Easy Lemon Cupcakes

Ingredients

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.

2. 2

   Add the sugar and lemon zest to the bowl of a food processor, then pulse until the zest is broken up and the sugar is pale yellow. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl. If you don't have a food processor, rub the sugar and zest together in a medium bowl with your hands until the sugar is damp and very fragrant.

3. 3

   Add the melted butter, eggs, sour cream, milk, and lemon juice to the bowl with the lemon sugar, and whisk together until lump-free and well combined.

4. 4

   Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl, then whisk together. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and fold together just until the dry streaks of flour disappear.

5. 5

   Fill each cupcake liner almost full with batter, about ¼ cup (60g) each. You may have a little batter left over — bake one or two extra cupcakes if you'd like.

6. 6

   Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350°F without removing the cupcakes or opening the oven door, and bake another 10 to 12 minutes, until the center of each cupcake is springy to the touch.

7. 7

   Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

8. 8

   Combine the butter, lemon zest, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer. Beat on medium-high until light and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.

9. 9

   Sift in the powdered sugar a cup at a time, beating well between additions and scraping down the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, then scrape down the bowl and mix once more until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add more lemon juice if the frosting feels stiff or you want a zippier flavor.

10. 10

    Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip (a large star tip works well) and pipe onto the cooled cupcakes.