intense citrus flavor than juice alone.

What to Serve With Lemon Cupcakes?

These bright, citrusy cupcakes are perfect on their own, but they pair beautifully with a cup of hot tea or coffee for an afternoon treat. I love serving them alongside fresh berries like strawberries or blueberries, which complement the lemon flavor without competing with it. For special occasions, try adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream to make them feel extra indulgent. They’re also great as part of a dessert spread with other light, fruity treats like shortbread cookies or angel food cake.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: These lemon cupcakes taste best when stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you need to keep them longer, pop them in the fridge for up to 5 days – just bring them back to room temperature before serving for the best flavor and texture.

Freeze: You can freeze these cupcakes for up to 3 months! I like to freeze them without the frosting in a freezer-safe container, then thaw and frost them when I’m ready to serve. If they’re already frosted, just make sure to freeze them on a tray first, then transfer to a container once solid.

Make Ahead: The unfrosted cupcakes can be made a day ahead and stored covered at room temperature. The lemon curd filling and buttercream frosting can both be made up to 3 days in advance and kept in the fridge – just let the frosting come to room temperature and give it a quick whip before using.

Preparation Time	20-30 minutes
Cooking Time	18-20 minutes
Total Time	38-50 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 3800-4200
• Protein: 25-30 g
• Fat: 210-240 g
• Carbohydrates: 480-520 g

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur all-purpose flour)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (I prefer Kerrygold unsalted butter)
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (freshly squeezed for best flavor)
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• Finely grated zest from 2 large lemons (about 2 tbsp, for bright citrus flavor)
• 2 large eggs (room temperature for better emulsification)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the filling:

• 1/4 cup prepared lemon curd (or homemade for tangier filling)

For the frosting:

• Yellow sprinkles (optional, adds festive touch)
• 2 tbsp whole milk
• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar (sifted to remove lumps)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tbsp)
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

Step 1: Prepare Mise en Place and Preheat

• 2 large lemons

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a cupcake pan with paper liners.

Gather all ingredients and bring the eggs and butter to room temperature—this is crucial for proper emulsification and a lighter crumb.

I always let my eggs sit out for about 15 minutes before baking because cold eggs won’t incorporate smoothly into the batter.

Zest both lemons (you’ll need about 3 tablespoons total), then juice the 2 lemons to get 3 tablespoons of fresh juice.

Step 2: Mix Dry Ingredients and Create Lemon Sugar

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon zest from Step 1

In one bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt to distribute the leavening evenly.

In another bowl, combine the sugar with the finely grated lemon zest (about 2 tablespoons from Step 1), rubbing the zest into the sugar with your fingertips for about one minute—this releases the oils and ensures bright lemon flavor throughout the cupcakes rather than just on the surface.

Step 3: Cream Butter and Build the Batter Base

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• lemon sugar mixture from Step 2
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat the softened butter with the lemon sugar mixture for about 8 minutes on medium speed until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale—this creates air pockets that make the cupcakes tender.

Add the room temperature eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition (about 30 seconds), then add the vanilla extract.

This gradual incorporation ensures the eggs emulsify properly and the batter stays smooth and voluminous.

Step 4: Alternate Dry and Wet Ingredients

• dry ingredient mixture from Step 2
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice from Step 1
• batter from Step 3

Add the dry ingredient mixture from Step 2 and the milk in alternating additions, starting and ending with flour (flour, then milk, then flour, etc.), mixing on low speed just until combined after each addition.

This technique prevents overmixing, which would develop gluten and create dense cupcakes.

After the final flour addition combines, add the fresh lemon juice from Step 1 and fold gently a few times—I prefer to stop mixing when I still see a few flour streaks because overworking at this stage is the enemy of tender cupcakes.

Step 5: Fill and Bake the Cupcakes

• cupcake batter from Step 4

Divide the batter evenly among the lined cupcake cups, filling each about two-thirds full to allow room for rising.

Bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs—don’t overbake or the cupcakes will be dry.

Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before filling and frosting.

Step 6: Make the Lemon Buttercream Frosting

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 2 tbsp whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp lemon zest

While cupcakes cool, beat the room temperature butter on medium-high speed until creamy and pale (about 2 minutes).

Add the sifted confectioners’ sugar one cup at a time, beating on low speed to prevent a cloud of sugar, then increase speed to medium and beat until fluffy.

Add the milk, vanilla extract, and finely grated lemon zest (about 1 tablespoon), then beat until light and spreadable—the texture should be similar to whipped clouds.

Step 7: Fill with Lemon Curd and Frost

• cooled cupcakes from Step 5
• 1/4 cup prepared lemon curd
• lemon buttercream frosting from Step 6
• yellow sprinkles

Once cupcakes are completely cooled, use a small paring knife or cupcake corer to cut a small cone-shaped hole into the center of each cupcake, removing about 1 to 1.5 inches of cake.

Fill each hole with about 1 teaspoon of lemon curd, then replace the cake top (or leave it off for a more rustic look).

Frost each cupcake generously with the lemon buttercream from Step 6 using a spatula or piping bag, then add yellow sprinkles if desired for a festive touch.