Lemon Lavender Cupcakes

Calling all lemon lovers- these lemon lavender cupcakes are for you! Soft, fluffy lemon cupcakes are topped with swirls of luscious lavender buttercream frosting. They're citrusy, bright, and floral, making them the perfect dessert for Spring and Summer.

If you love lavender, also make these lavender sugar cookies and soft lemon lavender cookies!

Lemon and lavender is one of my favorite flavor combinations ever, so I created this lemon lavender cupcake recipe! They're one of my favorite treats to make during citrus season and Springtime.

The cupcakes are frosted with floral and silky smooth lavender buttercream. The vibrant, fresh lemon cake base is extra fluffy thanks to the reverse creaming method!

Instead of creaming the butter and sugar separately, the butter, sugar, and dry ingredients are mixed together at the same time. This makes the batter impossible to overmix and limits gluten development- both of which make for a super tender cake! I used the same method to make these almond cupcakes.

You can make these for bridal showers, Summer date nights, or as a treat for yourself! If you love lemon cupcakes as much as I do, try these lemon blueberry cupcakes and lemon olive oil cupcakes.

Ingredient Notes

• All purpose flour- This gives the cupcakes structure and a moist crumb.
• Granulated sugar- Granulated white sugar adds the perfect amount of sweetness. Caster sugar and cane sugar work as substitutes.
• Baking powder- This helps the cupcakes rise and become fluffy by adding air bubbles to the batter. Make sure your baking powder is less than 6 months old as it loses its rising power over time. Do not use baking soda since it is much stronger than baking powder!
• Sea salt- Use finely ground sea salt or table salt to balance the sweetness of the cake.
• Unsalted butter- Make sure the butter is at room temperature so it's easy to mix in. Room temperature butter will be cool to the touch but easy to indent with your finger when applying gentle pressure. It should look smooth, not greasy.
• Large eggs- Make sure the eggs are at room temperature so they blend in perfectly. Pull them out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before you start baking.
• Lemon zest- Lemon zest refers to the bright yellow peel of the lemon. Zest contains lots of flavorful oils and isn't acidic or tart like lemon juice. To zest a lemon, carefully move the lemon in one hand back and forth against a rasp grater in the other. Rotate the lemon as you go, avoiding the pale part of the peel under the yellow.
• Lemon juice- Fresh lemon juice adds tartness to the cupcakes. After zesting your lemon, slice it in half and squeeze the juice into a small bowl by hand or with a citrus squeezer. Remove the seeds before adding the juice to the cupcake batter.
• Pure vanilla extract- This rounds out all the flavors.
• Buttermilk- This adds additional tang and helps to tenderize the gluten, giving the cake a softer texture. Pull this out of the refrigerator at the the same as the eggs.

Helpful Equipment and Tools

Here are some tools that will help you succeed in the kitchen!

• Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
• 12-well muffin tin
• Cupcake liners
• Large cookie scoop to evenly portion the batter.
• Piping bags or a Ziploc bag to pipe the frosting on top of the cupcakes.
• I used a Wilton 1M piping tip to pipe rosettes on these cupcakes, but you can use whatever tip you like best.

How to Make Lemon Lavender Cupcakes

Make the Cupcakes

Before you start, zest and juice your lemon and then preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line a 12-well muffin pan with cupcakes liners and set aside.

STEP 1: Add the all purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl or to the bowl of a stand mixer. Give the ingredients a quick mix with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low, spinning about 5 times.

STEP 2: Add the softened butter to the mixing bowl. You can cube the butter beforehand or just add in the whole stick. Beat the mixture on low until there are no large clumps of butter and the texture looks sandy.

STEP 3: Turn off the mixer and then add both of the eggs, the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Mix on low until a batter begins to form.

STEP 4: While the mixer is running on low, slowly pour in the buttermilk and continue mixing until the batter looks cohesive with no lumps or pools of milk.

STEP 5: With a spoon or large cookie scoop, portion the cupcake batter evenly between the 12 liners in your prepared pan. Fill them ¾ of the way full so they don't overflow as they rise! Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes or until the tops bounce back when lightly touched. Remove them from the oven and let them cool to room temperature before decorating!

Make the Frosting

The lavender frosting is quick and easy to make with a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Check out the full lavender buttercream recipe for detailed instructions, a how-to video, and expert tips and tricks.

STEP 1: Add the softened butter to a large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl and beat it on medium-high speed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix for 5-8 minutes or until it's smooth and creamy.

STEP 2: Mix in the lavender and vanilla extracts on low until well incorporated.

STEP 3: Start mixing the powdered sugar and salt in on low speed until roughly combined. Increase the speed to high and mix for 3-4 minutes or until the buttercream looks light and fluffy.

STEP 4: Mix in 1 tablespoon of heavy cream at a time until the desired consistency is reached. When you lift up your mixer, the buttercream should form a stiff peak with a curl on the end. If the frosting looks too thick, add more cream. If it looks too thin, mix in 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar at a time until it thickens up.

Once the consistency is right, stir in a few drops of purple food coloring if desired.

Frost the Cupcakes

Once the cupcakes have cooled to room temperature, fill a piping bag or Ziploc bag fitted with a piping tip with frosting. Then, pipe 2 swirls of frosting on each cupcake. Sprinkle with sanding sugar and dried culinary (edible) lavender flowers and enjoy!

Expert Baking Tips

• Use room temperature ingredients. Cold dairy ingredients don't get mixed in evenly and can make the batter curdled and lumpy.
• Measure flour correctly. The best way to measure flour is with a kitchen scale. If you don't have one, gently spoon flour into the measuring cup (don't pack it in!) and swipe the excess back into the bag with a butter knife.
• Don't overfill the liners. Filling each cupcake liner ¾ of the way full leaves plenty of room for the cupcakes to rise without spilling over.
• Let the cupcakes cool. Make sure the cupcakes have cooled to room temperature before frosting. Transfer them from the muffin pan to a wire rack after 5 minutes- no longer! Leaving them in the tin longer can cause condensation to form inside the wrappers, making the cupcakes soggy.

Additions and Variations

• Frosting: Try leaving out the lavender and frosting the lemon cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, honey frosting, vanilla buttercream, strawberry cream cheese frosting or lemon buttercream.
• Toppings: I love adding fresh blueberries or strawberry slices on top for extra color. Try adding a drizzle of lemon curd for an extra tart flavor! You could even core out the middle of the cupcakes after they've come to room temperature and fill them with a tablespoon of lemon curd. Yum!

Storage and Freezing

Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Store them in the refrigerator for an additional 3 days after that.

If the cupcakes are frosted, store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Let them thaw on the counter for 2 hours before eating.

Leftover frosting can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Let it come to room temperature before decorating the "bald" leftover cupcakes.

Freezing

Make sure the cupcakes don't have frosting on them before freezing since they'll get soggy when thawed. Freeze them on a baking sheet for 2 hours our until frozen solid. Then, transfer them to a freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

When you're ready to enjoy, remove the cupcakes from the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature for two hours or in the refrigerator overnight. Frost before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Cupcake Recipes to Try