Mary Berry lemon cupcakes
These easy lemon cupcakes from Mary Berry are a great bake for little kids. They’re a simple cupcake with added lemon and lemon buttercream for a zingy, zesty burst of flavour.
These easy Mary Berry lemon cupcakes are a great bake for little kids. Not only are the really easy to make, like most cupcake recipes, but with the simple addition of some lemon zest and lemon buttercream icing, they’re light and fluffy and deliciously fresh and zesty.
The reason I love Mary Berry’s recipe for lemon cupcakes is that everything gets mixed together in one bowl which makes it really easy for kids. It doesn’t matter what order you add the ingredients, just throw everything together and mix it in. It also uses the same weight of flour, butter and sugar which means you’re less likely to get in a muddle. Simple!
How can kids help make mary berry lemon cupcakes from scratch?
Cupcakes are a great thing to bake with kids especially if you are not used to baking much yourself. As with all our easy cupcake recipes there are a lot of simple steps kids can get involved with. The mix is made really simple and uses the ‘all-in-one method, where everything just goes together in one bowl. This means kids can help measure and mix everything together and then spoon the batter into the cases.
Other jobs little ones might enjoy includes squeezing zesting the lemon then squeezing it to get the juice for the lemon buttercream.
A lot of the fun of cupcakes, is getting to decorate them. Let your kids have a go at piping or spreading the icing on top of each cupcake (you can help and guide their hands if you need to). If piping is too tricky for younger children or toddlers give them the sprinkles and put them in charge of the finishing touches.
What can I use if I don’t have self raising flour?
If you don’t have any self raising flour, you can swap it for an equal amount of plain or all-purpose flour and add an extra 1 ¼ tea spoon of baking powder.
How long do Mary Berry’s lemon cupcakes keep?
These cupcakes will keep in an airtight container for a few days. If you want to keep them for longer, wrap them well before you add the lemon frosting and put them in a freezer bag. They’ll keep in the freezer for a few months.
Defrost them fully then add the frosting, serve and enjoy.
What else can you make with lemons?
If you liked these lemon cupcakes, you might like some of our other lemon recipes. They’re a great way of using up more lemons if there are a few left over in your pack.
Mary Berry lemon drizzle cake
Lemon biscuits
Lemon blueberry loaf
Lemon curd muffins
Lemon cheesecake
Mary Berry’s lemon meringue pie
Lemon sponge cake
Lemon tartlets
Lemon blueberry muffins
Lemon meringue cheesecake
Other fun cupcakes for kids
If you and your kids love making cupcakes, check out some of our other easy cupcake recipes below:
Chocolate chip cupcakes
Nutella cupcakes
Chocolate cupcakes
Vanilla cupcakes
Butterfly cupcakes
Funfetti cupcakes
Strawberry cupcakes
Rainbow cupcakes
Monster cupcakes
Black Forest cupcakes
Raspberry cupcakes
Eton mess cupcakes
Ice cream cone cupcakes
Blackberry cupcakes
Useful equipment
You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make these lemon cupcakes
Muffin tin
Cupcake cases
Digital scales
Freestanding mixer
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Lemon juicer
Lemon zester
Spatula
Icecream scoop
Piping bag
Wire rack
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Difficulty: Easy
Time: 30 minutes plus 20 minutes baking
Serves: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
For the lemon cupcakes
125g (1 cup) self raising flour
125g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
125g (1/2 cup) butter or baking margarine
2 eggs
2 tbsp milk
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
For the icing
250g (2 cups) icing sugar
125g (1/2 cup) butter
lemon juice from 1 lemon
how to make Mary Berry’s lemon cupcakes
Preheat the oven and prepare your tin
Preheat your oven to 180C / 160C Fan / 325F and get your kids to line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases.
Mix everything together
Get your kids to add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer. It doesn’t matter what order you do it in but we tend to do it in the following order so we’re less likely to miss anything.
Start with the dry ingredients, and add the flour, sugar and baking powder to your mixing bowl. Make sure your kids level the teaspoon of baking powder with their finger before they add it to the bowl, so they put in just the right amount.
Now add the butter or baking margarine. If the butter isn’t soft enough, pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to make it easier to mix in, but not long enough to melt it.
Get your kids to crack the eggs into a small bowl, then add them to your mixing bowl. We always do this just in case any shell goes in (which it often does). When it does, simply fish it out with a larger piece of shell as it will stick to that more easily that your finger.
Measure in the milk. If your kids are very young you might need to hold the tablespoon for them as they pour it in or vice versa.
Finally, get your kids to zest the lemon with a zester or the small side of a grater, then add that to your mixing bowl.
Mix everything together with a hand held mixer, the k-paddle of your freestanding mixer or some wooden spoons. Mix it until it is well combined without any big lumps. Scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl with a spatula to catch any hidden bits of flour.
bake the lemon cupcakes
Get your child to spoon the mixture into your cupcake cases until they are around 2 thirds full. If you have an ice cream scoop, they can dish out the perfect amount which is easier and a lot less messy for kids.
Bake the cupcakes in the oven for 18-20 minutes. They’re ready when they’ve browned a little and a metal skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Leave the cupcakes to cool in the tin for a few minutes before taking them out and leaving them to cool completely on a wire rack.
Ice the lemon cupcakes
Get your kids to weigh the icing sugar and softened butter, and add them to a freestanding mixer or large mixing bowl.
Pop the lemon in the microwave for 15 seconds or so, and roll it on your work surface (to get more juice out), then get your kids to juice it and add it to your mixing bowl.
Using the k-paddle attachment of your mixer or a hand held whisk, mix everything together. Do it slowly at first until the icing sugar and butter is well combined otherwise the icing sugar will fly everywhere. Then turn up the speed and beat it for at least 5 minutes to make sure the icing it lovely and soft and fluffy.
Decorate your cupcakes
Add the icing to a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle, then get your kids to pipe swirls of icing on top of each cupcake. To make it a bit easier, add a sandwich bag clip at the top end so you’re not worrying about icing coming out the top. Hold the piping bag at the top with one hand and use the other hand to guide it, then pipe in swirls starting at the outside, and going round until you finish in the middle.
Add some sprinkles, serve and enjoy.
Lemon cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 125 g (1 cup) self raising flour
- 125 g (½ cup) caster sugar
- 125 g (½ cup) butter unsalted, softened
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 egg
- 2 tbsp whole milk
- 1 grated lemon zest from 1 lemon
For the icing
- 250 g (2 cups) icing sugar
- 125 g (½cup) butter
- juice from 1 lemon
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180C / 170C Fan / 325F and line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases.
Mix everything together
- Add the flour, sugar, butter, baking powder, eggs, milk and lemon zest to a large bowl or freestanding mixer.
- Mix everything together using the paddle attachment of your mixer, or a hand held electric whisk. Mix it until it comes together in a smooth batter
Make the lemon cupcakes
- Spoon the mixture into your paper cases until they are around 2 thirds full.
- Bake the cupcakes in the oven for 18-20 minutes. They’re ready when they’ve browned a little and a metal skewer or toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Leave the cupcakes to cool in the tin for a few minutes before taking them out and leaving them to cool completely on a wire rack.
Ice the lemon cupcakes
- Weigh the icing sugar, butter, and lemon juice and add them to a mixing bowl.
- Using the paddle attachment of your mixer or a hand held whisk, mix everything together, slowly at first until the icing sugar and butter is well combined. Mix them for at least 5 minutes until the lemon buttercream icing is light and fluffy.
Decorate your cupcakes
- Use a piping bag, spatula, or palette knife to add the icing to the cupcakes.
Pin lemon cupcakes for later
Similar recipes
If you liked these lemon cupcakes, you’ll love our lemon biscuits, lemon curd muffins, lemon blueberry loaf, our other cakes and cupcakes or our favourite easy bakes for kids.
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