One-Bowl Lemon Cupcakes Recipe

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: Our One-Bowl Lemon Cupcakes are tender, beautifully lemony—almost puckery! You can easily make these easy lemon cupcakes whenever the craving hits because this recipe comes together in under an hour. Plus, the efficient one-bowl preparation means clean-up is a cinch! 

• Lemon heaven: This easy lemon cupcake recipe will be a game-changer for those who adore lemon desserts! The zesty citrus flavor comes from a one-two punch of lemon juice and lemon zest. Butter and sour cream in the batter give these cupcakes rich flavor, elevating them well beyond supermarket cupcakes.
• This recipe is lightning-fast! When you need a quick recipe that is absolutely delectable, that will please a crowd, and that is easily transportable, One-BowlLemon Cupcakes are the answer. While I love going all out with my Lemon Cake with Lemon Buttercream Frosting, sometimes I want something faster (and with less cleanup!), and it doesn’t get better than these homemade lemon cupcakes.

There’s no better all-around dessert than cupcakes. They feed a crowd, make kids happy, and let grown-ups relive their childhood by grabbing their own mini-cakes and peeling off the paper cupcake liner. Our One-Bowl Lemon Cupcakes are a crowd favorite, and you’ll also love our Homemade Vanilla Cupcakes with Best-Ever Buttercream Frosting, Incredible Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Fudge Frosting, and Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting!

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was improved and updated on 7/7/2024, to include explanations of key ingredients, answers to the most frequently asked questions, and Pro Chef Tips.

Table of Contents

• What are One-Bowl Lemon Cupcakes?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Why
• How to Make One-Bowl Lemon Cupcakes
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make Ahead & Storage Instructions
• FAQs
• More Lemon Recipes

What are One-Bowl Lemon Cupcakes?

• One-Bowl Lemon Cupcakes are beautifully moist single-serving treats with a bright, citrus flavor. The “one-bowl” aspect refers to the fact that all the ingredients are mixed together in a single bowl.
• Streamlined steps make this easy lemon cupcake recipe a snap because there’s no need to mix wet and dry ingredients separately or cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer.
• Sour cream not only gives these cupcakes unparalleled moisture, but its acid content tenderizes the gluten, ensuring a delicate crumb. The fresh lemon juice also does double duty by bringing vibrant tartness and reducing the gluten’s strength, making the cupcakes delectably light.
• Before the medieval period, lemons were viewed primarily as medicinal. Lemon Posset, still a favorite English dessert, became popular during the Renaissance. Lemon Meringue Pie debuted in the 1800s, and Lemon Bars and Lemon Chiffon Pie were just two 20th-century recipes developed to satisfy lemon dessert lovers.

Tools You Need

• Large mixing bowl
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Kitchen scale (optional)
• Whisk
• Citrus zester
• 12-cup cupcake pan
• Cupcake liners
• Toothpicks
• Wire rack

Make it Bolder!

For an extra lemony treat, use a cupcake corer to remove the middles, fill the center of the cupcakes with Gemma’s Whole Lemon Curd, place the tops back on, and frost. Lemon curd-filled cupcakes will need to stay refrigerated in an airtight container.

Key Ingredients and Why

Butter

• The fat in butter coats the flour, inhibiting gluten formation and giving the cupcakes a beautifully light, fluffy texture.
• Melted butter contributes to a tender crumb, and using it here speeds up and simplifies the mixing process.

Sour cream

• Acidic sour cream tenderizes the batter, giving the cupcakes an irresistibly plush texture.
• The sour cream also adds a touch of pleasant tanginess.
• Use our easy recipe to make your own sour cream!
• You can use Greek yogurt if you don’t have sour cream.

Egg

• The egg emulsifies the ingredients in the batter, blending them together into a cohesive whole. Additionally, they contribute to the tenderness, moisture, aeration, emulsification, and structure of the cupcakes.
• Importantly, unless specified, eggs should always be at room temperature.

Milk

• Use whole milk in this recipe to give the richest flavor.
• Additionally, whole milk contributes to the batter’s moisture and gives the cupcakes a tender and delicate crumb.
• Milk also reacts with baking powder, giving the cake a light, airy rise.

Lemon juice

• While the lemon zest boosts the flavor, I love adding freshly squeezed lemon juice to my cupcakes. They really get an extra zing from the tart juice.
• Lemon juice tenderizes the gluten, making the crumb softer.
• Importantly, lemon juice reacts with baking soda, creating carbon dioxide gas that makes the cupcakes rise.

Granulated sugar

• Sugar sweetens the cupcakes.
• Additionally, because sugar is hygroscopic, it attracts moisture and holds it in after baking.

Lemon zest

• Lemon zest really brightens up a recipe, and it provides a lot of lemon flavor to this cupcake without adding additional liquid (or too much sourness–lemon zest has a slightly sweeter, more floral taste than the juice)
• Additionally, lemon zest adds to the visual appeal of the cupcakes.
• I recommend investing in a citrus zester — you’ll find plenty of excuses to use one!

Baking powder

• Baking powder gives the cupcakes a controlled rise and a stable structure. It keeps the cupcakes from being heavy and dense.
• You’ll always have baking powder and baking soda on hand when you learn How to Make Baking Powder and Baking Soda!

Baking soda

• When baking soda is combined with an acidic ingredient, like the lemon juice and sour cream in this recipe, it causes a chemical reaction that creates carbon dioxide bubbles that make the cupcakes light and fluffy.

All-purpose flour

• All-purpose flour has 9-11% protein content, which is the perfect amount for giving the cupcakes structure while still having a pleasing light and tender texture.

1 recipe Lemon Ermine Frosting

How to Make One-Bowl Lemon Cupcakes

1. Prepare to bake the cupcakes.

   • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
   • Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with nine paper cupcake liners.

2. Combine the wet ingredients.

   • In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, sour cream, egg, milk, and lemon juice until combined.

3. Finish the batter.

   • Whisk the sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the wet ingredients until combined.
   • Fold in the flour until fully mixed.
   • Divide the batter evenly between the nine prepared baking cups. The baking cups should be three-quarters full.

4. Bake the cupcakes and cool.

   • Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
   • Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out on a wire rack to cool completely.
   • When cooled, frost with Lemon Ermine Frosting or another frosting of your choice.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• Zap your lemons first. My trick to getting the most juice out of a lemon is to microwave it for about 20 seconds to 1 minute, depending on how ripe your lemon is.
• Make more cupcakes! This recipe yields nine cupcakes, but you can easily double the recipe if you want more!
• Take ingredients out ahead of time. As always with cakes and cupcakes, make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature for the best results!
• Double up on lemon flavor. Our Lemon Ermine Frosting is the ideal topper for these cupcakes. It’s fluffy, full of bright flavor, and just sweet enough
• Opt for another topping. Our Best Ever Cream Cheese Frosting is also delicious on these cupcakes! Cupcakes frosted with Cream Cheese Frosting must stay refrigerated in an airtight container.
• Try this easy garnish. These cupcakes are so good that they don’t need decoration, but you can easily fancy them up with the twists you see here. Simply take a very thin lemon round, make one cut from the edge of the slice to the center, and, holding the slice with two hands, gently twist it to make a spiral.

Make Ahead & Storage Tips

• To make One-Bowl Lemon Cupcakes in advance:

  • Bake the cupcakes and store in an airtight container at room temperature for one day.
  • Freeze unfrosted lemon cupcakes (well-wrapped in a freezer bag) for up to two months.
  • Before serving, defrost at room temperature for about one hour.

• To store leftover One-Bowl Lemon Cupcakes:

  • Keep leftover frosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for one day.
  • For longer storage, keep frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
  • Note that since the refrigerator can dry cupcakes out, make sure that your storage container is airtight to keep them moist!

FAQs

• Do I have to use lemon zest?

  • Lemon zest adds a burst of flavor that you can’t get from lemon juice alone. It’s the best source of lemon oil and lemon’s lovely aromatic compounds, which have delicate, floral notes.
  • Remember to zest only the yellow outer layer. Do NOT include the white pith, which is bitter.

• Can I use bottled lemon juice?

  • For the best flavor, fresh lemon juice is by far the better choice over bottled juice or extract.
  • Fresh lemon juice contains natural lemon oil, giving the cupcakes a wonderful citrus intensity.
  • The acidity in fresh lemon juice is balanced. Bottled lemon juice can contain citric acid, which gives it a sharper taste.

• Can I make these easy lemon cupcakes gluten-free?

  • Yes, you can make these easy lemon cupcakes gluten-free.
  • Substitute a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for the all-purpose flour or try our Easy Almond Flour Baking Mix Recipe.
  • Be sure that the sour cream you use is labeled “gluten-free.” Some sour cream brands use modified food starch or other additives that can contain gluten.

More Lemon Recipes

• No-Bake Lemon Meringue Cheesecake Recipe
• Lemon Meringue Pie Ice Cream
• Vertical Lemon Cake Recipe
• Blueberry and Lemon Eton Mess
• Lemon Meringue Cake Recipe

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was improved and updated on 7/7/2024, to include explanations of key ingredients, answers to the most frequently asked questions, and Pro Chef Tips.

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