Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes

5 from 1 vote

These lemon poppy seed cupcakes are moist lemon cupcakes filled with crunchy poppy seeds and topped with a creamy lemon buttercream frosting. They make for a perfect springtime treat!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Cool Time10

Total Time35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: cupcakes

Calories: 424kcal

Author: Karissa Parrish

Equipment

12-count muffin pan
Cupcake Liners
Mixing Bowls
Electric Stand Mixer
Citrus Zester

Ingredients

Lemon Cupcakes

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup sugar
⅓ cup vegetable oil (or canola)
1 large egg, room temperature
1 large egg white, room temperature
¼ cup yogurt (plain or vanilla), room temperature
2 tablespoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup Lifeway Organic Lemon Whole Milk Kefir, room temperature
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Lemon Frosting

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 2 sticks
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon poppy seeds

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Lemon Cupcakes

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, egg, egg white, yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until combined.
Alternate adding the flour mixture and the kefir milk to the wet ingredients (flour, milk, flour), whisking just until everything is combined (be careful not to overmix). Then whisk in the poppy seeds.
FIll each cupcake liner ⅔ of the way full (just under 3 tablespoons of batter) and bake for 15-20 minutes. Use a toothpick to check the centers for doneness and let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring them over to a wire rack to cool completely.

Lemon Frosting

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until creamy (about 1-2 minutes). Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and poppy seeds and mix on low speed until combined (about 30 seconds).
Then increase the speed to high and beat for another 1-2 minutes (frosting should be light and creamy).
Frost the cooled cupcakes. I placed the frosting in a piping bag and used the Wilton 6B piping tip.
Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

Measuring Flour: To help ensure you don’t add extra flour, follow these three simple steps: 1) Fluff up the flour using a fork. 2) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. 3) Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level out the flour.

Room Temperature Ingredients: If an ingredient calls to be at room temperature before baking, do it. This helps to ensure the best quality in both flavor and texture. If you don't, the cupcakes texture will be off.

Cupcake Batter: Fill the cupcake liners ⅔ of the way full, which is just under 3 tablespoons of batter. I used my cookie scoop to make this step easier.

Nutrition