Ingredients (~24 cupcakes)
Lemon Poppyseed Cupcakes
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 3 Tbsp poppyseeds
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 6 oz unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 lemons, zest only
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 lbs cream cheese, softened
- 3 oz unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large lemon, zest only
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 lb powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 Tbsp poppyseeds
Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
Mix in the poppyseeds and set aside.
Cream the Butter and Sugar
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened butter, lemon zest, sugar, and oil together.
Whip for ~2 minutes until light and fluffy.
The lemon zest will release oils into the butter which gives you way more lemon flavor than just juice alone.
Add Eggs and Wet Ingredients
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Then add the vanilla extract and lemon juice; Beat for ~2-3 minutes until the mixture is fluffy and well combined.
Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients
Add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, alternating between the two.
Start and end with the flour mixture – mix just until combined after each addition.
Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl so everything incorporates evenly.
Don’t overmix or the cupcakes will be tough.
Fill Cupcake Liners and Bake at 325F
Preheat your oven to 325F.
Using a small ice cream scoop, fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full with batter.
Bake for ~16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let them rest in the pan for ~10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
The cupcakes need to be completely cool before frosting or the cream cheese frosting will melt.
Make the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, butter, lemon zest, and vanilla with a hand mixer for ~2-3 minutes.
Add the powdered sugar and start on low speed to avoid a sugar cloud, then increase to high speed.
Whip until fluffy, about ~2 minutes.
Fold in the poppyseeds and scrape down the sides; Give it one final mix.
Pipe the Frosting
Place your piping tip in a piping bag – I use Ateco tip 844 but any star tip works.
Fill the bag with frosting and pipe a swirl on top of each cupcake.
If you don’t have a piping bag, just spread the frosting with an offset spatula.
Lemon Poppyseed Cupcakes
Ingredients
Lemon Poppyseed Cupcakes
- 3 cups all-purpose flour sifted
- 3 Tbsp poppyseeds
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 6 oz unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 lemons zest only
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 lbs cream cheese softened
- 3 oz unsalted butter softened
- 1 large lemon zest only
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 lb powdered sugar sifted
- 1 Tbsp poppyseeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F and line cupcake pans.
- Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and poppyseeds. Set aside.
- Beat butter, lemon zest, sugar, and oil for 2 minutes until fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating after each. Add vanilla and lemon juice, beat 2-3 minutes.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk to butter mixture, starting and ending with flour. Mix just until combined.
- Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake 16-18 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in pan 10 minutes, then transfer to rack to cool completely.
- Beat cream cheese, butter, lemon zest, and vanilla 2-3 minutes until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar on low speed, then increase to high and whip 2 minutes until fluffy.
- Fold in poppyseeds.
- Pipe or spread frosting onto cooled cupcakes.
