I have a neighbor who loads me up with lemons (Thanks, Sammy!) from his mom’s garden. Talk about scoring great neighbors…the lemons are fabulous! You just can’t beat the juice and flavor you get from a backyard lemon. It is nothing like the store bought lemons we are all used to.
With that said, I’m constantly looking for new ways to use them in recipes…sweet and savory. They make it onto my salads and into my tea everyday but I also like to highlight the lemons and these cupcakes do just that. These Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting can’t be beat. I’m making these for my Super Bowl party this year…the perfect “grab and go” dessert. They are already portioned out and are a nice light finish after a food heavy day.
I’ve used a lot of substitutes in the recipe today (fat free Greek Yogurt for sour cream; swerve granulated sugar for real sugar, skim milk for whole milk and swerve confectioner’s sugar for real confectioners sugar). I try to sneak in substitutions when I can but that does NOT make this a low calorie dessert…it is just cutting some sugar and lightening up a few other parts of the recipe. Remember: you don’t have to do that. You can use full fat products and sugar in equal amounts in this recipe and get great results.
The lightened up version tastes great and no one would know I was playing with my food!!! If I can save a little here and a little there, I do it and know it will add up.
This recipe makes 14 cupcakes…I know that is odd but I actually like it. It gives me a couple of “testers”. I often make baked goods as gifts so being able to try them first before gifting them is great…it is like having a built in “cook’s portion”. Then I can package these and get them out of the house!!! Better than me eating a dozen more. LOL
For all my WW friends and people that want to cut even more calories or fat, just don’t frost them! Pretty simple solution and these taste great as is. They are light and lemony and the perfect snack. You decide.
Now, if you are a “lemon person” be sure to check out my Lemon Bar Recipe. And if you are looking to pull together a Super Bowl Party, check out my entire menu.
To get started, preheat oven to 375 degree F. Line the cupcake pans with paper liners.
Add the granulated sugar substitute and lemon zest to a blender or food processor then pulse until zest and the sugar is well mixed and the mix is pale yellow.
Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl and whisk together. Set the bowl aside.
Add the eggs, milk, melted butter, lemon juice, yogurt, and sugar/lemon mix to a stand mixer OR add to a medium bowl and blend with a hand mixer.
Add the wet to the dry mixture and mix until just combined. The mixture will look thick but fluffy or spongy in texture. It is not pourable. Fill cupcake papers about 3/4 the way up.
Bake for 5 minutes at 375 degrees F. then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F. and bake for another 10-12. Check with a toothpick inserted into the middle of the muffin. If it comes out clean it is done. Note: these cupcakes don’t brown so be sure to check at around 9 minutes and then each minute after until baked through. This way you are checking your oven’s temperature and don’t over bake the cupcakes.
To make the frosting, be sure you have juiced your lemons. You’ll need 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice.
Cream the butter, salt and zest for a few minutes in a stand mixer. Then sift in the powdered sugar, a cup at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl in between each addition.
Scrape the bowl down after all the sugar has been added and pour in the lemon juice while mixing on the low speed. Scrape down once more and mix.
To make pretty swirls of frosting on the cupcakes, put your frosting in a pastry bag with a star tip. An easy way to load your pastry bag, is to set it in a tall glass. Fold the tops of the bag down over the edges of the glass to hold it in place. Add the frosting then pull up the sides of the pastry bag and twist the top to keep the frosting from escaping the top of the bag.
Swirl on top of each completely cooled cupcake. NOTE: you can use a knife to spread the frosting on the cupcakes…it might not be as pretty but it certainly won’t hurt the taste! LOL.
Put your finished cupcakes out on a platter or cake pedestal and let your guests enjoy. You can also put these on a platter and cover with foil. Keep in the refrigerator up to a day and then serve. If you are gifting these, packing them up in cupcakes boxes makes it easy to wrap and gift and keeps the cupcakes intact. I keep these on hand so I can bake and give all year round.
If you like this recipe and are looking for more cupcake recipes, don’t miss these:
Limequat Cupcakes with Whipped Cream
Everyday Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
Vanilla Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling and Pistachio Whipped Cream
Bake Sale Sugar-Free Cupcakes with 3 Ingredient Cream Cheese Frosting
Lemon Cupcakes With Lemon Frosting
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
FOR THE CUPCAKES:
- 1 Cup Swerve or Lankato granulated sugar substitute
- 2 Tbsp. Lemon zest zest of two lemons
- 1 2/3 Cup All-purpose flour
- 1/4 Tsp. Baking soda
- 1 1/2 Tsp. Baking powder
- 1/4 Tsp. Kosher salt
- 3/4 Cup Unsalted butter, melted
- 2 Eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 Cup Fat free Greek yogurt, room temperature
- 1/4 Cup Skim milk, warm
- 1/4 Cup Fresh lemon juice, about 1/2 – 1 lemon
FOR THE FROSTING:
- 1 Cup Butter
- 4 1/2 Cups Swerve powdered sugar substitute
- 1/4 Tsp. Salt
- 1/4 Cup Fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp. Lemon zest, about two lemons
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Line the cupcake tin with papers.
- Add the granulated sugar substitute and lemon zest to a blender or food processor then pulse until zest and the sugar is well mixed and the mix is pale yellow.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl then whisk together and set aside.
- Add the eggs, milk, melted butter, lemon juice, yogurt, and sugar/lemon mix to a stand mixer OR add to a medium bowl and blend with a hand mixer.
- Add the wet to the dry mixture and mix until just combined. The mixture will look thick but fluffy or spongy in texture. It is not pourable. Fill cupcake papers about 3/4 the way up. Bake for 5 minutes at 375 degrees then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 10-12. Check with a toothpick inserted into the middle of the muffin. If it comes out clean it is done. Note: these cupcakes don’t brown so be sure to check at around 9 minutes and then each minute after until baked through. This way you are checking your oven’s temperature and don’t over bake the cupcakes.
- To make the frosting, cream the butter, salt and zest for a few minutes in a stand mixer. Then sift in the powdered sugar, a cup at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl in between each addition.
- Scrape the bowl down after all the sugar has been added and pour in the lemon juice while mixing on the low speed. Scrape down once more and mix. To make pretty swirls of frosting on the cupcakes, put your frosting in a pastry bag with a star tip. Swirl on top of each completely cooled cupcake. NOTE: you can use a knife to spread the frosting on the cupcakes…it might not be as pretty but it certainly won’t hurt the taste! LOL. Enjoy!
