Lemon drizzle cupcakes
Lemon drizzle cupcakes are a deliciously moist cupcake packed full of zingy lemon flavour. They’re a must for any fan of the classic cake.
Lemon drizzle cupcakes are a must bake for any fans of a classic lemon drizzle cake. They’re not only fully of lemon flavour but they’re so easy to make and can be ready in half the time of the classic cake.
We’ve made simple lemon cupcakes before with a lemon buttercream icing but I wanted these to be a mini replica of our most popular recipe, lemon drizzle cake. It does mean they don’t look quite as fancy as some cupcakes, but if you can look past that you’ll find a really delicious lemony treat.
They’re a light and fluffy cupcake, with a deliciously moist lemon drizzle so they really are packed full of zingy lemon flavour.
We’ve stuck with our easy base cupcake recipe though, so they’re still really simple to make. I love any recipe that uses the ‘all-in-one method’ as everything just gets mixed together in one bowl making it quicker, and easier and less messy than other recipes.
How can kids help to make lemon drizzle cupcakes?
My kids and I love making cupcakes. They’re one of the easiest things to bake and making a few simple tweaks from our basic cupcake recipe doesn’t have to make it more difficult but can make the end result more interesting and delicious.
The basic cupcake in this recipe is a great one for kids, as everything just gets mixed together in one bowl, so there’s less mess and less washing up to do than other recipes! There are also a lot of simple steps kids can get involved whether, they help with the whole recipe or just bit of it.
As with most bakes, children can get involved in measuring out all the ingredients and mixing them together. This recipe has 3 eggs so there’s also a great chance to practice their egg cracking skills – an important skill for any young baker.
Your kids can also help fill up the cupcake cases with batter. You might find it easier and less messy if you use an ice-cream scoop or soup spoon to do it.
Finally, your kids might like to help make and add the lemon drizzle topping. It’s a much easier way of decorating a cupcake than having to add a buttercream so even young children can help with this step.
Could I add a lemon buttercream?
We’ve made these like mini single portion lemon drizzle cakes, so haven’t added any frosting but you could if you wanted to. Add the lemon drizzle while the cupcakes are still warm, then once they’ve cooled add some lemon buttercream.
You’ll find a recipe for lemon buttercream in our easy lemon cupcakes.
How long do lemon drizzle cupcakes keep?
These cupcakes will keep for a few days in an airtight container. If you want to keep them for longer or make them ahead of time, you can put the cupcakes without the drizzle in the freezer for up to about 3 months. To freeze them, wrap each cupcake in cling film / glad wrap, and pop it in a freezer bag. Make sure you defrost them fully before you add the lemon drizzle.
What can I use instead of self raising flour?
If you don’t have self raising flour, swap it for an equal amount of plain or all-purpose flour and put in an extra 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder.
What is baking spread/baking margarine?
A baking spread is just a non dairy margarine that’s perfect for baking – something like Stork being a famous example. It makes cupcakes and cakes lighter and fluffier than butter, so it’s a great, cheaper alternative.
What else can you make with lemons?
If you liked these lemon drizzle 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.
Lemon sponge cake
Mary Berry’s lemon cupcakes
Lemon biscuits
Lemon blueberry loaf
Lemon curd muffins
Mary Berry’s iced lemon traybake
Lemon cheesecake
Lemon curd tarts
Individual lemon tartlets
Lemon blueberry muffins
Lemon meringue pie
Lemon meringue cheesecake
Or, why not try one of these other easy cupcake and cake recipes for kids:
Victoria sponge
Victoria sponge cupcakes
Strawberry cupcakes
Chocolate chip cupcakes
Nutella cupcakes
Funfetti cupcakes
Vanilla cupcakes
Orange sponge cake
Raspberry cupcakes
Lemon drizzle cupcakes
Blackberry cupcakes
Raspberry and white chocolate cupcakes
Useful equipment
You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make these lemon drizzle cupcakes
Digital scales
Mixing bowl
Wooden spoons
Measuring cup
Measuring spoons
Lemon zester
Muffin tin
Cupcake cases
Wire rack
Lemon juicer
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Ingredients
For the cupcakes
150g (2/3 cup) butter or baking margarine
150g (¾ cup) caster sugar
175g (1 ¾ cups) self raising flour*
½ teaspoon of baking powder
3 eggs
Zest of 2 lemons
For the lemon drizzle
Juice of 2 lemons (approx 100ml)
100g (½ cup) granulated sugar
* If you don’t have any self raising flour, swap it for an equal amount of plain or all-purpose flour and add an extra teaspoon of baking powder.
How to make lemon drizzle cupcakes
Preheat your oven to 180C / 160C Fan / 350F and get your kids to line a muffin tin with cupcake cases.
Measure all the cupcake ingredients out
Get your children to help measure out all the cupcake ingredients and add them to a free-standing mixer or a large mixing bowl.
You can add the ingredients in any order as it all just gets mixed together in one bowl, but if you stick to the order they’re listed, you’re less likely to miss anything out.
Start by getting your kids to add the butter, or margarine if you’re using it, sugar and flour to your mixing bowl.
If you’re using butter it needs to be soft enough for it to mix in. If you don’t store yours out of the fridge or you haven’t taken it out the fridge far enough in advance for it to soften, you can cut it into a few pieces and pop it in the microwave for ten seconds or so. Don’t do it long enough for it to melt. If you’re using a baking margarine, you can just add it straight in to your mixing bowl.
Measure out the baking powder and add it to your bowl. Make sure your kids level the teaspoon with their finger before adding it so that they put in just the right amount.
Get your kids to crack the eggs into a small bowl and then add them to your mixing bowl. We generally don’t crack eggs straight into the mixing bowl just in case any shell goes in (which it often does). If/when it does, fish it out with a larger piece of shell or a teaspoon as it tends to stick to that much better than it does your finger and it saves getting messy hands. We also find it a good idea to have a spare bowl or food bin nearby to put the egg shells in as it saves a lot of mess if the kids know where to put the broken shells when they’re done with them.
Finally, zest the two lemons. If your children are old enough, they can help grate the rind off the lemons, as long as they’re careful of their fingers. We just use the small side of our grater, but you can get a special zester which you might find easier to use.
Mix the cupcake batter together
Using the k-paddle of your free-standing mixer, a hand held mixer or even wooden spoons, beat everything together until the batter is nice and smooth. Mix it together for a minute or so until there are no visible lumps of flour or butter showing. Be sure not to over mix it.
If you need to, get your kids to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure no unmixed ingredients are left at the bottom of your bowl.
Bake the lemon drizzle cupcakes
Get your kids to help divide the cupcake mixture among the cupcake cases. Each case should be about ¾ full. Using an ice cream scoop or a soup/dessert spoon can often give just the right amount.
Make sure your kids add roughly the same amount to each case so that they bake evenly. If you need to even them out with any left over cupcake batter from your bowl.
Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes. They’re ready when they have risen and turned a nice golden brown colour. You can check they are baked by pressing down gently on the top. If they are ready they should spring back up. Alternatively, you can insert a skewer, cocktail stick or sharp knife into the middle of the cupcake. If they’re baked it should come out clean. If it’s not, pop the cupcakes back in the oven for a few more minutes.
Remove the cupcakes from the oven and leave them to cool in the muffin tin for a few minutes.
Add the lemon drizzle
While the cupcakes are baking, you can prepare the lemon drizzle by mixing the lemon juice with the granulated sugar.
To get the most lemon juice from your lemon, pop them in the microwave for 10 seconds or so, then roll them around on your work-surface to loosen the fruit’s flesh.
Start by poking a few holes in the top of each cupcake so that the lemon juice will soak right down into them.
Then, when the cupcakes are still warm from the oven, get your kids to carefully spoon the lemon drizzle mixture over the top of each one. Add a few teaspoons of the drizzle to each cupcake, allowing it time to soak in.
Serve and enjoy!
Lemon drizzle cupcakes
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Measure out all the cupcake ingredients and add them to a free-standing mixer or a large mixing bowl.You can add the ingredients in any order as it all just gets mixed together in one bowl, but if you stick to the order they're listed, you're less likely to miss anything out.
- Start by adding the butter, or margarine if you're using it, sugar and flour to your mixing bowl. If you're using butter it needs to be soft enough for it to mix in.Measure out the baking powder and add it to your bowl. Make sure you level the teaspoon with your finger before adding it so that they put in just the right amount.Crack the eggs into a small bowl and then add them to your mixing bowl. We generally don't crack eggs straight into the mixing bowl just in case any shell goes in. If/when it does, fish it out with a larger piece of shell or a teaspoon as it tends to stick to that much better than it does your finger.Finally, zest the two lemons.
- Using the k-paddle of your free-standing mixer, a hand held mixer or even wooden spoons, beat everything together until the batter is nice and smooth. Mix it together for a minute or so until there are no visible lumps of flour or butter showing. Be sure not to over mix it.If you need to, get your kids to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure no unmixed ingredients are left at the bottom of your bowl.
- Divide the cupcake mixture among the cupcake cases. Each case should be about ¾ full.
- Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes. They're ready when they have risen and turned a nice golden brown colour. You can check they are baked by pressing down gently on the top. If they are ready they should spring back up. Alternatively, you can insert a skewer, cocktail stick or sharp knife into the middle of the cupcake. If they're baked it should come out clean. If it's not, pop the cupcakes back in the oven for a few more minutes.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and leave them to cool in the muffin tin for a few minutes.
- While the cupcakes are baking, you can prepare the lemon drizzle by mixing the lemon juice with the granulated sugar.
- Start by poking a few holes in the top of each cupcake so that the lemon juice will soak right down into them.Then, when the cupcakes are still warm from the oven, carefully spoon the lemon drizzle mixture over the top of each one. Add a few teaspoons of the drizzle to each cupcake, allowing it time to soak in.
Notes
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