Description
Bright, moist lemon cupcakes infused with limoncello liqueur and topped with silky lemon buttercream frosting. These Italian-inspired cupcakes are perfect for spring celebrations and special occasions.
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 large lemon
- ½ cup (120 ml) limoncello liqueur
- ½ cup (120 ml) milk, room temperature
- 2–3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (optional, for extra zing)
For the Limoncello Syrup (Optional but Recommended)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) limoncello
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1–2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
For the Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3–4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2–3 tablespoons limoncello
- 1–2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1–2 tablespoons milk or cream (to thin, if needed)
Optional Decorations
- Lemon zest curls
- Pastel sprinkles
- Edible glitter
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners. I like to use white or pastel liners for these.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until everything is evenly distributed. This ensures your leavening is spread throughout and you won’t get pockets of baking powder in your finished cupcakes.
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together using an electric mixer on medium-high speed for about 2–3 minutes. The mixture should look pale, fluffy, and almost doubled in volume.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated. Stir in the vanilla extract and lemon zest, making sure that beautiful yellow zest is evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Now comes the key to tender cupcakes: add your dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the limoncello and milk. Start with dry, then add half the limoncello and milk mixture, then dry again, then the remaining liquids, and finish with the last of the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed just until combined after each addition
If you love bold lemon flavor like I do, fold in 2–3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice gently with a rubber spatula. This gives you that extra citrus punch that lemon lovers crave.
Use a cookie scoop or spoon to divide the batter evenly among the 12 liners, filling each about ¾ full. This gives them room to rise without overflowing and creates those pretty domed tops.
Bake for 18–22 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through for even baking. Your cupcakes are done when the tops spring back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about 5 minutes—this helps them set and makes them easier to remove. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
While the cupcakes are cooling, whisk together the limoncello, sugar, and lemon juice in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. When the cupcakes are still slightly warm, use a skewer to poke 5–6 small holes in the top of each one, then spoon or brush the syrup over them.
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with an electric mixer until it’s creamy and smooth, about 1–2 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing on low speed to avoid a sugar cloud in your kitchen. Once all the sugar is incorporated, add the limoncello, lemon juice, and lemon zest, then beat on medium-high for 2–3 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.
If your buttercream is too thick to spread or pipe, add milk or cream one teaspoon at a time until it reaches the perfect consistency. If it’s too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar until it holds its shape.
Once your cupcakes are completely cool (this is important—warm cupcakes will melt your frosting), pipe or spread the lemon buttercream on top.
Finish with a sprinkle of lemon zest curls, pastel sprinkles, or a touch of edible glitter if you’re feeling fancy. These are optional but make the cupcakes look absolutely stunning.
Notes
- Don’t overmix – Mix just until you can’t see streaks of flour; overmixing creates tough, dense cupcakes
- Use a cookie scoop – A 3-tablespoon cookie scoop ensures all your cupcakes are the same size so they bake evenly
- Sift your powdered sugar – This prevents lumps in your frosting and makes it silky smooth
- Chill your frosted cupcakes – Pop them in the fridge for 15 minutes after frosting to set the buttercream before adding decorations
- Save leftover limoncello – It’s delicious in sparkling water, iced tea, or drizzled over fresh berries
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 42g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 95mg