Moist Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes (Printable)
Tender lemon cupcakes filled with raspberry preserves and topped with creamy lemon buttercream frosting.
# Ingredient List:
→ Lemon Cupcakes
01 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
03 - 1/4 tsp salt
04 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 2 tbsp lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
08 - 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
09 - 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
10 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
→ Raspberry Filling
11 - 1/2 cup raspberry preserves or seedless raspberry jam
→ Lemon Buttercream
12 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
13 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
14 - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
15 - 1 tsp lemon zest
16 - 1-2 tbsp milk, as needed
17 - Pinch of salt
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
03 - Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in lemon zest and vanilla extract.
05 - Mix in lemon juice. The batter may look slightly curdled—this is normal.
06 - Add half of the flour mixture, then half of the milk, mixing on low speed. Repeat with remaining flour mixture and milk, mixing just until combined.
07 - Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full.
08 - Bake 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Use a small knife or cupcake corer to remove a small core from the center of each cooled cupcake. Fill the cavity with about 1 teaspoon of raspberry preserves.
10 - Beat butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Beat until smooth and fluffy, adding milk as needed to reach a spreadable consistency.
11 - Pipe or spread buttercream onto filled cupcakes. Decorate with fresh raspberries or lemon zest if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The raspberry surprise inside makes every bite feel like discovering something special
- These cupcakes stay incredibly moist for days, thanks to fresh lemon juice
- They look impressive but are actually quite straightforward to make
02 -
- The batter will look curdled when you add lemon juice, but this is completely normal
- Completely cool cupcakes before coring or the filling will melt into the crumb
- Room temperature ingredients prevent the batter from separating
03 -
- Microplane your zest directly into the sugar before creaming to infuse it with lemon flavor
- Chill your mixing bowl for 10 minutes before making buttercream in warm weather