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Easy, Sweet and Sour Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes!
Sometimes, going quite simple and classic is the way to success. In this case, it’s all things lemon because it is DELICIOUS. To be fair as well, Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes has been one of the most highly requested bakes on my blog in a long time, and I was in a lemony mood.
I realise that a recipe like this is really so simple, but my god it’s a good bake. I haven’t made anything lemon flavoured in a while, so I felt like it was time to rectify that atrocity and go slightly lemon overboard. Like, these are so lemony, that would probably won’t forget the flavour for a while!
Anyway, for these I decided to take influence from a couple of recipes on my website – my Lemon & Lime Drizzle Cake, and my Lemon & Poppyseed Cupcakes. It basically morphs the two recipes together into a wonderful, light and refreshing bake. You can add poppyseeds into this bake if you want as well, but I just wanted something lemon through and through.
The thing that I love about anything ‘Drizzle’ themed, is that they always taste fresh and delicious. I hate to use the word, but they are the most ‘moist’ of bakes as well, so it’s rare that they ever dry out. I always think the sugar in a drizzle is important, and it also forms a lovely sugary crust on the cake which is delicious to bite into.
I always want to be able to post a recipe such as this, and have you guys be able to taste and smell them fresh out of the oven because it is honestly incredible, so I just try my best with the photos instead. If you look at my older posts, such as my Lemon & Lime Drizzle Cake, and my Lemon & Poppyseed Cupcakes, you will see how ropey my photography skills used to be. Slightly embarrassing to be honest.
Either way, I have had so much more practice with my decorating skills, my piping skills and everything in general so hopefully the images sell these cupcakes well enough! I like to think they do, but baking them yourselves is definitely the best option. They taste so light and just delightful. Perfect for Spring, or Summer or any time!
I wasn’t sure how well this recipe would float considering it has no chocolate in, but every now and again it is appreciated. Not every person in the world likes chocolate (personally, I love it), but now and again you find someone who likes it fruity and sweet. You can add chocolate chips into the cupcakes themselves if you wish to make them even sweeter though!
Either way, these beauties are the best for someone who loves Lemon, who loves Cupcakes, and wants a bake that is a general crowd pleaser for everyone. The Buttercream can be easily coloured to suit a theme, or you can use Lemon Extract in place of the lemon juice/zest if you wanted to make it easier! Enjoy! x
Easy, Sweet and Sour Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes!
- 175 g Unsalted Butter/Stork
- 175 g Caster Sugar
- 175 g Self Raising Flour
- 3 Large Eggs
- Zest of 1 Lemons
- Juice of 2 Lemons
- 75 g Caster Sugar
- 150 g Unsalted Butter (not stork - room temperature)
- 300 g Icing Sugar
- Juice of 1/2 Lemon
- Sprinkles
Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan, and get 12 Cupcake/Muffin/Baking Cups ready! I use 12 Iced Jems baking Cups on a flat tray!
Beat together your Butter and Sugar until light and fluffy.
Add in the Flour, Eggs and Lemon Zest and beat till smooth!
Split evenly between the 12 Cupcake cases, and bake in the oven for 18-22 minutes, or until baked through.
Once out of the oven, whisk together the Lemon Juice and Caster sugar for the drizzle, and spoon evenly over the 12 Cupcakes.
Leave the Cupcakes to cool fully.
Once the cupcakes are cool - beat your room temperature butter for a couple of minutes so its smooth and supple - don't use a spread like stork.
Add in the Icing Sugar 1/2 at a time, and beat fully each time.
Once the Icing Sugar is in, beat for 3-5 minutes so its nice and fluffy, and add in the lemon and beat again.
Pipe your Buttercream onto your Cupcakes with your favourite piping tip - I used a Medium 2D Closed Star!
Sprinkle with your favourite sprinkles!
- These beauties are inspired by my Lemon & Lime Drizzle Cake and my Lemon & Poppyseed Cupcakes!
- These will last for 3-4 days at room temperature in a container!
- I used the beautiful Baking Cups from Iced Jems!
- And I used the gorgeous Medium 2D Closed Star Piping Tip from Iced Jems!
- I also used these cute Lemon Meringue Sprinkles from Iced Jems!
- The Lemon Drizzle is optional, it's just delicious!
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J x
© Jane’s Patisserie. All images & content are copyright protected. Do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words and credit me, or link back to this post for the recipe.
Hi, have you tried making them with a lemon curd filling?
I personally don’t bother with these as they are drizzled so I wanted that to be the focus, but you can!
Is it best to beat mixture by hand or in mixer? Did it with mixer and they taste great but mixture bubbled over lots in oven so I think it was over-beaten!
I always use a mixer as I don’t have time to mix by hand – chances are your cases were just smaller than mine as mine never bubble over or maybe the measuring was off? x
Can you use bottled lemon juice instead of juice of a fresh lemon?
Yes, you can!
My cupcakes leaked lol but they still tasted amazing!! Also my buttercream was very yellow in colour?
They leaked? I’m not sure what you mean.. And some butter is naturally yellow – however if you use actual unsalted butter, and whip it for long enough like I do, then it’ll come out lighter.
I want to add in raspberries do I just pop them in whole?
Yes!
Hey lovely, can you recommend measures if using lemon extract as a replacement? I’m making them next week and don’t know where my effort level will be 😂 always rely on your site for delicious cakes every time 😊
Hey! I would use 1tsp for the sponges, and 1tsp for the buttercream! X
Hi, do you think these will freeze ok? I’m doing them for a party at the weekend but to try and be organised I’m going to bake on Monday, hopefully freeze, then decorate on Friday. Would you do the drizzle before or after freezing? Many thanks x
Hiya! The cupcakes without the drizzle will freeze perfectly fine! However, drizzles are meant to go on when a cupcake is hot – you might just have to leave that bit off as I’m not sure on freezing the drizzle bit?! x
Thank you so much 😘
Nice Recipes. I was checking constantly this blog and I am impressed!
Very helpful info particularly the last Recipe . I care for such information a lot.
I was seeking this certain info for a long time.
Thank you and good luck……
Could I put the mixture into a normal round cake tin to make an amazing cake out of it? 🍋
You could – but I’d check my Lemon Celebration cake as it’s already there! X
Hi Jane can’t wait to try these lemon drizzle cupcakes, going to ask a daft question do I need to poke holes in cupcakes before drizzle goes on as you would with a normal drizzle. Thanks
For cupcakes I don’t! x
Thanks for recipe, I have just made them for my partner’s 97 year old – hope she likes them…I will be making different cupcakes cupcakes each week for her and in following your blog am guaranteed motivation. Would show you my creation but no option to post one.
Fantastic! Made these this evening after seeing them on your Instagram story this morning, they are delicious! Fab recipe yet again!
Would this be just as lovely with a lemon icing on top? Made from just icing sugar? I know a few people who love lemon but don’t like buttercream and these are right up my street!
Yes I’m sure it would!
I can’t wait to try this recipe out ! is it possible to use a dairy-free spread in the buttercream or would you recommend using your vegan vanilla buttercream recipe instead?
You can do, but I wouldn’t add as much Lemon – Dairy free spread is very soft.
Can I ask how I can improve the recipe to make it 5/5* from you? Thanks!
Thanks so much! I just made a batch (minus the buttercream – I ran out of icing sugar) and they taste great