Let’s talk about why you should make these Lemon Chiffon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting! First of all, just say the name – Lemon Chiffon. Super fun! They’re called chiffon because they’re so fluffy and moist, not to mention tangy with all that lemon flavour. Speaking of Lemon, people love the stuff – seriously, I can’t count the number of times I’ve made all manner of decadent triple chocolate cupcakes -and watched in amazement as people go for simple lemon (or carrot cake!) first.
And if that wasn’t enough to sell you, these cupcakes have delicious cream cheese frosting scented with lemon zest and juice slathered on top!
These cupcakes are based on these delicious ones which are a recipe by Peggy Porschen. They’re the BEST, trust me!
I made these cupcakes for a charity Bake-Off at work and they SOLD OUT in record time while all the other baked goods were still standing… people just can’t resist lemon!
- 200g soft unsalted butter
- 200g caster or golden caster sugar
- 4 medium eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 200g self raising flour
- zest and juice of two large lemons
- 100g unsalted butter
- 200g full fat cream cheese
- 500g icing sugar – sieved
- juice and zest of one lemon
- small pinch salt
- Preheat your oven to 180C/gas 4/350F and line two cupcake tins with cases. The ones I used were from Lakeland.
- Next, mix your soft butter with your sugar. You can do this by hand or in a mixer, just cream together until fluffy and combined before adding your eggs one at a time with a tablespoon of the flour for each egg. Add the rest of the flour and mix to combine, and then add your vanilla seeds. Take a sharp knife and lay your vanilla pod down on a cutting board, and slit it from end to end. Unfurl the pod and scrape out the seeds, either with your knife or a teaspoon works well too. Add the seeds to your mixture.
- Next, fill your cases with batter. I use two heaped tablespoons of batter for each cupcake, and made sure to push the batter down to fill any gaps. Pop your cupcakes into the oven to bake for 16-18 minutes, rotating if the ones at the top of the oven start to become overly browned - you want them lightly golden. Test with a toothpick or skewer for doneness after 16 minutes, and remove from the oven in the ones in the centre of the tray come out clean.
- To make your cream cheese frosting, heat the butter in the microwave for around 15-20 seconds, or until very soft and on the point of melting. Next, use a whisk to thoroughly beat the butter until there are absolutely no lumps - whisk it good!
- Next, add the cream cheese to your mixture and whisk that in too. Now, tap the mixture off the whisk and switch to a wooden spoon, and slowly begin to add your icing sugar, around 100-150g at a time. Slowly stir it in with the wooden spoon, gently mixing until each batch is incorporated. Do not beat vigorously as this will cause the frosting to become loose and runny. Finally, add the lemon juice and zest, and a teeny pinch of salt before popping the frosting into the fridge to chill.
- When you're ready, decorate your cupcakes with the frosting (see note below) and then finish with sprinkles or a dusting of more lemon zest.
I slathered my frosting on with a palette knife but it would also look great if it were piped on with a rose tip (beautiful!). A word of warning though – on a warm day, the frosting wouldn’t hold it’s shape so you’re probably better off not bothering and keeping the cupcakes in the fridge until you’re ready to eat them.
I think that these cupcakes are just perfect for summer! You could pop a little macerated raspberry, strawberry or blueberry on top of the frosting for a great flavour combination too. I hope you try them soon!
x Kerry
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Hey Kerry, I just found your blog through Sally’s Baking Addiction comments section and am a big fan! These cupcakes look amazing! I love anything to do with lemon and am dreaming of the perfect lemon curd shortcake recipe. I will definitely be trying these. 🙂 x
Lynnette recently posted…Recipe Test: Moist Yellow Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Frosting
Thanks for stopping by Lynette! I love when you find new blogs through the comments of other favourite blogs! 🙂
Hi Kerry, I love the sound of these lemon cupcakes. I’ve been searching for the perfect lemon cupcake recipe…light sponge with a tangy lemony flavour. The list of ingredients for the cupcakes includes zest and juice of 2 lemons but the recipe doesn ‘t seem to include the lemons, unless I’m missing it. Where do you include them? Thanks.
So sorry Michelle – I included the lemon juice in both the cake batter and frosting x
Wow, will be trying these very soon. 🙂