These lemon poppyseed cupcakes are soft, tender and full of delicious lemon flavor with lots of poppyseeds. The moist lemon cupcakes are flavored with both fresh lemon zest and lemon juice. Each cupcake has a swirl of homemade tangy cream cheese frosting on top.
If you are a lemon lover, then you will absolutely fall in love with these lemon poppyseed cupcakes. They have a bright lemon flavor and the perfect amount of sweetness. Serve them for any celebration, like birthdays, baby showers, bridals showers or whenever you're craving something lemony!
For more delicious lemon treats, make sure to try my Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust and Lemon Lavender Cookies.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Fresh lemon flavor- There is so much lemon flavor in these cupcakes. The cupcake batter has fresh lemon zest and lemon juice. Not only is there lemon in the cupcakes, but I add some lemon zest into the frosting.
- Moist and tender- The cupcakes are soft with lots of chewy poppyseeds. These cupcakes have the best texture.
- Perfect for spring and summer- As winter is starting to fade away, these bright, vibrant flavors are guaranteed to get you ready for some sunshine and warm weather.
- Cream cheese frosting- This frosting is so smooth and luscious. It's lemony with little crackles of poppyseed throughout. The best part is, it's not overly sweet.
Ingredient Notes
Here are some notes on the ingredients. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page for the full recipe.
- Unsalted butter- For the cupcakes and the frosting, the butter needs to be at room temperature. Pull the butter from the refrigerator 2 hours before baking.
- Lemons- I use lemon juice and lemon zest for the cupcakes and lemon zest inside the frosting. You will need 3 lemons.
- Oil- Use a neutral flavored oil, such as canola or vegetable.
- Eggs- Pull the large eggs from the refrigerator a couple hours before mixing.
- Buttermilk- You can use full fat or reduced fat buttermilk. Like the butter and eggs, make sure to pull the buttermilk from the fridge to bring it to room temperature.
- Poppyseeds- I use dried poppyseeds in the cupcake batter and inside the frosting.
- Cream cheese- Use full fat cream cheese. Always start with room temperature cream cheese so you're frosting whips up smoothly.
- Powdered sugar- Make sure to sift the powdered sugar to get out any clumps.
Step By Step Instructions
STEP 1: Mix the dry ingredients. Inside a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Then, mix in poppyseeds.
STEP 2: Cream the butter. Inside a bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter, lemon zest, sugar and oil. Whip for 2 minutes.
STEP 3: Add the eggs. Add the eggs one at a time. Then, add vanilla extract and lemon juice. Beat for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is fluffy.
STEP 4: Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk. Alternate between these two, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until combined.
Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl so everything is combined well.
STEP 5: Fill the cupcake pan. Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into the cupcake liners, about ⅔ of the way full.
STEP 6: Bake the cupcakes. Bake the cupcakes at 325° for 16-18 minutes. Once they are done baking, remove them from the oven. Let them rest for 10 minutes. Then, transfer the cupcakes onto a cooling rack.
STEP 7: Make the frosting. Place the butter, cream cheese, lemon zest and vanilla extract inside a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat for 2-3 minutes. Then, add powdered sugar. Start on low speed to combine and then increase to high speed.
Whip until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Then, add poppyseeds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give the frosting one more good mix.
STEP 8: Frost the cupcakes. Place piping tip inside the piping bag. I use Ateco tip 844 but you can use any star tip. Pipe a swirl of frosting on top of each cupcake. Garnish with a small wedge of lemon.
Expert Baking Tips
Measure the flour correctly. NEVER scoop the flour with your measuring cup directly from the bag or canister. This will compact the flour and make your cupcakes dry. Instead, use a spoon to fluff up the flour, then spoon the flour into the measure cup. Take the back of a butterknife and level the flour.
Always start with room temperature ingredients. This is the key to achieving a velvety smooth batter. You will get the volume and an even texture by having the ingredients at room temperature.
Before adding the dry ingredients, make sure to beat the wet ingredients (butter, sugar, eggs, lemon juice, zest and vanilla) for a total of 5 minutes. The mixture should be fluffy. By doing this, you will incorporate air bubbles into the batter and this will give you a fluffy and tender cupcake.
FAQ
Yes, you can. You can use an 8x8 or 9x9 cake pan. Adjust the baking time accordingly.
I did not for this recipe. If you choose to do so, soak them in hot water for 30 minutes or overnight.
A good indication the cupcakes are done is when a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. The tops will no longer be shiny and the cupcakes will spring back when you touch the center.
Storage and Freezing
Store any leftover lemon poppyseed cupcakes inside an airtight container. Store them inside the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezing
To freeze unfrosted cupcakes, wrap them in plastic wrap and place the cupcakes inside a Ziplock freezer bag. Freeze them for up to 1 month.
To defrost, leave them at room temperature for 1 hour and frost as directed in the recipe.
Other Dessert Recipes To Try
If you decide to try this recipe, please make sure to leave a STAR RATING on the recipe card and leave a comment below. I hope you enjoy this recipe!
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📖 Recipe
Lemon Poppyseed Cupcakes
Ingredients
Lemon Poppyseed Cupcakes
- 2 cups All purpose flour sifted
- 2 tablespoon Poppyseeds
- ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 4 oz Unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup Sugar
- 2 Lemons zest only
- 3 tablespoon Canola oil
- 2 Large eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- ½ cup Buttermilk
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 ½ lbs Cream cheese softened
- 2 oz Unsalted butter softened
- 1 Lemon zest only
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 10 oz Powdered sugar sifted
- 2 teaspoon Poppyseeds
Instructions
Lemon Poppyseed Cupcakes
- Inside a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Then, mix in poppyseeds.
- Inside a bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter, lemon zest, sugar and oil. Whip for 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time. Then, add vanilla extract and lemon juice. Beat for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is fluffy.
- Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk. Alternating between these two, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until combined.Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl so everything is combined well.
- Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into the cupcake liners, about ⅔ of the way full.
- Bake the cupcakes at 325° for 16-18 minutes. Once they are done baking, remove them from the oven. Let them rest for 10 minutes. Then, transfer the cupcakes onto a cooling rack.
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Place the butter, cream cheese, lemon zest and vanilla extract inside a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat for 2-3 minutes. Then, add powdered sugar. Start on low speed to combine and then increase to high speed. Whip until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Then, add poppyseeds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give the frosting one more good mix.
Decorating
- Place piping tip inside the piping bag. I use Ateco tip 844 but you can use any star tip. Pipe a swirl of frosting on top of each cupcake. Garnish with a small wedge of lemon.
Notes
- I frost each cupcake with a decent amount of frosting. If you aren't big on frosting, you can cut the cream cheese frosting recipe in half.
Rose
What was the buttermilk for??
Kristen Espino
The buttermilk is for the cupcakes. I alternate between the dry ingredients and buttermilk when mixing the batter.