Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes
These lemon poppy seed cupcakes are bursting with citrus flavor! They bake up tender, soft, and absolutely delicious.
Servings: 12
Calories: 359kcal
Ingredients
Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes:
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest or the zest of 1 large lemon 6g
- 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature 125g
- 1/2 cup water 120g
- 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil 56g
- 1 large egg, room temperature 56g
- 1 tsp lemon extract 4g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
- 1 1/4 cups cake flour 160g
- 1 Tbsp poppy seeds 9g
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 6g
- 1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 56g
- 1/4 cup cream cheese, room temperature 56g
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest or the zest of 1 large lemon 6g
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 2g
- 1/4 tsp fine salt 1g
- 2 cups powdered sugar 250g
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice 14g
Optional Filling
- 3/4 cup lemon curd
Recommend Tools and Equipment
Instructions
Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C and place 12 cupcake liners in a muffin pan. Set aside.
- Add 1 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp lemon zest into a large 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. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup oil, 1 large egg, 1 tsp lemon extract, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Mix until fully incorporated.
- Whisk 1 1/4 cups cake flour, the lemon sugar we made in step 2, 1 Tbsp poppy seeds, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt into the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. The batter should be smooth.
- Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Rotate the pan halfway through to help the cupcakes bake evenly.
- Let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan before moving them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream:
- Beat 1/4 cup of unsalted butter and 1/4 cup of cream cheese on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a hand mixer until smooth.
- Add in 1 Tbsp lemon zest, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, and 1/4 tsp salt. Beat on low until the ingredients are combined.
- Gradually mix in 2 cups of powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice on a low speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- If the frosting seems too thick, add in additional lemon juice (1 tsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time).
- Mix on a low speed for a few minutes to make the frosting super smooth.
- Place the buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a large round frosting tip or cut a 1-inch opening at the bottom of the bag. Set aside.
Decorating These Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes:
- If you chose to fill these cupcakes, remove the centers with a small sharp knife or a 3/4-inch circle cutter. Fill each cupcake with 1 Tbsp of lemon curd.
- Next, make the heart garnish. Use a vegetable peeler to peel a few thin strips of skin 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 sharp, small knife.
- Then pipe a large dollop of lemon cream cheese buttercream on top of each cupcake. Gently press a lemon peel heart onto each cupcake.
- Use a microplane to top the cupcakes with lemon zest and add a sprinkle of poppy seeds, then enjoy!
Video
Notes
Yield:
One batch of this recipe makes 12 standard-sized cupcakes. It can also be used to make about 30 mini cupcakes. Bake them for 10-13 minutes at 350°F/175°C.Variations:
- To make dairy free lemon poppy seed cupcakes, use an alternative dairy milk to replace the whole milk (almond, oat, or soy), vegan butter in place of the butter, and dairy free yogurt (almond, oat, or soy) in place of the sour cream.
- To make gluten free lemon poppy seed cupcakes, swap in your favorite gluten free flour blend for the cake flour this recipe calls for, and be sure to over-mix your batter and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before baking for best results.
Tips for Making the Best Lemon Poppy Seed 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.
- 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 lemon poppy seed sheet cake. Bake it at 325°F/162°C for 33-38 minutes.
Making These Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes in Advance & Storage Tips
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. 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 will last in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Be sure to give the frosting a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again. You can also 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.Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 359kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 284mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 45g