These lavender lemon cupcakes have a perfectly balanced, floral-citrus flavor! They bake up tender, soft, and absolutely delicious.

How to Make Lavender Lemon Cupcakes

Let’s walk through each step of this lavender lemon cupcake recipe to make sure it turns out as amazing as possible!

I’ve also shared a video tutorial below.

Step 1: Massage the Lemon Zest into the Sugar

Add the granulated sugar and lemon zest into a bowl. Use your fingertips to massage the zest into the sugar to help release the oil in the zest.

You should be able to smell the oils being incorporated into the sugar. This gives these cupcakes a bright, citrusy flavor that won’t bake off in the oven. Set aside.

Step 2: Make the Lemon Cupcake Batter

Then we tackle the lemon cupcakes! Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C and line a muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners.

Make the cupcake recipe following the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake them for 18-21 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Remove the pan from the oven.

Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove them and place them on a wire rack to finish cooling.

If you’re in a rush, place the entire pan in the freezer for 30 minutes to accelerate the cooling process.

Step 3: Make the Lavender Buttercream

While the cupcakes bake and cool, make the lavender Swiss meringue frosting. Steep dried lavender in warm milk, then add it to the frosting to give it a delicate floral flavor.

I like to use my Swiss meringue buttercream (SMBC) as a base because it isn’t too sweet and really lets the flavors in this buttercream shine through!

If you aren’t a fan of SMBC, I’d recommend adding the lavender milk into a half batch of my American buttercream or my hybrid buttercream.

Once the frosting is made, stir it by hand with a rubber spatula to get it SUPER smooth. Then place it in a piping bag fit with your favorite piping tip and seal the top with a rubber band.

Step 4: Cut Out the Lemon Peel Heart Garnishes

To make these cupcakes even cuter, I like to add a little lemon peel heart as a garnish.

This is optional, but who wouldn’t want these to be this cute?!?

Use a vegetable peeler to peel a few thin strips from a lemon. Then use a small heart shaped cutter to cut out 12 little hearts.

If you don’t have a heart shaped cutter you can also cut them out using a small, sharp knife.

Step 5: Fill and Frost the Lemon Cupcakes

If you want to fill these cupcakes, remove the centers with a large frosting tip or a 3/4-inch circle cutter.

Fill each cupcake with about a tablespoon of lemon curd. Filling the cupcakes is optional, but I think it really enhances their flavor.

I usually use store bought lemon curd in this recipe, but you can also make your own.

Then pipe the lavender buttercream on top of each cupcake and gently press a lemon peel heart into the frosting on each cupcake.

Use a microplane grater to top the cupcakes with a dusting of lemon zest, then enjoy!

Substitutions and Swaps – Lemon Cupcakes

This cupcake recipe uses quite a few ingredients and I know you might not have them all on hand. Or if you have food allergies or restrictions, I’ve got you covered.

Below are some swaps and substitutions that you can make.

• Granulated Sugar – I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of these cupcakes.
• Fresh Lemon Zest – In a pinch, you could use lime juice and zest. You can also increase the amount of lemon extract to 2 tsp in place of the zest.
• Sour Cream – Full fat yogurt, buttermilk, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat) can also be used.
• 1 Large Egg – If you have an egg allergy you can try using a flaxseed egg or a vegan egg replacer like this made by Bob’s Red Mill.
• Vegetable Oil – You can use any flavorless oil in this recipe, so canola or even sunflower oil would work great! I advise against olive oil because of its strong flavor.
• Gel Food Coloring – I added yellow gel food coloring to make the cupcake batter yellow. However, this is optional and can be omitted. Liquid food coloring or natural food coloring can be used if needed.
• Cake Flour – This recipe turns out best with cake flour, but you can use a gluten free flour blend or all-purpose flour if that’s all you have on hand.
• Lemon Curd – Filling these cupcakes is optional! You can also make your own lemon curd or use jam. Blackberry or raspberry jam would be delicious.

Substitutions and Swaps – Lavender Buttercream Frosting

• Culinary Dried Lavender – Make sure you’re using good-quality dried lavender. I like to order mine on Amazon.
• Whole Milk – Alternative milk or cream can be used in place of the whole milk to make the lavender milk if needed.
• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the salt that this frosting recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
• Gel Food Coloring – I added electric purple and deep pink gel food coloring to make this buttercream bright purple. However, you can make this frosting a more classic lavender color by omitting the pink gel food coloring. Liquid food coloring or natural food coloring can be used if needed, but the frosting won’t be quite as bright.

How to Make Gluten Free Lavender Lemon Cupcakes

If you need to make gluten free lavender lemon cupcakes, use gluten free flour in place of the cake flour.

I prefer King Arthur’s gluten free flour blend. In addition to swapping the flour, there are two additional steps you need to take when making gluten free cupcakes.

Be sure to over-mix your batter and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before baking for best results.

Over-mixing gluten free batter helps the cupcakes rise better as they bake and gives them a more tender crumb.

Letting the batter sit helps thicken the batter and prevents your cupcakes from having a gritty texture.

Lavender Lemon Cupcake Troubleshooting & FAQs

While I’d love to think everyone’s cupcakes will turn out perfectly every time, I know that sometimes things don’t go to plan. Below are some tips and advice to help!

Why Didn’t My Cupcakes Rise? Why Are My Cupcakes Dense?

This can be caused by a few things. The most common is that either the ingredients weren’t all at room temperature, you over-mixed the batter after adding the flour, or your leavening agents are expired.

Using cold ingredients has a huge damper on how much baked goods rise. Make sure to set out cold ingredients ahead of time to let them come to room temperature.

Over-mixed batter can also create dense, chewy baked goods. Make sure that you mix the batter until it’s just combined once you’ve added in the flour.

Expired baking powder is a sneaky one. Check the dates on your baking powder can. It can start to lose its leavening power after it’s been open for 6 months.

A quick and easy way to check your baking powder is to add a little bit to hot water. It should foam. If it doesn’t, it’s time to get some new baking powder.  

Why Did My Cupcakes Sink in the Middle? Why Did They Overflow on the Sides?

This can happen when the cupcakes are under-baked, overfilled, or if your oven runs cool.

Cupcake centers can sink if the cupcakes aren’t done baking before they’re pulled from the oven. You can avoid this by testing the center of the cupcakes with a toothpick.

It should come out with a few moist crumbs once the cupcake is done baking. If the toothpick comes out looking wet or goopy, the cupcakes need to bake for a bit longer.

One batch of batter should be the perfect amount to make 12 cupcakes, but it’s important that it’s evenly distributed between the liners. If they’re overfilled, they can overflow on the sides of the liners and/or sink in the middle.

Some cupcake pans and liners vary a bit in size, and this can also impact how the cupcakes bake up.

Another factor could be that your oven isn’t properly calibrated. I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer to make sure it’s baking at the right temperature.

Can I Make These Lavender Lemon Cupcakes in Advance?

You can make these cupcakes in advance! Frosted and filled cupcakes can sit at room temperature for a few hours or be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

However, like all baked goods these cupcakes taste best when they’re freshly baked!

They can also last up to a month in the freezer. If you plan to freeze them, I suggest waiting to fill and frost them until they’re thawed.

You can also make the buttercream ahead of time or save any leftovers. This buttercream frosting can last in the fridge for up to a month.

Be sure to give the frosting a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

I like to store buttercream in a piping bag in the fridge. I find buttercream keeps its consistency well in piping bags and doesn’t require any mixing after it’s thawed.

Tips for Making the Best Lavender Lemon Cupcakes

• Ingredients at room temp mix together better. Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
• Properly measure the flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure the dry ingredients.
• Mix the cupcake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated once you add in the flour. This will ensure the cupcakes are tender and fluffy.
• To make gluten free lavender lemon cupcakes, swap in your favorite GF flour blend for the cake flour in this recipe. Be sure to over-mix your batter and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before baking for best results.
• Use a large cookie scoop to easily fill the cupcake liners. It also makes sure the cupcakes end up being the same height.
• Be careful not to overfill the cupcake liners! This can cause them to sink in the middle or explode over the sides of the liners.
• One batch of batter can also be used to make one 8×8-inch lavender lemon sheet cake. Bake it at 325 F / 162 C for 33-38 minutes.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this lavender lemon cupcake recipe, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Please leave a rating and comment below.

Don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets so that I can see your delicious creations on social media!

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