Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling

Name: Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 175 g Butter; 175 g Caster sugar; 2 Lemons (zested); 3 Eggs (large); 175 g Self raising flour; 200 g Lemon curd (good quality shop bought or homemade); 200 g Butter or Baking spread; 400 g Icing sugar; 2 tsp Lemon extract; Yellow 100s and 1000s (optional); Lemon jelly slices (optional)

14/08/2017 by thebakingexplorer 48 Comments

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One of my favourites flavours to bake with after chocolate has got to be lemon. I've made these Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling multiple times and I'm so glad I've finally got round to sharing the recipe with you! Everything about these cupcakes is lemon, from the lemon zest infused sponge, to the sweet lemon flavoured buttercream and of course the gooey lemon curd centre. I've used all yellow decorations to let everyone know that these cupcakes are all about lemon!

How to make Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling

Mix together the butter, sugar and lemon zest. Then add the eggs and whisk them in, then whisk in the self raising flour.

Divide the batter between the cupcake cases and bake them for 20-25 minutes until they are golden brown.

Once they are fully cool, use a cupcake corer to make a hole in the middle of each cupcake. Fill the holes with lemon curd.

To make the buttercream mix together icing sugar, butter and lemon extract until smooth. Pipe it onto the cupcakes and decorate with jelly lemon slices and yellow hundred and thousands.

What lemon curd should you use?

If you are using a shop bought lemon curd, make sure to get a good quality one. They are worth the extra pennies for that delicious lemon zing! If you fancy giving Homemade Lemon Curd a try, check out my recipe. It's easy and quick to make with only a few ingredients, it's also creamy and silky smooth, and the flavour is incredible!

Can this recipe be made into a cake?

Yes! Check out my Triple Lemon Cake for the recipe details.

How long do the cupcakes last for and can you freeze them?

The cupcakes will keep in an airtight container for 3 days in a cool place. You can freeze the cupcakes either plain or decorated (but do not freeze the sprinkles or lemon jellies). Once the cupcakes are fully cool, wrap them well with cling film or put them in an airtight container. You can freeze the buttercream on it's own in a tub, or you can decorate the cake and freeze it fully assembled.

To do this and avoid damage to the decoration, freeze them either in an airtight container. Or let them freeze solid on a cake board or plate, then wrap in cling film. Remove the cling film when you take them out to defrost it, if you don't it could damage the decoration as it defrosts and softens.

More tips for making the Triple Lemon Cake:

I really do recommend using lemon extract for the buttercream, lemon juice is not as concentrated in flavour and you won't get the same lemony zing from it. You can find lemon extract in most supermarkets, I've bought it in Tesco before, and you can buy it online via Amazon (see my recommended products section below).
To decorate the cupcakes, I used lemon jelly sweets and sprinkles. You could decorate with some simple curls of lemon zest or lemon slices instead if you like.
I used a Wilton 2D nozzle to pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes.

Recommended equipment & ingredients*

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