Moist Lemon Cupcakes With Raspberry Filling (Printable version)

Zesty lemon cupcakes filled with raspberry preserves and topped with creamy lemon buttercream frosting.

# Ingredient list:

→ Lemon Cupcakes

01 -
02 -
03 -
04 -
05 -
06 -
07 -
08 -
09 -
10 -

→ Raspberry Filling

11 -

→ Lemon Buttercream

12 -
13 -
14 -
15 -
16 -
17 -

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until well blended.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Mix in lemon zest and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
05 - Pour in lemon juice and mix to combine. The batter may appear slightly curdled at this stage, which is normal.
06 - Add half of the flour mixture, followed by half of the milk, mixing on low speed. Repeat with remaining flour and milk, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix.
07 - Divide batter evenly among prepared cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
08 - Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Once cooled, use a small knife or cupcake corer to remove a small core from the center of each cupcake. Fill each cavity with approximately 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 1 tablespoon at a time as needed to achieve spreadable consistency.
11 - Pipe or spread buttercream onto filled cupcakes. Garnish with fresh raspberries or additional lemon zest if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The texture is impossibly tender, almost like a cloud kissed by citrus
  • That surprise burst of raspberry in the center makes every bite feel like discovering hidden treasure
02 -
  • The butter must be genuinely room temperature or your buttercream will look curdled and sad no matter how long you beat it
  • Overmixing once the flour is added makes tough cupcakes, so stop as soon as you see no dry streaks
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are not optional, they are essential for proper emulsion and texture
  • Use fresh lemon juice rather than bottled because the difference in flavor is honestly night and day

Go back