Lemon Cupcakes

by Jamie on May 12, 2010

Post image for Lemon Cupcakes

Brian often does our mid-week grocery shopping, I typically include a detailed list and even accompany that list with visual aids (photos) on occasion. You see, I am a self-proclaimed control freak and he is a chronic over buyer…especially when the shopping list includes meat. So, if I am not specific, he will come home with 10 pounds of beef in tow and virtually nothing else besides maybe a bag of beef jerky and a 12 pack of Coke. Okay, I am being a little dramatic here, but not by much! Serious question though…does meat over buying run prevalent in males? I think it does.

Long story short, he went to the store last week ill-equipped to shop…i.e., no Jamie created list. I asked for limes and ended up with a giant bag of lemons. Hey, beggars can’t be choosers right, at least he does some grocery shopping. So I bit my tongue and changed up my lime cupcake baking plan, simply subbing in lemons for the limes.

I used my go to white cake recipe from Dorie Greenspan and simply adapted it to up the lemon factor. I then slathered on lemon cream cheese frosting and topped with a large yellow sprinkle and called it a night. The result? Not only do these look adorable, but they are now my new favorite cupcake, they’re moist with an incredible crumb and bursting with lemon flavor. I am betting my original plan for lime cupcakes would be equally as delicious. If you make a lime version, definitely stop back and let me know how it goes! Maybe I’ll just have to send Brian back to the store, but this time I’ll text him a pic of a lime. Thanks so much for stopping by…have a great day!

Looking for more luscious lemon recipes? Give these a look-see:
Lip Smacking Lemon Bars from My Baking Addiction
Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies from My Baking Addiction
Lemon Buttermilk & Rhubarb Cake from Honey & Jam
Roasted Lemon Chicken Wings from Three Many Cooks

Are you swooning over the  fab yellow liners and giant sprinkles pictured? Check out Bake it Pretty to order!

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Lemon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Yield: 24 Cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the Cake

2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
lemon zest from two lemons
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 (8) ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
2 lbs. confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
juice of one lemon

Directions:

For the Cake

1. Center a rack in the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare cupcake tins by using liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.

4. Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter and, working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light.

5. Beat in the extracts, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated.

6. Add the rest of the milk and eggs, beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients.

7. Finally, give the batter a good 2-minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated. Place the batter into the cupcake tins.

8. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the cupcakes are well risen and springy to the touch – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean. Cool on wire rack.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. Using a mixer, blend the butter and cream cheese together until well combined.
2. Gradually add in the confectioners’ sugar until fully incorporated.

3. Finally mix in vanilla and lemon juice.


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{ 195 comments… read them below or add one }

avatar 1 Hannah May 12, 2010 at 9:57 pm

lemon on lemon? heck yeah! these look delicious.

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avatar 2 sheena May 12, 2010 at 10:02 pm

these look so great! the frosting looks so fun and fluffy =]

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avatar 3 Katrina May 12, 2010 at 10:05 pm

These look so pretty! And I know they’ll taste great too. Perfect!

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avatar 4 The Waspy Redhead May 12, 2010 at 10:13 pm

Those look amazing! I adore lemon desserts.

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avatar 5 My Kitchen in the Rockies May 12, 2010 at 10:24 pm

They look almost like painted. I admire your beautiful pictures, Jamie.

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avatar 6 Ivy May 12, 2010 at 10:41 pm

Ha! yes! I recommend the texting of a lemon.

But when it comes to shopping for baking goods, I just go myself. Or else I’ll ask for unsweetened chocolate and end up with powdered nesquick. I wish I were kidding…

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avatar 7 Jaime May 12, 2010 at 11:00 pm

It’s not just men. Last time I let my wife do the grocery shopping, she came home with 6 racks of babyback ribs, a dozen ribeye steaks, a dozen pork chops, and 5 bags of Doritos.

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avatar 8 Kathy Diaz (foundbaking) May 12, 2010 at 11:58 pm

What do I have to do so you can send me a box of these cupcakes? They look too cute and I bet they are damn tasty too.

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avatar 9 Sara May 13, 2010 at 1:18 am

They look so perfect! I love lemon desserts. They are so summery and refreshing. :)

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avatar 10 Cherine May 13, 2010 at 5:02 am

Gorgeous cupcakes! Look so yummy!

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avatar 11 Deanna May 13, 2010 at 6:30 am

So bright and sunny – I love them!

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avatar 12 Jessica @ How Sweet May 13, 2010 at 6:43 am

Those are absolutely beautiful!

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avatar 13 Lauren @ Crave. Indulge. Satisfy. May 13, 2010 at 8:18 am

Those photos are gorgeous, sounds like a great recipe! Yes, my husband does the same thing, he’ll come home with lots of meat and 100 bottles of hot sauce…we have a whole shelf in our fridge dedicated to his varieties of hot sauce!

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avatar 14 A Bowl Of Mush May 13, 2010 at 8:27 am

These sound lemony delicious!
I love spring baking :)

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avatar 15 DessertForTwo May 13, 2010 at 9:36 am

I love lemon desserts! These are so pretty!

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avatar 16 Kirstin May 13, 2010 at 10:22 am

They look so bright! I might have to put on sunglasses ;)

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avatar 17 ingrid May 13, 2010 at 11:24 am

LOL, my honey does the same thing. I have to tell him the EXACT amount I want and write on the list to ONLY buy what’s on there. He should have only spent $20 but he’ll come home $100 lighter! I’ve not gone so far as to attach photos to my lists. :)

Your cupcakes are super cute looking….better than most I’ve seen.
~ingrid

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avatar 18 Lisa May 13, 2010 at 11:29 am

These look great!! I will have to make time to try these! I love lemon!

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avatar 19 Jennifurla May 13, 2010 at 1:06 pm

Those cupcakes could be models, they are gorgeous

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avatar 20 Anita May 13, 2010 at 3:03 pm

Wow! Stumble upon your site and you totally read my mind I was so thinking of baking lemon cupcakes!! My friend and I will try this out this weekend… can’t wait!

thanks!!

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avatar 21 Sarah.j.s. May 13, 2010 at 4:36 pm

I looove lemon! Those look great. I love the photo; great composition.

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avatar 22 Margarita May 13, 2010 at 5:20 pm

Those look so delicious! Lemon cupcakes are one of my faves, I also love making a lemon curd filling for them!!

http://www.loveandbistros.com

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avatar 23 Brian May 13, 2010 at 5:21 pm

So when you going to start a meat blog for all my over-buying?

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avatar 24 Kathy @ The Sugar Queen May 13, 2010 at 5:37 pm

Love your photos, and the recipe looks delicious! I’ve been on a real lemon kick lately, so I’ll be sure to try these out.

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avatar 25 bakingaddict May 13, 2010 at 7:01 pm

These look amazing. I love lemon flavoured anything. Lemon on lemon is definitely a winner in my book.

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avatar 26 stephanie May 13, 2010 at 8:02 pm

these are SOOOOOO precious! So so so so cute!

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avatar 27 stephanie May 13, 2010 at 8:09 pm

Ok I just commented, but I’m commenting again. I’m planning on making my cupcakes for my wedding (well, that is the plan right now… might change when I realize i’m insane). I love the way your frosting looks! I always use a star tip, and i”ve tried to use a circular tip but mine never come out like that! What brand and number (size) is your tip? Have any advice for me? THANKS!!! :) -Stephanie

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avatar 28 Kaitlin May 13, 2010 at 9:00 pm

Oh my – they’re gorgeous!!

I do the same thing to my family when they ask me to shop… ;P

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avatar 29 Tracey May 13, 2010 at 9:52 pm

The cupcakes sound wonderful and those yellow liners are simply fabulous! I’ve been putting off an order from Bake It Pretty but apparently I need to get on it :)

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avatar 30 hannah @ thepastrykook May 14, 2010 at 12:01 am

omigosh these look incredibly CUTE!

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avatar 31 kristan@ Cookbook Queen May 14, 2010 at 11:38 am

What gorgeous cupcakes!! I very rarely send my husband to the store. He comes home with weird brands and cases of snacks that he will never eat. I don’t know what it is about men and grocery shopping…I’m glad you were able to get it to work to your advantage though!! When life hands you lemons….make lemon cupcakes!! :)

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avatar 32 Wenderly May 14, 2010 at 4:26 pm

Positively precious! I’m a LOVER of cupcakes…these just put a smile on my face! :)

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avatar 33 wlothridge May 14, 2010 at 11:03 pm

Queen, I was very happy when you told me you were going to visit, so you said I could have a choice. After checking out all the recipes 2 hrs. later , Iknow you are going to be surprised, I got to the cake recipes and here it is…The Tiramisu Layer Cake. Oh. My. Goodness. Also, if Brian has not eaten all those Peanut Butter Buckeye Bars do not be afraid to bring those too, Love Ya! Dad

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avatar 34 Jamie May 15, 2010 at 11:10 am

Dad-
I’m on it now…
-J

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avatar 35 CaSaundra May 15, 2010 at 9:51 am

Lemon is so refreshing and perfect for the upcoming summer months!

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avatar 36 Maria May 15, 2010 at 3:35 pm

Josh does a lot of the grocery shopping and I too send him with a very detailed list. Sometimes he comes home with the wrong items or some things that weren’t on the list, but at least he is willing to help. Your cupcakes are GORGEOUS!

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avatar 37 Barbara @ VinoLuciStyle May 15, 2010 at 4:01 pm

Love lemon and lime…so mighty tempted to try a lime version myself. These look beautiful Jamie!

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avatar 38 Brooke May 15, 2010 at 5:09 pm

Beautiful pictures! My husband is drooling over the cream cheese frosting! :)

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avatar 39 chris May 15, 2010 at 5:33 pm

OMG! These are beautiful! Perfect! Love anything lemon…been fighting to keep my lemon semifreddo on the menu at work. I love your presentation!

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avatar 40 Becca May 15, 2010 at 7:19 pm

They look ADORABLE, Hon…. but here’s a simple way to assure that you end up with limes next time you send Brian to the store. Just ask him to get you the “green lemons”! :-)

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avatar 41 Brian Donovan May 15, 2010 at 7:22 pm

I’m with Brian……Steaks rule!!!!

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avatar 42 Kerstin May 15, 2010 at 9:11 pm

These look amazing! My hubby does all the midweek shopping and likes to call me every time he has a question about the list, which is pretty cute :)

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avatar 43 Médaille Gourmande May 16, 2010 at 10:29 am

MMMM, I love Lemon! and I love your blog too!

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avatar 44 Alex May 16, 2010 at 5:07 pm

For Mother’s Day I made grapefruit cupcakes with grapefruit meringue. Quite the same idea, and delicious too.

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avatar 45 Mark @ Cafe Campana May 17, 2010 at 6:42 am

I love cream cheese frosting and I love lemon sweets. This is a great combinations and would work well on your cupcakes.

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avatar 46 Jennifer @ Maple n Cornbread May 17, 2010 at 9:56 am

SO lovely! PErfectly bright for spring and fluffy to boot!

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avatar 47 Eliana May 17, 2010 at 11:19 am

They look incredible. Wish I had one right now.

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avatar 48 anushruti May 17, 2010 at 2:15 pm

The frosting looks perfect!

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avatar 49 Gaby May 17, 2010 at 3:52 pm

Love the new look AND those cupcake!! They are both so bright and refreshing!

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avatar 50 Naomi May 17, 2010 at 4:56 pm

Holy le-mon! This not only look beautiful-they sound fab. LOL about the “grocery list as interpeted by a man”. That is so my husband. I sent him for pears one day and he came with green apples. HUH?!

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avatar 51 jo May 17, 2010 at 8:37 pm

Absolutely gorgeous and I love lemon in my desserts. So happen that I have a few in the fridge and this is already giving me inspiration to bake.

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avatar 52 Sara May 17, 2010 at 9:37 pm

So, so, so, so cute! And perfect for my lemon addiction! They are already on my “to-do-soon” list.

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avatar 53 megan May 18, 2010 at 8:48 am

oh wow these sound so good. I’ve been lemon obsessed recently and I keep making lemon things! These are on my list! I love cupcakes :)

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avatar 54 shelly (cookies and cups) May 18, 2010 at 9:32 am

yum and yum! These look awesome!

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avatar 55 Wholesome Chow May 18, 2010 at 4:19 pm

Oh wow! These are soooo cute! What an awesome picture! I love the colors and they sound so yummy. Great job! I love your blog! Have you ever done any vegan baking?

Much love,
Chef Veronica
http://www.WholesomeChow.com
fresh. natural. always delicious fun.

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avatar 56 Taz May 19, 2010 at 8:20 am

Wow, these look delicious. The icing looks totally charming with the cute yellow baking papers!

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avatar 57 Kate June 1, 2010 at 1:54 am

I made these for my best friend’s birthday this weekend, and they were lovely. The light texture and lovely lemon flavor was the perfect ending to a homemade thai dinner. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Definitely a keeper.

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avatar 58 Sweet Harvest June 2, 2010 at 9:02 pm

Hello gorgeous! I’m printing this recipe off as we speak! Where or where did you get those cupcake wrappers?? If they taste half as good as they look I’m going to be thrilled!

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avatar 59 Jamie June 2, 2010 at 9:03 pm

Hi there! Thanks so much for stopping by…the wrappers are from bakeitpretty.com!

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avatar 60 Tarrah Dame June 2, 2010 at 9:40 pm

oh my gosh these are making my mouth water! i just did a lemon poppyseed cupcake…can’t go wrong with lemon in any sort of way!
http://cuppycakebakes.blogspot.com

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avatar 61 Kim at Rustic Garden Bistro June 6, 2010 at 2:07 am

The office fell in love with these cupcakes at the “Great American Bake Sale” we had this week.

The recipe is going into my permanent file. :)

[K]

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avatar 62 estresu June 15, 2010 at 11:16 pm

they look very good, in my country we do not have buttermilk, may I use milk instead? and if so the same amount? I would like to bake them thank you

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avatar 63 Bridgette October 18, 2011 at 9:12 pm

If you have white vinegar, you can mix 1 tbsp vinegar to each cup of milk and make buttermilk!

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avatar 64 Michelle June 18, 2010 at 10:16 pm

Fantastic recipe, just made these as birthday cupcakes simply soft, fluffy and divine. Only thing was my frosting turned out pretty runny any tips?
ps. love the blog and recipes

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avatar 65 Christine July 6, 2010 at 3:39 pm

I just made these for the 4th of July. They were DELICIOUS and I topped them with raspberries and blueberries. :) My only concern was with the frosting. It was very runny, which makes sense given the ingredients. I was able to pipe the frosting after chilling it for a bit, but then had to put everything right back in the fridge because it started to seep into a big blob of frosting instead of a prety swirl! Is there anything you could add to it to help the frosting maintain it’s stability a bit more? I used the leftover frosting (because there was quite a bit!) to frost a raspberry buttermilk cake yesterday. The cake was in the fridge immediately and only out while I transported it to a friend’s for dinner. When I got to my friend’s house, the cake had completely slid apart and the frosting was glopped onto the bottom. :(

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avatar 66 Kim July 20, 2010 at 7:11 pm

My daughter and I made these cupcakes today. The batter came out awesome but I did something wrong with the frosting. It came out a little runny. I’m thinking I whipped it too much. All in all they are sooo tasty. We crushed up some soft lemon sticks and sprinkled it on top. This is a recipe I will be using a lot…I just have to perfect the frosting. :)

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avatar 67 Lyndsie July 24, 2010 at 10:51 pm

Hey there:) I just made these with blueberry preserves in the middle and made a lemon blueberry buttercream… soo delicious. Thanks for sharing!

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avatar 68 Jamie July 25, 2010 at 11:02 am

Lyndsie-
That sounds amazing!!!!
-Jamie

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avatar 69 Adrienne August 8, 2010 at 12:46 pm

Jamie,
I just made the lemon cream cheese frosting (tastes amazing!), but my frosting is not as stark white as yours appears from the photo. Did you use clear vanilla? I’m thinking that the (brown) vanilla I used might have been what is giving my frosting a little darker color.
Thoughts?
–A

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avatar 70 Cupcake girl October 27, 2010 at 7:02 am

I am currently trying new recipes, these were very easy to make and turned out delish!! The texture, super fluffy! A smashing hit!

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avatar 71 Alfordjnjj October 28, 2010 at 9:17 pm

Just wanted to leave a note saying that I came across your recipe and will make the lemon cupcakes for my daughter’s second birthday! The picture you posted is pretty perfect and made me want the cupcake immediately! Take care.

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avatar 72 Courtney December 15, 2010 at 9:46 pm

These are darling, and they look delicious! :)

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avatar 73 Kaley Cawthon January 7, 2011 at 3:15 am

Very good!!!!! :)

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avatar 74 Amber Depew January 7, 2011 at 12:58 pm

Hi! This is truly a great recipe! I tried out the lime ones. Simply divine!! The lime flavor in the cake is so bright and yummy! Thanks for a great recipe!

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avatar 75 Lynn J. January 13, 2011 at 2:42 am

Jamie I made the Lemon Cupcakes tonight they are so delicious. The frosting is to die for. Loved them and so did my family. Thank-you!

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avatar 76 Reilee January 19, 2011 at 4:16 pm

Oh my goodness!!! These cupcakes are so cute! How did you do your frosting? I’ve been searching for some way to make it, but no one seems to know the right tip. Please help!! Thank you :)

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avatar 77 Ana Brightful January 24, 2011 at 10:54 am

Hi! I’m making these for my daughter’s birthday party this weekend. I’m trying to figure out what tip I need for the awesome frosting swirl. Do you happen to know what tip you used?

Thanks!

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avatar 78 Lisa C. January 25, 2011 at 12:41 pm

Hi! I made these cupcakes for my family and they enjoyed them a lot. I will be making them again. The frosting was awesome so rich and creamy.

Thank you!

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avatar 79 Patrice January 30, 2011 at 12:14 pm

I made these cupcakes and LOVE them!!! I had waayyyyy too much frosting though…. Next time I’ll make only half a portion. Thanks!!!

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avatar 80 Lynn J January 31, 2011 at 2:24 am

I made these a few weeks ago and they were delicious. My family was in love with these. As always thank-you for sharing.

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avatar 81 Emily February 1, 2011 at 11:13 am

I made these last night, but my frosting turned out way to runny. Do you think it could do with the fact that my lemon had a lot of juice?? The cake was delicious though!

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avatar 82 David and Cassi February 22, 2011 at 11:20 pm

We just made these and they taste amazing. We added up the calories and in the frosting alone it is over 6000!! Might want to put a disclaimer that you should only eat 1 cupcake a month to prevent heart attacks

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avatar 83 Dawn C. March 1, 2011 at 12:10 pm

I want to make a lemon-strawberry combo cupcake. Do you think this batter would hold up to folding in some chopped strawberries ala your Meyer-Lemon Strawberry Muffins?
These are SO beautiful and your blog is fantastic! Keep up the good work! :)

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avatar 84 Jamie March 1, 2011 at 4:33 pm

Dawn-
Thanks so much for the kind words, I think they would be just fine. Enjoy!
-Jamie

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avatar 85 megan March 10, 2011 at 2:38 am

Those are just lovely! How do you frost them to look so cute? Thanks!

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avatar 86 Kelly March 13, 2011 at 9:41 pm

Thanks so much for the recipe, I just made these for a baby shower and everyone loved them.

http://www.freespiritfood.com/2011/03/lemon-cupcakes-with-lemon-cream-cheese-frosting/

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avatar 87 Jen March 14, 2011 at 12:02 am

Thanks so much for a great recipe. I made them with daughter yesterday. They came out fantastic. We loved them.

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avatar 88 stephanie March 25, 2011 at 2:11 am

hey what does cake flour mean?? can i just use regular flour or is it a certain type?

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avatar 89 Jamie March 25, 2011 at 8:11 pm

Stephanie-

Cake flour is different than AP Flour. You can find it in the baking section of most grocery stores.

-Jamie

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avatar 90 Cara March 30, 2011 at 3:08 pm

Thank you for the fabulous recipe! I can’t believe how many compliments I’ve gotten on the cupcakes (they were super tasty)! I’ll definitely be making these again.

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avatar 91 Sandra Tingle April 3, 2011 at 10:53 am

What size cupcake pans was used for this recipe? The photo almost looks like a miniature size cupcake pan.

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avatar 92 Karen April 3, 2011 at 8:38 pm

I made these cupcakes today and stacked them against the Magnolia Bakery lemon cake recipe. This recipe had a far superior lemon taste and was so light and fluffy. Hands down – this is my new favorite lemon cupcake recipe. Thanks for sharing!

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avatar 93 Maggie @ A Bitchin' Kitchen April 21, 2011 at 12:21 pm

Thanks for the recipe! I made them on Tuesday and they turned out amazing. I posted them on my blog with a link back to you!

To those commenting about the frosting being runny – I had to add some extra powdered sugar to get the frosting to a pipeable consistency – about 2 cups worth.

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avatar 94 what katie's baking April 25, 2011 at 6:04 pm

your photographs are my favorite.
they’re so pretty!
these cupcakes look wonderful.

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avatar 95 Erin April 26, 2011 at 3:05 pm

These look beautiful I’m making these this summer!!!

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avatar 96 Tammy April 30, 2011 at 4:29 pm

I’ve been trying to figure out how to do the “fluffy cloud” looking piped icing on top because I couldn’t find a tip large enough… There may be an official way to do it but just cutting your bag with about a 1/2 in or slightly more opening and not using a tip at all but piping thru the bag will make it look like this.

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avatar 97 Kaylene May 2, 2011 at 1:54 pm

I made these for a party yesterday and they turned out beautifully. Perfect crumb and silky lemon flavor. Everyone loved them–even the non-cake-lovers. Thanks for the great recipe!

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avatar 98 Millie May 2, 2011 at 11:26 pm

I just wanted to stop in and say that I made these for a party a few days ago (with a few minor changes) and they were a HUGE hit! Thanks for a winning recipe!

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avatar 99 jami May 9, 2011 at 11:44 am

Made these the other day….I used a different frosting but the cake was so so good. Light, fluffly and yummy! My family already asked that I make them again!

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avatar 100 Carrie May 14, 2011 at 11:38 pm

Best cupcakes I’ve ever made. Thanks!

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avatar 101 Gabriela May 19, 2011 at 12:20 pm

Hi!

I’d love to make these for my mother`s birthday, but would like to bake them in cake form instead… Do you think it would turn out alright? How should I adjust the baking time?

Great recipe, thank you for posting :)

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avatar 102 dodgygirl June 10, 2011 at 12:56 pm

thank you for this amazing recipe, i made it last week and it was a hit! everyone loved it. i have included the website that my friend and i post what we eat and cook and bake. have fun looking at it and thank you again for this wonderful recipe.

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avatar 103 Rosemary June 12, 2011 at 10:58 pm

My kids and I made these and we LOVED them!!!

For those asking, you can make the frosting white by not using the stick of butter, but using imitation butter flavoring and clear vanilla extract. To thicken the icing keep adding powdered sugar until desired consistency(but taste test as you go so that you don’t loose that great lemon flavoring!)

I have to order me some of those yellow liners, as I will definitely make these again!!

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avatar 104 Rebecca @This Nest is Best June 17, 2011 at 9:04 am

Cannot go wrong with lemon and cream cheese! YUM!

http://thisnestisbest.com/2011/06/17/lemon-cupcakes/

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avatar 105 Stephanie June 20, 2011 at 3:20 pm

I made these for my father-in-law for father’s day. Lemon is his favorite. They were excellent. My husband doesn’t normally like lemon flavored baked goods but he liked these a lot. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.

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avatar 106 Giovanna June 25, 2011 at 7:44 pm

Hey I want to make this recipe with the limes but I was wondering if I could use lime juice instead of the lemon extract. will that work? thank youuu

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avatar 107 Jamie June 25, 2011 at 7:46 pm

Giovanna–

I would use zest and not juice because the juice will change the texture of the cupcake.

Jamie

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avatar 108 Rachel July 3, 2011 at 1:02 pm

My husband bought too many lemons this week so went in search of a lemon cupcake recipe and found your blog / recipe. What I liked was the lemon zest/lemon extract in the cakes and then lemon juice in the icing. Nice lemon flavor with none of it being overwhelming. Very light cup cakes. I made half as much frosting as you recommended and had plenty I think because I only ended up with 19 cupcakes, and because we don’t like huge mounds of icing. Thanks. Can’t wait to check out your blog for other recipes.

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avatar 109 Baker July 6, 2011 at 9:20 pm

If I made these in 2 8″ pans would they turn out or be too moist? They look simply delicious.

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avatar 110 Jamie July 6, 2011 at 10:27 pm

You should be just fine. The original recipe is actually made as a cake! :)
-Jamie

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avatar 111 Kintancute July 14, 2011 at 4:49 am

Thanks for sharing your great recipe

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avatar 112 Gail Marie July 16, 2011 at 5:40 pm

FROM CAJUN COUNTRY

Made twenty four cupcakes for granddaughters cheerleading camp. I put together cream cheese and lemon curd and piped this into the cooled cpcks. Then I iced it with a lemon frosting,in which I used lemon extract and a touch of vanilla. Poped the batch into the fridge for a couple of hrs, covered with plastic wrap. Made ganashe of dark and milk chocolate and crissecrossed a pattern of both ontop of the cpcks. They were the first to be gone. I was proud as a puppy with two peeters when my granddaughter announced that there were no more left. I went to see for myself and sure nuff, not even crumbs remained.

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avatar 113 Jamie July 16, 2011 at 6:55 pm

Gail–
Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting on the cupcakes – I am so happy they were a hit!
–Jamie

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avatar 114 Jesseeca July 27, 2011 at 11:04 pm

Jamie,

I was wondering what piping tip you use to get that perfect swirl? I’m a novice baker, and have been searching for another frosting technique. The star tip is getting a little old in my kitchen… These cupcakes are works of art!

Thanks so much!
Jesseca

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avatar 115 Jamie July 28, 2011 at 5:23 pm

Jesseeca-
I used a round tip from Wilton, I am unsure of the number though.
-Jamie

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avatar 116 Kerri July 28, 2011 at 7:21 am

I’ve made these a couple times now. They are delicious and everyone raves about them!!! Perfect little lemon cupcake. Thank you for sharing it!!

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avatar 117 Alicia July 28, 2011 at 6:35 pm

I’m going to make these for my daughter’s sunshine birthday! I couldn’t get the yellow cupcake liners so I was wandering if I could turn the icing yellow instead with some food coloring? I’m not much of a baker, but I’m super excited! Any tips will be greatly appreciated! :)

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avatar 118 Jamie July 30, 2011 at 12:12 pm

Alicia-
You can certainly dye the frosting with a bit of yellow gel dye. Just add a little at a time until you reach the desired shade. Have fun and thanks for stopping by.
-Jamie

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avatar 119 Sherry August 9, 2011 at 9:41 pm

I just made these and they are amazing! So light, fluffy and tasty. I’ve eaten 2 already and I haven’t even frosted them yet. The next time I make these and yes there will be a next time I may add a little more lemon emulsion to the mix because I loooooove anything lemon. I was searching for a homemade lemon cupcake recipe and this it. Thank you so much for sharing!! I look forward to trying more of your recipes.

Happy Baking,

Sherry

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avatar 120 Gabby August 11, 2011 at 2:26 pm

this past summer, i have harbored a new passion and fascination for baking cupcakes – and i actually started selling my creations at the deli i was working at (just until i head back to college – last day there is tomorrow!) to see what would sell.
well, i decided to try these out for a friend because he wanted lemon blueberry cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for his grad party.. i made them once and have been making them at least once a week for one reason or another ever since! i sold them today at the deli and i only had 2 left at the end of the day (out of 12).. keep in mind my average sales are about 3 cupcakes per day.
so i add about a cup of blueberries to the batter and then use my mom’s cream cheese frosting and it is SO WONDERFUL.
the real winning party of this recipe is the batter – moist and light and not too lemon-y or over the top.
i’m going to try a spin off it with raspberries this afternoon to make a “pink lemonade” version of it..

THANK YOU SO MUCH for this recipe! :)

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avatar 121 Melanie August 19, 2011 at 3:09 pm

I made these and they are soo delicous. Everyone keeps wanting me to make more. Thanks for sharing!! :)

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avatar 122 Brittany H. September 5, 2011 at 1:24 pm

OMG this recipe is amazing. My new favorite! Perfect hint of lemon taste!

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avatar 123 Elizabeth Recharte September 9, 2011 at 10:44 am

Do you really need 2 lbs of the sugar for the frosting?

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avatar 124 Jamie September 10, 2011 at 10:12 am

Elizabeth-
You can certainly experiment with the amount of sugar you use.
Jamie

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avatar 125 Bridgette October 18, 2011 at 9:04 pm

I just want to THANK YOU a million times over for this recipe. It is absolutely perfect! Light and fluffy but with GREAT structure — not crumbly! I wish I could hug you! Thanks so much!!

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avatar 126 Stephanie Pringle October 27, 2011 at 4:16 pm

did not meet my expectations. They rose in the oven, but once cooled they shrunk quite a bit. so either there needs to be more baking powder, or the recipe needs to say to whip the egg whites until peaks form. And not as lemony as i would have liked.

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avatar 127 Airy Fairy November 4, 2011 at 1:06 am

I love these cupcakes but when i made them i substituted the buttermilk for sour cream and a bit of whole milk and the only problem i had was they came out small. However much batter i put in the cup is the size it came out. Have i done something wrong or do i just need to fill them up more?
Also how many grams is a stick of butter?

Thanks for sharing your recipes and the pics are beautiful xx

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avatar 128 Brittany November 26, 2011 at 1:39 pm

DELICIOUS!!!! :D

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avatar 129 Daniela December 5, 2011 at 5:00 pm

These cupcakes were delicious!! But one problem was that they didn’t rise like in the picture. They stayed flat. can you tell me how to make sure they rise next time? thanks. :)

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avatar 130 Allison December 28, 2011 at 3:43 pm

These look delicious and are so cheery, especially in this dreary winter weather! I’m excited to try making them for my friend’s birthday!

Thanks for the recipes!

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avatar 131 Maureen January 8, 2012 at 11:28 am

These are the best cupcakes!! Not too lemony and the cake is nice and spongy (in a good way!!)

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avatar 132 Melissa January 15, 2012 at 12:50 pm

My daughter just turned four and she announced that she wanted lemon cupcakes. So, my husband made these for my daughter’s birthday party, and they turned out PERFECTLY! What a fantastic recipe, I am so impressed! The cupcakes are moist, have the consistency almost of an angel food cake and are the perfect mix of sweetness and tartness. The cupcakes were not crumbly and not dense– they were perfect! And the frosting is divine- not too sweet and just the right amount of lemon tartness, and goes so smoothly and easily. Instead of piping, we smoothed the frosting with a spreader and then topped each with a blueberry. Adorable! The extra batter was baked into a mini bunt pans with Martha Stewart’s lemon glaze drizzled over them– also delicious. Thanks again!!!

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avatar 133 Megg January 16, 2012 at 10:18 am

these look perfect!! i love how bright & delicious they look. i might have to play off this recipe on my blog…

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avatar 134 Rachel January 17, 2012 at 5:28 pm

These are just what I am looking to make for an upcoming baby shower. I was wondering how you applied the frosting. If piped, which tip did you use, and what was your technique? I’m new to piping frosting and need all the guidance I can get! Happy baking!

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avatar 135 Jamie January 21, 2012 at 3:32 pm

Rachel-
The frosting was piped using using a open round tip. I don’t remember the exact number – or I’d link you to it. You can watch a piping tutorial here. Hope this helps – thanks for stopping by.
-Jamie

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avatar 136 Jo Ann January 20, 2012 at 3:58 pm

These look absolutely fabulous – but I have a question: If you don’t have lemon extract, should you just add more lemon zest or a bit of lemon juice?

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avatar 137 Jamie January 21, 2012 at 3:29 pm

Jo Ann-
Either one of those will work out just fine and a little bit will go a long way.
-Jamie

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avatar 138 Jane January 22, 2012 at 1:05 pm

I just made these. I’ve been looking for a dinner party dessert that wouldn’t be too heavy. I’m having 12 people from work for dinner tomorrow. I made a strawberry cake (too sweet) then a banana cream pie (custard didn’t set) and then I found these. Oh wow. Light, delicious and the frosting was very lemony. They only made 18. I hope 12 of them last till tomorrow night! ;-)

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avatar 139 Lani January 24, 2012 at 4:45 pm

I was brought a gargantuan of a lemon this afternoon, so what did I do? Hit the web looking for a recipe to whip up some lemon cupcakes! I plan on making them tonight, and hope that they turn out well. I’m still pretty new to the whole baking scene, but after reading some of the above comments, I think I’ll be able to work this out pretty well. Can’t wait to try them!!

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avatar 140 Lani January 24, 2012 at 4:58 pm

I forgot to ask – approximately how many cupcakes does this make, and how many cakes would it likely frost? I see people are saying the frosting is abundant – would it be a good idea to 1/2 the recipe to match the cakes a little closer?

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avatar 141 Jamie February 1, 2012 at 5:25 pm

Lani-
I use a lot of frosting on my cupcakes – that’s definitely something that varies person to person. This recipe should make about 24 cupcakes. Hope this helps.
-Jamie

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avatar 142 Emmie January 28, 2012 at 6:14 pm

i just finished baking these and they are delish!!! thank you for the awesome recipe!

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avatar 143 Natalie January 29, 2012 at 3:39 pm

Hey Jamie!

I made your cupcakes last night and they were such a hit! I’m new to baking so it was the first time i made icing. My icing came out more like a glaze. Any thoughts on what I can do to thicken the icing?

Thanks!
Natalie

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avatar 144 Jamie February 1, 2012 at 5:24 pm

Natalie-
I am so glad you enjoyed the cupcakes. The frosting shouldn’t be “glazey” – If you ingredients were too warm, that could have played a factor in the outcome. I’d try putting in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes before piping next time. Hope this helps.
-Jamie

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avatar 145 Laura February 4, 2012 at 11:48 am

I’m making these for a baby shower tomorrow along with your chocolate chip cupcakes! I was wondering if it’s ok to frost these today & leave them in the cupcake box I’m putting them in overnight?

Ps– I already snuck a piece of one of these & they are delicious! Can’t wait to try with e frosting.

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avatar 146 Jamie February 4, 2012 at 1:13 pm

Laura-
I recommend frosting them the day that they are served, but you can frost them today, just make sure you store them in the refrigerator. Let them come to room temperature before serving.
-Jamie

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avatar 147 Denise February 19, 2012 at 8:57 pm

I love these cupcakes, they are my go to recipe when I want something lemony.

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avatar 148 kierstyn February 26, 2012 at 8:31 am

WOW!!! i made these cupcakes didnt take very long and they r amazing i love them…!!! they were great

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avatar 149 Foodforthoughtlinds March 25, 2012 at 10:04 pm

Mmmmm…. just made these filled with a bit of lemon curd. Divine… Absolutely divine. I’m in heaven :) I don’t think they could be any more lemony if I tried.

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avatar 150 Jamie March 27, 2012 at 4:54 pm

I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed these! Thanks so much for taking the time to report back – have a great day!
-Jamie

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avatar 151 Christina March 29, 2012 at 12:42 pm

I made these last night and they were SO freaking good. I added a little bit of the pure lemon extract to the frosting as well.. and the were lovely. My fiance said they tasted like lemon girl scout cookies, only better. :)

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avatar 152 Jamie March 31, 2012 at 2:19 pm

Christina-
So glad to hear that you enjoyed them. Thanks so much for reporting back!
-Jamie

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avatar 153 Carla April 6, 2012 at 7:18 pm

What would you think about putting lemon curd in the cupcake? is it possible to have TOO much lemon? or now that i think of it lime curd or raspberry might be nice?!? i am making these for Easter tomorrow and i am going to add some kind of filling.

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avatar 154 Ashley April 24, 2012 at 5:48 pm

Did you put a filling in them? I am making these for a coworker who loves lemon and I was thinking of putting lemon curd in them too….is there such thing as too much lemon?

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avatar 155 Christina April 7, 2012 at 10:31 pm

Made a batch of lemon and a batch of key lime too for Easter and they were Amazing. The entire crowd loved them. Thank you for the recipe! I used a buttercream recipe instead of cream cheese (even though I love cream cheese) because it was an outdoor event and very warm that day. The buttercream held up well!

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avatar 156 Cupcake and Talk April 13, 2012 at 2:28 pm

I can’t wait to try this recipe. Thank you for the recipe. I am glad I found it.

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avatar 157 Stella April 24, 2012 at 10:00 pm

Thanks for the lovely recipe. I used it to make a cake- instead of cupcakes- for a friend’s couple’s baby party. I can’t believe how many people commented on the cake- I never got a chance to taste it! I layered the cakes with lemon curd but iced with cream cheese frosting. Made candied lemons to decorate it.

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avatar 158 Sara May 13, 2012 at 12:51 pm

I’m so going to do this not only with lemon, but with lime and orange as well. Goodness they look fabulous!

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avatar 159 Kelly May 23, 2012 at 6:30 pm

I made a recipe similar to this a month ago except I used box lemon cake mix and I added in orange and lime too. A friend requested that I make the same cupcakes for her birthday. Instead of a box mix I decided to use this recipe and add in orange and lime. I just added zest of two limes, one lemon, and one orange. I added about a tablespoon each of lemon, lime, and orange juice. I just took them out of the oven a little while ago and they are delicious! Hopefully the icing turns out great too, I plan to add a little lemon lime and orange to that too.

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avatar 160 Pepper May 15, 2012 at 7:48 pm

AMAZING…YUMMY!!!!

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avatar 161 lisette May 18, 2012 at 11:53 pm

man these look amazing!!! i am making them for alemon project i gr.9 socials… awsome!!! along with lemon ade

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avatar 162 Jun Sebastian June 12, 2012 at 3:31 am

Those cupcakes looks gorgeous & yummy! Would love to try bake them this weekend! :)

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avatar 163 Jess June 16, 2012 at 3:10 pm

Your cupcakes looked and sounded so delicious, so I decided to make a batch for my dad for Father’s Day. I didn’t have a lemon to zest, but I did have the lemon extract. So I added a little more than a teaspoon of the extract. I also baked them for 18 minutes and the tops came out looking like they are very dark and some look on the cusp of burnt :-/ I tasted one and it wasn’t lemony enough for me–could be because I didn’t have the zest tho. Next time I’ll either use the zest or add more lemon extract and I will bake them for 16-17 minutes. Thanks for the recipe!

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avatar 164 Aurelia June 26, 2012 at 6:53 am

They look perfect – too perfect to be able to eat one. :-)

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avatar 165 Jeni July 6, 2012 at 12:22 am

SO FLUFFY, i LOVE the cupcakes! Delicious & light..all the right combinations. They were perfect. Thank u so much for this recipe!

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avatar 166 Jamie July 6, 2012 at 10:09 am

Jeni-
I am so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for reporting back on your experience with it.
-Jamie

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avatar 167 Michelle July 12, 2012 at 10:36 am

Made these for father’s day along with a couple other cupcakes. They were so delicious, my mom requested them for her birthday this month! I was just wondering though, my frosting didn’t turn out as white and like “thick” as yours looks. When I piped it (after refridgerating it) it wouldn’t pile up nice and high and stiff, it kind of got goopy. Any suggestions? My butter and cream cheese were room temp so that I could blend easily…could that be why?

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avatar 168 Patrick July 15, 2012 at 12:33 am

I had the same thought about lime cupcakes (I love the taste, smell & colour of limes). But limes seem to be too delicate, like gin. It helps if you colour the icing delicate lime green (to make the lime taste ‘stronger’), but to my taste, they can’t carry more robust tastes like cupcake.

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avatar 169 Christine July 23, 2012 at 7:31 am

I made these for a baby shower yesterday. HUGE HIT! I received so many compliments. Ladies went back for seconds, and took some home for their kids. I dyed the icing pink and called them Pink Lemonade cupcakes. YUM!

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avatar 170 Brittany July 30, 2012 at 8:02 pm

I made the frosting for these tonight! They were delicious! I added lemon rind to it, and I would suggest leaving the frosting in the fridge for a while if you don’t want a thin, messy frosting. Great recipe!

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avatar 171 Jamie August 1, 2012 at 7:18 pm

Brittany-
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment on your experience. Have a great day.
-Jamie

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avatar 172 Jeanne Torres August 3, 2012 at 8:20 pm

Hello!

I just wanted to share- I am a high school culinary teacher in Texas, and we have a cupcake battle that takes place for high school culinary students to enter. My student took this recipe and replaced everything lemon with orange (all her idea, she found your recipe) and called them “orange dreamsicle cupcakes.” She won 1st place at the region (Houston) area battle (out of over 70 cupcakes), then she advanced to state and won “Best Frosting.”

You should def. try the orange variation, they are to die for!!!

Thanks for the recipe!
Jeanne

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avatar 173 Tammi August 7, 2012 at 8:29 pm

I made these and OMG they are the best cupcakes in the world!!They are so light and fluffy!!!This is definitely my new favorite cupcake!!!Thanks for sharing:)

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avatar 174 Rhonda August 30, 2012 at 10:31 pm

I can’t wait to try these cupcakes, they look so refreshing.

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avatar 175 Sarah September 5, 2012 at 12:51 am

Hello. These look delicious and they ARE!!! I just made them today and followed the instructions to the T however the frosting did not come out all fluffy like that…the frosting tasted DELICIOUS but just sort of melted and ran. not sure how to make it all fluffy…please help :D

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avatar 176 Jamie September 16, 2012 at 3:49 pm

Sarah-
Hi! I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed the cupcakes. Since it’s so hot out, I’d recommend refrigerating the frosting for about an hour after mixing it. Then give it another quick beat with an electric mixer before piping it on. You’ll also definitely want to store the finished cupcakes within the refrigerator. Just remove them to room temp about an hour before serving. I hope this helps. Have a great day and thanks so much for stopping back with your feedback.
-Jamie

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avatar 177 Felicia September 11, 2012 at 5:21 pm

These are such a hit at my house! My brother asked me to make the cupcakes for his wedding so I searched some lemon cupcake recipes and this was his favorite. Come next Friday hundreds of people will be enjoying them. Thanks a bunch =]

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avatar 178 Jamie September 11, 2012 at 8:08 pm

Felicia-
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the cupcakes! Best of luck to you with the wedding prep! Thanks so much for stopping back and letting me know how the recipes worked for you. Have a great night.
-Jamie

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avatar 179 Marissa September 15, 2012 at 2:55 pm

at first i wasn’t sure if lemon was going to taste that great in a cupcake, from my past experience they dont. but when i made these they were delicious!!!! the perfect recipe for a perfect cupckae. thanks for the recipe!!!

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avatar 180 Jamie September 16, 2012 at 3:37 pm

Marissa-
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the cupcakes! Thanks so much for giving us your feedback. Have a great day.
-Jamie

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avatar 181 kim cormier September 15, 2012 at 5:00 pm

Just made these and they are so light and fluffy and taste soooo lemony! YUMM

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avatar 182 Jamie September 16, 2012 at 3:37 pm

Kim-
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the cupcakes! Thanks so much for giving us your feedback. Have a great day.
-Jamie

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avatar 183 Portrait Photography September 20, 2012 at 9:57 am

Perfect!! We are hosting a bachelorette boudoir photography session in October and I am going to make these for the ladies shooting with us as a special treat :) The bride-to-be is incorporating lemons into her wedding scheme since they were engaged in Venice, Italy and she drank a limoncello the night of her engagement. These sound so yummy and I can’t wait to try them out!!

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avatar 184 Lindsay September 20, 2012 at 10:35 am

I made these for my mother-in-laws birthday and they were delicious! I topped them with a raspberry and everyone raved about them. Thanks for sharing your recipe!

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avatar 185 Lisa Cornely October 5, 2012 at 10:23 pm

I baked these tonight. I used lemon buttercream frosting, which is just basic buttercream with lemon zest and lemon juice. It was delicious. The cupcake was light and had a wonderful crumb. They were amazing. Thanks for another delicious recipe. I would love to try the lime version.

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avatar 186 Jamie October 8, 2012 at 7:25 pm

Lisa-
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe – thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback. Have a great day.
-Jamie

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avatar 187 brittany November 21, 2012 at 8:24 pm

i had to add a extra pound of confectioners sugar to get it stiff enough to stay in place

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avatar 188 Jenn December 11, 2012 at 2:17 pm

This is my favorite lemon cupcake recipe! Everyone loves it! I have made them in the past and I made them today for my boss’ birthday and they were much appreciated, and my husband likes them as well! I will def try a lime version in the near future!

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avatar 189 Falula December 16, 2012 at 5:32 pm

Anyone notice the 2 LBS confectioners sugar? Misprint? or is the frosting just supposed to be craaaaazy sweet

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avatar 190 MBA December 26, 2012 at 9:46 am

Falula-
The recipe does call for 2 LBS of comfectioners sugar. The powder suagr allows for the forsting to take its shape. Good luck and have a great day!
-Jamie

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avatar 191 carrie December 21, 2012 at 11:00 am

I only need 12 cupcakes. Has anyone tried to half the recipe and had it come out good still?

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avatar 192 MBA December 26, 2012 at 9:23 am

Carrie-
The recipe should be fine if you cut it in half. Just make sure all ingredient amounts are cut in half and you shouldn’t have any problems. Good luck and have a great day!
-Jamie

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avatar 193 Tara January 3, 2013 at 6:15 pm

This recipe is DELICIOUS!! Thank you! The only trouble I had was the my butter would not beat up light with the sugar-lemon mixture, but it still turned out great. Next time, I will beat up butter first, then mix in the sugar-lemon mixture. I also used regular milk so that I didn’t have to buy buttermilk – I figured the lemon would give it enough tart flavor, and it worked beautifully.

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avatar 194 MBA January 4, 2013 at 9:15 am

Tara-
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe. I would definitely suggest allowing your butter to get to room temperature and beat it before adding any of the other ingredients. This should take care of any problems you may have had. Thanks for stopping by and providing your feedback- have a great day!
-Jamie

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avatar 195 Scarlet of Family Focus Blog January 20, 2013 at 12:10 pm

I just baked these. Great recipe. I cut the frosting recipe in half though because I like to go light on the icing and it worked just fine.

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