Light and fluffy Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes are perfect little bites of zesty lemon and soft, sweet cake.
This lemon drizzle cupcakes recipe will give you soft and tender mini cakes that are packed with lemon flavour and ridiculously easy to make.
I love using lemon juice in desserts - that whole sweet and sour taste combination really gets my tastebuds going.
If you are a lemon dessert fan like me then these are going to be right up your alley.
These little cakes are also fast to whip up because there is no frosting to mix up or waiting for them to cool.
The lemon syrup drizzle is just combined lemon juice and sugar that's brushed over the cakes while they are still warm.
This keeps the cupcakes lovely and moist without the need for frosting or icing.
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe
- Super fast and simple to make.
- Great easy recipe for the kids to help with.
- Only 5 ingredients.
- An ideal dessert for lemon lovers.
What you need to make these cupcakes
*Please see the recipe card below for exact quantities and detailed instructions
- fresh lemons - juice and zest
- self-raising (self-rising) flour - see my Top tips section below for how to make your own at home
- caster sugar
- salted butter (or unsalted butter with a pinch of salt)
- eggs
*Please see the recipe card below for exact quantities and detailed instructions
How to make lemon drizzle cupcakes?
- In a large mixing bowl, combine self-raising flour, caster sugar, eggs, butter, lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Using a hand-held mixer, mix until almost combined.
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- Mix the last few strokes by hand with a spatula - don't overmix.
- Spoon mixture into a lined muffin tray and bake for 25 - 28 minutes then brush over lemon syrup.
Top tips for the best result
- The secret to soft, tender lemon cupcakes that aren't tough and rubbery is not to overmix the batter. The same goes for other muffin or cupcake recipes.
- Try to get an even amount of batter in each hole - I use ⅓ cup measurement - that way your cakes will cook more consistently.
- How to make your own self-raising flour at home - for every cup (150g) of all-purpose flour (plain flour) add 2 teaspoons of baking powder then sift together well.
Storage
- These are best eaten on the day they are made, however these cupcakes will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 - 4 days.
- A little zap for a few seconds in the microwave will bring them back to life if they are a little dry, then brush will a little more lemon syrup if they need.
- They are suitable to freeze.
How best to store fresh lemons
- Stored in a plastic bag in the vegetable drawer in your refrigerator, lemons will keep fresh for at least a month.
Frequently asked questions
Yes.
Combined lemon juice and sugar.
Other recipes you may enjoy
Lemon Curd Cookies - rich, buttery shortbread cookies with a zesty addition of lemon curd in the middle.
White Chocolate Raspberry Muffins - big and fluffy bakery-style muffins that you can make yourself at home using fresh or frozen raspberries.
Lime Slice Recipe - tangy lime juice and coconut combined in a classic no bake slice recipe.
📖 Recipe
Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 250 g self raising flour self rising flour
- 250 g caster sugar
- 250 g salted butter room temperature
- 3 eggs
- juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Lemon Drizzle
- 60 g caster sugar
- juice of 1 lemon
Watch me make this recipe
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160c.
- Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.
- To make the drizzle, combine the caster sugar and juice of 1 lemon in a small bowl and whisk to dissolve the sugar then set aside.juice of 1 lemon60 g caster sugar
- In a large mixing bowl, combine self-raising flour, caster sugar, eggs, salted butter, lemon juice and lemon zest.250 g self raising flour250 g caster sugar250 g salted butter3 eggsjuice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- Using a hand-held mixer, mix until almost combined.
- Mix the last few strokes by hand with a spatula, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl and the base.
- Divide the mixture evenly (see my notes) amongst the cupcake liners and bake for 25 - 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- While the cupcakes are still warm, poke a few holes in each with a toothpick or a skewer then brush the lemon drizzle evenly over each using a pastry brush.
- Once the cupcakes are cool enough to handle, place them on a wire rack to cool fully.
Notes
- The secret to soft, tender lemon cupcakes that aren't tough and rubbery is to not overmix the batter. The same goes for other muffin or cupcake variations.
- How to make your own self-raising flour at home - for every cup (150g) of all-purpose flour (plain flour) add 2 teaspoons of baking powder and sift together well.
- I used a ⅓ cup measure to divide the batter between the cups so they cook evenly.
Want to save this recipe?
Email yourself a link to this page and come back later.
can I use mini cupcake tins?
I haven't tried it myself Wendy, but I don't see why you couldn't. You will need to adjust the baking time to suit.
We ate the lot and the kids helped make them too. Great recipe thanks.
Awesome Oscar!