Simple to make and amazingly moist, these delicious lemon glazed cupcakes literally melt in your mouth! They are perfect for spring parties and anytime with a cup of tea or coffee.
These are hands down the most lemony, melt-in-your-mouth cupcakes we’ve ever had! In our family, it’s a toss up between chocolate and lemon for favorite dessert flavors. Mostly, chocolate wins (Quick And Easy Chocolate Lava Cakes, Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes, and Fudgy Espresso Truffle Bars Recipe to name just a few), but lemon holds a dear place in our hearts.
Whenever we’re in the mood for a light and bright flavor – usually when the weather is also light and bright – we always go to lemon. Lemon Berry Cake Recipe with the BEST Lemon Frosting is wonderful for a celebration, but when you just want a refreshing dessert for tea or coffee, lemon glazed cupcakes can be your new go-to recipe.
My daughter and her friends often made these in high school when they were wanting to bake, they’re that simple. The first time she made them, we were all surprised at how wonderful they tasted when we were just expecting a run-of-the-mill cupcake.
We’ve since made them for birthdays, spring holidays, as well as anytime a lemon cupcake sounds good!
Lemon Glazed Cupcakes
This cupcake recipe, while simple, does take a little bit of extra time to make because it uses a method of mixing the dry ingredients alternately with the liquid. Of course this only adds a little time – they are still easy cupcakes, after all!
The technique of adding liquid and dry ingredients alternately is often used in cakes to build air into the batter, which creates a lighter texture. And wow, does it work here – don’t be tempted to skip this and just add the ingredients all at the same time, this is what elevates these yummy cupcakes from that normal cupcake we were expecting the first time we made them.
Between the alternating technique, the sour cream or yogurt (both work equally well), and the lemon, the cupcakes turn out perfect every time, with that melt-in-your-mouth goodness.
That’s the mark of a great recipe, for sure.
Lemon Glazed Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1/2 cup softened butter, plus more for muffin tin
- 1-1/2 cup flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream, thinned slightly with milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 lemon, juiced and zested
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
Glaze:
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Use a pastry brush to butter a 12-cup muffin tin and then lightly coat with flour.
- Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl with a spout or a 4-cup measure. In a 1-cup measure, stir together the yogurt, vanilla, zest and juice of the lemon. Set these aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well.
- With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture alternately with the yogurt mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.
- Fill the tins about 3/4 full with the batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in the pan and then remove to a cooling rack set over a piece of wax paper.
- Stir together the glaze ingredients and pour over warm cakes, using a knife to make sure the glaze is covering the tops. Cool completely or serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
More easy desserts you may like:
Individual Berry Crisps {with Fantastic Big Crumb Topping}
Healthy No Bake Fudge Oatmeal Bars {Gluten-Free}
Whole Wheat Blackberry Crumb Bars
This recipe has been updated, it was first published in August of 2011.
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2pots2cook says
Thank you for lovely simplified beauty ! Pinning !
Anna at the Doll House says
Making cup cakes with yoghurt is a new one for me.
I love lemon, love yoghurt and love cup cakes. So, I’m sure I’ll love these – and they do look very good.
Anna
Jami @An Oregon Cottage says
We’re just using plain yogurt here- sour cream would work as well- I’ll update the recipe to be more clear! 🙂
Sherri B. says
I love anything lemon and like the look of these too, thanks!
very merry vintage style says
Oh…. yum…. Definitely a recipe to save!
Mary
Anonymous says
sounds simple and yummy! 🙂 Esther from fleur cottage
Anonymous says
Oh they look yummy. What flavor yogurt are we using?
Comeca Jones says
They look so good!Thanks for sharing!