These Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes are bright, zesty, beautiful spring desserts. Delicious on their own, they are even better when topped with a luscious lemon buttercream frosting!
When in doubt, bake some lemon desserts! Lemon is a flavor that seems to be almost universally adored, and you can find fresh lemons easily year-round. We love making lemon cookies like lemon sugar cookies and lemon crinkle cookies. They are super easy to make and so tasty!
For a more substantial dessert, make lemon cupcakes. Cupcakes are perfectly portioned for satisfying that sweet tooth craving without baking a whole cake. They're great for birthdays, holidays, and anytime afternoon snacking.
With spring in full bloom, these Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes are the perfect recipe to bake no matter what the weather. These delicious cupcakes will brighten up any rainy spring day and help you celebrate the sunniest of summer days.
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🧁 Why you'll love baking these cupcakes
This lemon poppy seed cupcakes recipe is such a treat to bake -- and even more to eat!
A few reasons you'll love this cupcake recipe:
- Easy baking recipe - Whether you're a beginning baker or an expert baker, this recipe is easy to follow. To make it even easier, I've included step-by-step photo instructions below!
- Simple ingredients - This recipe calls for simple ingredients you can find in any grocery store.
- Delicious - both the cupcakes and the frosting have a bright lemon flavor that's irresistible. The cupcakes turn out moist with a delightful fluffy texture and the best flavors.
🍋 Cupcake ingredients
Like most cupcake recipes, you'll need some basic dry ingredients and wet ingredients.
- Dry ingredients - You'll need all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, kosher salt, fresh lemon zest, poppy seeds.
- Wet ingredients - For the wet ingredients, you'll need butter, eggs, sugar, milk, fresh lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
🧈 For best results, make sure you use unsalted butter that has been softened at room temperature. You can take the butter out of the refrigerator about 15-30 minutes before you are ready to start baking. Room temperature butter is soft and creams easily and smoothly in the mixer.
🥚 Make sure you take the egg(s) out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you are ready to start baking to allow the egg(s) to come to room temperature. Room temperature eggs mix more smoothly than cold eggs and result in a smooth, even batter.
🧈 Frosting ingredients
For the lemon buttercream frosting, you'll need powdered sugar, more unsalted butter softened at room temperature, lemon juice, milk, and vanilla extract.
Be sure to taste the frosting before using it. If you feel it needs more fresh lemon flavor, you can add some lemon zest or a little more lemon juice.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
The full list of ingredients and instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here's a visual step-by-step photo guide to help you along the way as you make these delicious lemon cupcakes.
First, preheat your oven to 375°F. Then line a cupcake pan (muffin pan) with cupcake liners; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl and using a hand mixer), beat the softened unsalted butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl down as necessary.
- Add the sugar and beat with the butter for 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the eggs, vanilla, milk, and lemon juice. Mix together just until the ingredients are well blended, about 1-2 minutes.
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
6. Beat all of the ingredients together until the batter is smooth and all ingredients are well incorporated.
7. Scoop the muffin batter into the prepared muffin tin.
8. Bake at 375°F for 5 minutes. Then turn down the heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. While the cupcakes are baking, make the frosting.
Make the frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, cream, vanilla, and lemon juice. If you want thicker frosting, add a little more powdered sugar until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.
Assemble
- Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting the top of the cupcakes.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
Baking cupcakes or muffins at a slightly higher heat helps the baked goods rise early on. This creates the desirable bakery-style rounded dome effect on the top of cupcakes and muffins. Then turning the heat down helps the desserts bake more evenly for the remaining bake time.
Store unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
🍽 Serving ideas
If you're baking these cupcakes for a spring brunch or lunch event, they'd go well with other spring desserts like Strawberry Crinkle Cookies, Mini Citrus Bundt Cakes, and Key Lime Cookies.
🍳 Kitchen tools and equipment
Ready to make this recipe? Here are the kitchen tools and equipment you'll need:
- Muffin tin - This cupcake recipe makes about 15-17 cupcakes, so you could use two muffin tins. Or, use just one muffin tin and work in batches.
- Cupcake liners - Use whatever cupcake liners you have on hand to line the insides of the muffin tin. If you don't have cupcake liners, you can lightly grease the insides of the muffin tin openings with butter.
- Stand mixer - A stand mixer makes quick work of combining the batter. But if you don't have one, you can use a hand mixer and a large mixing bowl.
- Spatula - A silicone spatula makes it easy to scrape down the sides of the stand mixer bowl.
- Cookie scoop - A large cookie scoop (or ice cream scoop) or ¼ cup measuring cup helps you bake equal portions of batter.
- Cooling rack - Use a cooling rack to help the cupcakes cool evenly on the countertop.
- Piping bag - use a piping bag for the frosting.
More cupcake & frosting recipes
If you're in the baking mood, be sure to check out all of our dessert recipes!
Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Tablespoon lemon zest
- 4 teaspoons poppy seeds
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup milk
For the Frosting
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar + more as needed
- 3 Tablespoons milk or cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
Make the cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, lemon zest, and poppy seeds.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large mixing bowl and using a hand mixer), cream the butter until fluffy and light, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides with a spatula as needed.
- Add the sugar and beat with the butter for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the eggs, vanilla, milk, and lemon juice. Mix together just until the ingredients are well blended, about 1-2 minutes.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients just until the ingredients are all incorporated.
- Scoop batter into the prepared muffin tin. You will likely have enough for about 15-17 cupcakes, so you will either need to use two muffin tins or bake one batch at a time.
- Bake at 375°F for 5 minutes. Then turn down the heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. While the cupcakes are baking, make the frosting.
Make the frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, cream, vanilla, and lemon juice. If you want thicker frosting, add a little more powdered sugar until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.
Assemble
- Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.
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