Need a quick, delicious dessert for a special occasion? Or just craving a delicious lemon treat? Here is an easy recipe, that's partially homemade, but will taste completely homemade: Meyer Lemon Curd Cupcakes with Meyer Lemon Buttercream Frosting!
This is the perfect recipe if you need a dessert in a pinch! It was one of my besties birthdays so, of course, I wanted to whip up something delicious to celebrate. We were going out to lunch and I had the morning to pull something together. Ever since I made the Meyer lemon curd for my Cream Puffs, I've wanted to make something else lemony.
My first thought was Lemon Macarons. Without taking too much time going into details, let me just say it was a disaster! LOL! I need to try those again soon, but they weren't happening for the birthday lunch. Plan B: Quickie cupcakes with lemon curd filling and homemade lemon buttercream frosting. Like I said, "mostly" homemade, fast, and delicious.
Ingredients for these Easy Lemon Curd Cupcakes
- white cake mix
- eggs
- water
- lemon zest
- lemon juice
- unsalted butter, room temp
- powdered confectioners sugar
- vanilla extract
- salt
- sugar
How to Make Cupcakes with Lemon Curd
- Preheat the oven to 350° and prepare a cupcake pan with liners.
- Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix on medium speed with a mixer for about 2-3 minutes.
- Place the batter into each cupcake liner and bake for 16-18 minutes.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before filling or frosting.
How to Make Easy Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- Place the butter into a mixer bowl and beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time and incorporate it completely after each addition. Next, add the lemon juice, vanilla, and salt and beat until everything is creamed together and smooth.
What part of this recipe is homemade and what's not?
The lemon curd and the lemon buttercream frosting are both homemade. The "almost homemade" part comes from the cupcakes because I use a basic box mix. I already had the lemon curd chilling in the fridge and I decided to cheat on the cupcakes and use a boxed mix.
I also knew I didn't want 24 cupcakes at home (because I would eat them all), so I just used half the mix and made up the rest! It made 12 cupcakes. I took 8 for the lunch and saved 4 for myself (hey, I'm not crazy!).
What makes these cupcakes "easy"?
I used a box of cake mix for the cupcakes and I'm not sorry about it. Sorry, not sorry. Just add egg, water, lemon juice, and lemon zest to the mix and you are ready to go! This is a "recipe" because you are only using some of the cake mix to make a small batch. And you are adding lemon juice and lemon zest to make them even better.
How quickly does this come together?
You could easily have these cupcakes complete in an hour and a half. As I mentioned, I made the lemon curd first since it needs to firm in the fridge for an hour (recipe below). So, while it is setting, you can whip up the cupcakes and frosting. Cool the cupcakes in the fridge after 10 minutes on the counter and they will be ready to frost faster (since they need to be cool).
Make your own Lemon Curd or Use Store-Bought
You can use my recipe for Homemade Lemon Curd or use store-bought lemon curd. Homemade lemon curd is surprisingly easy to make and only takes a few ingredients. Just remember the lemon curd has to firm up in the fridge for at least an hour. You may want to make it ahead of time or plan for the extra time.
If you love Lemon Desserts, check out some of my other Lemon Recipes
- Lemon Curd Cocktail Recipe
- Lemon Lavender Bread with Lemon Lavender Sugar
- Meyer Lemon Cranberry Meringue Pie
- Lemon Lavender Cupcakes
- Meyer Lemon Cream Puffs
What to do with extra cake mix?
You may be thinking...what should I do with the rest of the cake mix? I'll tell you! You can always make more of these Easy Lemon Curd Filled Cupcakes...OR...you can make mug cakes!
Mug cakes are perfect for those nights when you want something sweet but don't want a lot. Mug cakes are the best and so easy to make.
All you have to remember is 3-2-1: 3 tablespoons of cake mix, 2 tablespoons of water, and 1 minute in the microwave. I added sprinkles to the cake mix before microwaving and I also made a quick cream cheese frosting for the mug cake, of course.
To make the frosting, mix 1 tablespoon cream cheese with 2 tablespoons powdered sugar until creamy. Add to the top of the mug cake after it has cooled for a few minutes and enjoy!
Easy Lemon Curd Cupcakes
Equipment
- cupcake pan and liners
- (2) frosting bags
- frosting tip
- zester
Ingredients
Lemon Cupcakes
- 1 cup white cake mix
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup lemon curd
Lemon Buttercream
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temp
- 3 cups powdered confectioners sugar
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 dash kosher salt
- lemon zest for garnish
Instructions
Lemon Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a cupcake pan with liners.
- Add all the cupcake ingredients except the lemon curd to a mixing bowl and mix on medium speed with a mixer for about 2-3 minutes.
- Place batter into each cupcake liner about Âľ full and bake for 16-18 minutes.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before filling or frosting.
Lemon Buttercream
- Place the butter into a mixer bowl and beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time and incorporate it completely after each addition.
- Add the lemon juice, vanilla, and salt and beat until creamed together and smooth.
Fill and Frost the Cupcakes
- After the cupcakes have cooled completely, place the lemon curd in a pastry bag with a round tip attachment (you can also use a ziplock bag). Gently Insert the tip into the top of the cupcake about ½" deep. Squeeze in some lemon curd (about a teaspoon). The cupcake will expand slightly, stop as the curd oozes out of the top a little. Don't worry what it looks like, you are covering it with frosting!
- Place the frosting in a different pastry bag. Use your favorite tip and frost the cupcakes. Sprinkle with lemon zest and enjoy!
Notes
- I zested and juiced 4 Meyer lemons for the cupcakes, buttercream, and lemon curd recipes at the start and set it all aside. It made each step with lemon juice or zest so much easier!
- Of course, if you don't have Meyer lemons, regular lemons will work just as well.
- This recipe is for 12 mini-cupcakes. If you want to make regular-sized cupcakes, you can double this recipe and add 6-7 minutes to the cooking time (check with a toothpick). Â
Nutrition
Any nutrition calculations are only estimates using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Did you make these Easy Lemon Curd Cupcakes?
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Kerri says
This is good and so many things, but I’d love to eat it with a spoon!
Emily says
LOL! Kerri, thank you, and don't think for one minute I didn't eat some of that lemon curd with a spoon! Go for it girl!
Jennifer says
I love a good cupcake filled with lemon curd! This looks amazing — thanks for sharing!
Emily says
Thanks, Jennifer! Anything with lemon curd has my heart too.
Mama Maggie's Kitchen says
This dish looks so deliciously good. I wish I could eat that right this minute!
Chef Dennis says
My wife loves lemon and devoured two of your cupcakes with her morning tea! thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe with us
Emily says
That makes me so happy, Dennis! I hope you had a chance to eat some too 🙂!
Debra says
Gimme all the lemon desserts....pinning so I'll know exactly where to find this gem.
Emily says
Thanks, Debra! I totally agree...any dessert with lemon and I am in!
Andréa Janssen says
I've had some lemon curd on my pantry so this was a great recipe to use it. They turned out to be delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
Emily says
You're welcome, Andrea! How great to have lemon curd on hand at all times, what a good idea.
Amanda Marie Boyle says
Love dressing up boxed cake mixes. Thanks for the great recipe.
Emily says
I do too, I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Pagliarello says
I really like lemon cream. I tried to make it delicious and super easy to prepare! Thanks
Emily says
You are welcome!
Amy says
Yum! I love lemon curd on almost all desserts and cakes! Will have ot give this a try.
Emily says
Lemon curd is at the top of my all-time favorite dessert additions...I hope you get a chance to try these cupcakes!
Ashley says
So refreshing and tasty! We loved them at our Labor Day cookout!
Emily says
Ashley, what a great idea to make these for a holiday weekend, I'm so glad they worked out!
Alexandra says
These were absolutely lovely - easy to make, and as a lemon lover, they had the best flavour!
Emily says
Thanks, Alexandra! I am a fellow lemon lover as well and I'm so glad you found this recipe.
Sue says
I love lemon anything so knew I had to try these. They are SO GOOD! I really appreciate the "mostly homemade" aspect of these. If you make a frosting AND a filling you certainly should be able to use a box mix for the cake! Plus, it's not even a lemon cake, its a white cake modified to be lemon. Totally counts! This recipe rocks!
Emily says
Thanks, Sue!! I'm so glad you liked these and I totally agree with you...a shortcut every now and then is a good thing!