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17A lovely lemon curd filled cupcake topped with a cream cheese lemon curd frosting is the perfect treat for lemon lovers!
I think since it is Easter week and Easter and lemon go together I figured it was o.k. to share yet another lemon dessert. Some type of lemon dessert is a requirement at our house for Easter. No matter what else we have, there must always be lemon!
I have made a lovely lemon cream cake before for Easter. The filling on this cake was amazing. A combination of cream cheese, whipping cream and lemon curd. I still dream about it.
This year I decided I wanted to make cupcakes instead of a cake but somehow I wanted to incorporate the filling from the lemon cream cake. I decided to turn it into a frosting for the cupcakes and fill the lemon cupcakes with lemon curd. Lemon heaven.
How to Make Lemon Curd Cupcakes
- The most important ingredient in lemon curd cupcakes is lemon curd. I know you can buy lemon curd at the grocery store and I have done that often but homemade lemon curd is so easy to make and it is ALWAYS better than any store bought version I have bought.
- This recipe starts with a lightly lemon flavored cupcake batter thanks to some fresh lemon juice and lemon zest.
- I like to use cupcake liners so that my cupcakes come out of the pan easily. I use this scoop for my batter so that I get evenly sized cupcakes.
- While the cupcakes are baking, make your lemon curd and allow it to cool until about room temperature. It is easy to do in a saucepan on the stove top. Just be sure to stir it continuously so it doesn’t burn. I stick the pan in the refrigerator after cooking to speed up the cooling process.
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- The crowning glory and main attraction to these cupcakes is the frosting. It is amazing!! You will want to make these cupcakes just so you can make this frosting. The frosting is a cream cheese and whipped cream frosting with lemon curd. You will use half of the lemon curd mixture in the frosting (about 1/2 cup) and the other half is piped into the center of the cupcake.
- To get the lemon curd into the middle of the cupcake I use a plastic squeeze bottle. I just poke it right into the middle of the cupcake and squeeze. If you don’t have one, use the end of a wooden spoon to make a hole in the middle of the cupcake and carefully spoon lemon curd into the hole.
- Fill a piping bag with the frosting along with a large round tip and pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. You can also just use a knife and frost them. The combination of cream cheese, whipping cream and lemon curd makes for a nice, light, soft frosting. You will need to keep the cupcakes refrigerated over night due to the whipping cream and cream cheese if there are any leftover. Bring the cake back to room temperature though before serving.
- I like to garnish the cupcakes with some dried sugared lemons I found at Trader Joe’s or use slices of fresh lemon.
For a few other lemon dessert ideas for Easter check these out:
Lemon Curd Cupcake Recipe
Lemon Curd Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Lemon Cake:
- 3 cups flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 2 cup sugar
- 4 eggs separated
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- zest of two lemons
Lemon Curd:
- 2 lemons juiced and zested
- 4 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 4 Tbsp butter cold
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
- Half of the above lemon curd recipe above.
Instructions
Lemon Cake:
- Mix together flour, baking powder and salt.
- Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time. Mix well
- Alternately add in flour mixture and milk. Beginning and ending with flour. Add in vanilla and lemon extract and lemon zest.
- In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold beaten egg whites into batter gently
- Fill cupcake liners in muffin tin. Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool.
- Use half of lemon curd recipe to fill the cupcakes either with a squeeze bottle or by cutting a small hole in the middle of the cupcake and filling with lemon curd
Lemon Curd:
- Zest and juice the lemons
- In a small sauce pan mix together the egg yolks and sugar until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and zest. Stir over medium heat until mixture thickens.
- Stir in the butter 1 Tbsp at a time and stir until butter melts.
- Cover lemon curd with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled and thickened
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a small bowl beat whipping cream until stiff.
- In another bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla. Add in lemon curd and beat until smooth.
- Fold in whipped cream and frost or pipe frosting onto cooked cupcakes. If there are cupcakes leftover, refrigerate cupcakes overnight. Bring to room temperature to enjoy.
Nutrition Facts:
Originally posted April 20, 2011
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glen says
searching for the perfect lemon dessert for Easter Brunch…..going to test them out this weekend. They sound wonderful/
Susie says
I can’t wait to make these. I had a question about the frosting…Do you use granulated sugar or powered sugar?
Leigh Anne says
Powdered sugar
Tricia says
Thanks for the recipe! I would like to turn this into a layer cake…any tips on what to do with the lemon curd? Just spread a thin layer on the cake before every frosting layer?
Wendy Webster says
My cupcakes, although they tasted ok, were super dense and wouldn’t fill. LOVED the curd and that frosting is now my go to frosting. I’ll have to try again I guess!
Betty says
About the lemon curd recipe, do I cook all the ingredients directly in the saucepan or in a bowl above some water in the saucepan?
Leigh Anne says
Sorry the recipe isn’t quite clear there. I usually mix it all in a bowl and then put it into the saucepan and cook it.
lara says
Hi! I found this recipe through someone else that linked to it on their blog, and I must say they are the best cupcakes i’ve ever tasted, and also the ones i have the most fun making! They are fantastic, I’ve posted (and obviously linked you!!) the recipe and my pictures on the blog, the only thing i changed was that i used extra zest and a small amount of juice rather than lemon essence, as the lemons in Malta are much stronger in flavour 🙂 seriously, thanks so much for this recipe, they are fantastic! 😀
http://oliveoilandheart.blogspot.com/2011/05/lemon-curd-cupcakes.html
Susan says
Made these today- so yummy. The frosting is so good I could eat it with a spoon
Jennifer H says
I made the lemon curd and frosting recipe last night to fill and frost a lemon cake–they were a HUGE it. So, so delicious. The frosting was perfectly light and lemony. Thanks for sharing a great recipe.
Leigh Anne says
So glad you enjoyed it ! It is a yummy one!!