These lemon poppy seed cupcakes are moist soft and full of lemon flavor. Fresh lemon zest, and lemon juice, drive the incredible lemon flavor of these cupcakes and the crunchy poppy seeds add an earthy note that actuates the lemon flavor. Once baked and cooled they're filled with homemade lemon curd and topped with a silky smooth lemon Swiss meringue buttercream for the perfect lemon treat. These cupcakes will look stunning at the next birthday party or special occasion.
Why You'll Love My Lemon Cupcakes
These cupcakes are made using the two-stage method similar to my lemon cupcake and raspberry cupcake recipes. It's a cake-mixing technique that combines dry ingredients in one bowl and then adds the fat and wet ingredients in two stages ensuring a velvety crumb that's soft and tender.
Here are the other reasons you'll love these lemon poppy seed cupcakes:
- Perfectly Sweet and Tart: The tangy lemon flavor is perfectly balanced by the sweetness of the cupcake, creating a delightful flavor combination that will keep you coming back for more.
- Easy to Make: These cupcakes come together quickly and easily with a few simple ingredients.
Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcake Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need for these lovely lemon cupcakes:
- Fresh Lemon Juice. The main flavor for these lemony cupcakes. Use fresh lemon juice instead bottled lemon juice.
- Fresh Lemon Zest: Zest the lemon directly into the sugar to capture the natural oils. The natural oils contain a ton of flavor and you will lose some of these oils if you zest the lemon onto wax paper or a cutting board.
- Poppy Seeds: Poppy seeds last for about 3 years, so if you've had your jar for awhile check them before using them.
- Whole Milk: The whole provides moisture and a little fat to help create a soft crumb.
Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes
Before mixing, ensure the butter, eggs, and milk are all at room temperature. For baking purposes, room temperature is between 65-68°F degrees.
Step 1: Place the cupcake liners in the muffin tin.
Step 2: Whisk the eggs and the whole milk together in a small bowl.
Step 3: Place the sugar in a medium bowl and zest the lemon directly onto the sugar. Use your fingers to rub the lemon zest into the sugar until it turns yellow and the mixture feels like wet sand.
Step 4: Place the sugar-lemon mixture, and the other dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed to combine.
Step 5: Add the butter and the remaining milk and mix on medium speed until the cupcake batter is creamy.
Step 6: Add the egg mixture in two batches beating after each addition until the eggs are incorporated.
Step 7: Add the lemon juice and mix on medium speed.
Step 8: Divide the cupcake batter between the 12 cupcake liners.
Step 9: Bake the cupcakes for 20-22 minutes
Step 10: Remove the cupcakes from the oven. Let them cool in the muffin pan for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes to a wire rack. Cool the cupcakes to room temperature before frosting them.
How to Make the Lemon Buttercream
The lemon cupcakes in this recipe are decorated with a creamy and delicious Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Follow the directions in this recipe to make the buttercream. You can also use these buttercreams to decorate these cupcakes:
- Lemon Ermine Buttercream (which is part of my Lemon Cupcake recipe)
- Vanilla Buttercream aka American Buttercream
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Raspberry Buttercream
How to Fill the Cupcakes with Lemon Curd
Filling the cupcake with lemon curd is optional but tastes so good. Biting into the lemony cupcake and getting a dollop of lemon curd is the best taste ever.
You can use a paring knife or a cupcake corer to remove the center of the cupcakes. The cupcake corer is easier to use and if you're making these for a party you'll have a beautiful even look and have the same amount of filling in each cupcake.
Gently push the cupcake corer into the center of the cupcake, about 3/4 of the height of the cupcake. Twist and then pull up to remove the core, leaving a well about 1 inch deep – you don't want to go all the way through.
If using a paring knife, gently insert the tip of the paring knife into the center of the cupcake, angling it slightly towards the middle. Twist and push down slightly to remove a core, leaving a well about 1-inch deep – you don't want to go all the way through.
Place the removed cupcake piece in a bowl and save them later for snacking. Fill the center of each cupcake with about 2 heaping teaspoons of lemon curd.
How to Decorate the Cupcakes
Once the cupcakes are cooled to room temperature, it’s time to frost them. Below are two methods for decorating the cupcakes. If the cupcakes are decorated as shown in these pictures, you'll need all the buttercream. Leftover buttercream can be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.
Using a Pastry Bag: Fit your pastry bag with an open star tip, such as the Wilton 1M, or your favorite decorating tip, and fill it with buttercream. Starting at the outside edge of the cupcake, pipe frosting in a swirl with the tip about 1/4" to 1/2" above the cupcake, exerting even pressure on the bag continuously. Finish the swirl in the center of the cupcake by removing the pressure and lifting up the tip slightly as you near the center. If you’re new to decorating cupcakes it may take some practice.
Pro Tips for Making These Delicious Cupcakes
- For the best results weigh the flour and butter. Too much flour or too little butter will result in dry cupcakes. Using a scale will ensure the best results for your cupcakes.
- The butter, milk, and eggs should be at room temperature to ensure the batter emulsifies properly. Cold butter won’t fully incorporate and cold eggs will result in a dense rubbery texture.
- Don’t overfill the cupcake liners. The cupcakes will overflow and possibly stick to the pan.
- Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting. Otherwise the frosting will melt and slide off to the side.
If you make these yummy Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes please leave a rating and a comment below.
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Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling
Equipment
- Cupcake Liners
Ingredients
Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes
- 1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (12 grams) lemon zest
- 1-2/3 cups (212 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 tablespoons (15 grams) poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 tablespoons (169 grams) unsalted butter room temperature (65-68°F) and cut into 10 pieces
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) whole milk room temperature
- 2 large (100 grams) eggs room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
Lemon Curd
- Make the lemon curd 1 or 2 days before making the cupcakes. It will need at least 2 hours to chill.You won't use the entire batch of lemon curd for this recipe. Leftover lemon curd can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks and frozen for up to 1 year.
Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- The lemon Swiss meringue buttercream can be made the same day as the cupcakes.
Make the Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line the muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Place the sugar in a medium-sized bowl and zest the lemon directly onto the sugar. Once you have about 2 tablespoons, use your fingers to rub the sugar and lemon zest together until the sugar turns yellow and is very fragrant. Juice the lemons until you have 1/4 cup of lemon juice.
- Whisk together the eggs and 4 tablespoons of the whole milk.
- Place the sugar-lemon mixture, the flour, poppy seeds, the salt, baking powder, and baking soda in the bowl of a stand mixer. With the paddle attachment mix the dry ingredients on medium-low for 30 seconds to thoroughly combine the dry ingredients.
- Add the butter, and the remaining milk and mix on low speed for about 20 seconds. Increase to medium speed and mix for 1 minute. The batter should look creamy. Be careful not to overmix. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the eggs to the batter in two batches. Mix on medium speed until the eggs are incorporated. Add the lemon juice and mix on medium speed just until incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottoms of the bowl and mix on medium speed for 20 seconds to ensure the ingredients are well combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 12 cups of the muffin pan, about 60 grams each. Each muffin tin should be about 2/3 full.
- Bake the cupcakes for 20-22 minutes until they are done. They should be golden brown on top and when a wooden tooth is inserted in the center of one of the cupcakes there should be no more than 1 or 2 crumbs and no wet cake batter. If using an instant-read thermometer it should register 200°F.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing the cupcakes from the pan to a cooling rack. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting them.
- If making the cupcakes one day in advance before frosting them, store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature.
How to Fill the Cupcakes with Lemon Curd
- Gently push the cupcake corer into the center of the cupcake, about 3/4 of the height of the cupcake. Twist and then pull up to remove the core, leaving a well about 1 inch deep – you don't want to go all the way through.
- If using a paring knife, gently insert the tip of paring knife into the center of the cupcake, angling it slightly towards the middle. Twist and push down slightly to remove a core. Reserve the cupcake pieces for snacking.
- Fill the center of each cupcake with about 2 heaping teaspoons of lemon curd.
How to Frost the Cupcakes
- Using a Pastry Bag: Fit your pastry bag with an open star tip, such as the Wilton 1M, or your favorite decorating tip, and fill it with buttercream. Starting at the outside edge of the cupcake, pipe frosting in a swirl with the tip about 1/4" to 1/2" above the cupcake, exerting even pressure on the bag continuously. Finish the swirl in the center of the cupcake by removing the pressure and lifting up the tip slightly as you near the center. If you’re new to decorating cupcakes it may take some practice.
- Using a Knife or Offset Spatula: Use a large tablespoon to add about 4 tablespoons of frosting onto the cupcake. Use the back of a spoon, a non-serrated butter knife, or a small offset spatula to spread the frosting to the edge. While pressing down on the frosting slightly, move your spoon or knife in a spiral pattern from the outside edge of the cupcake to the center of the cupcake, to create a pretty spiral or swoop.
How to Store the Cupcakes
- Unfrosted Cupcakes: If not frosting and serving the cupcakes the same day as they're baked store them in an airtight container. Let the cupcakes cool completely and then store them in a single layer in the container for up to two days.
- Don't store the cupcakes while they are still warm. The condensation will cause the paper liners to peel from the cupcakes if stored while still warm.
- Frosted and Filled Cupcakes: Once the cupcakes are filled with lemon curd they can only sit a room temperature for 1-2 hours. If the cupcakes are not filled with lemon curd, but are frosted with the Swiss meringue buttercream they can be stored at room temperature for 1 to 2 days depending on the room temperature. The Swiss meringue buttercream can be stored at room temperature for 1 to 2 days because of the amount of sugar in the buttercream.
Jojo says
I forgot to add the lemon juice.. but even so these were delicious! I am going to try them again and im sure they will be even better! I made a lavender frosting and it was a great combo!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Jojo
Thank you for trying my recipe for these cupcakes and leaving a review. I'm so glad to read that you enjoyed them. That lavender frosting sounds delicious. Could you share the recipe with me?