Lemon Cupcakes are light and buttery with a delicious homemade Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting.
The cupcakes are made with a box of yellow cake mix.
Quick and easy to make.
Excellent dessert for any occasion.
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EDITOR’S NOTE (October 10, 2022): I posted this recipe for the first time on August 5, 20202 as Cream Cheese Cake Mix Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting. Today, the name was changed to Lemon Cupcakes. Recipe is the same.
DISCLAIMER (NOT SPONSORED): I have not been paid to endorse pictured products.
Delighted to share the ingredients I purchased and used to make this dessert. All comments are my own.
MY INSPIRATION
The cupcakes are a variation of my super popular Cream Cheese Pound Cake. Many individuals often ask if the recipe can be used to make cupcakes. For that reason, I created this Lemon Cupcakes recipe.
The homemade from scratch Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting is a variation of a recipe I discovered on Allrecipes.
In my adjusted version, the yellow food coloring is omitted and the powdered sugar is decreased.
THE INGREDIENTS: CUPCAKES
This recipe calls for one box (15.25 ounces) of yellow cake mix.
Ingredients continued below.
One package (8 ounces) cream cheese, 1 stick unsalted butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar pure vanilla extract. See amounts in the recipe.
Not pictured: Four eggs and 1/2 cup water.
THE INGREDIENTS: LEMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
The frosting is creamy with a tart lemony flavor.
Quick and easy to make.
BAKING TIPS
Place two cupcake liners in the muffin tin’s cups to handle the heavy cake batter. Two cups are stronger than one.
Allow baked cupcakes to cool before frosting.
ENJOY!
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Lemon Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Cake Mix Cupcakes
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 medium eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract almond extract or lemon extract
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 box (15.25 ounces) yellow cake mix
- 12 each cupcake liners
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 packages (8 ounces each) full fat cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup (or 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups confectioners sugar, divided Same as powdered sugar.
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract or vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice divided
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
Instructions
Cream Cheese Cake Mix Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Since the cake batter is heavy, use TWO cupcake liners in EACH cup of a 12-cup muffin tin. If using two muffin tins (6 cups each), be sure to place TWO cupcake liners in EACH cup. After placing two liners in EACH cup of second tin, fill two empty cups with water to prevent warping. Set aside.
- In large bowl, combine softened cream cheese (room temperature), 1/2 cup sugar, 4 eggs, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. With mixer on low speed, mix together until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute).
- Add 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter (or vegetable oil), 1/2 cup of water and cake mix. With mixer on low speed, mix together just until combined (about 2 minutes). Batter will be thick and creamy.
- Place 2-1/2 generous tablespoons of cake batter in each cup. Use back of spoon to even batter in cup liner. If the liners are filled to the top with batter, the cupcakes will rise dramatically and will shrink slightly while cooling.
- Bake 20-25 minutes OR until top springs back when lightly pressed OR a toothpick inserted in center of each cupcake comes out clean.
- Allow to cool before frosting. If frosted while warm or hot, the frosting will melt into a glaze.
- NOTE: Although these cupcakes are delicious warm, they taste much better after 24 hours in fridge.
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a medium sized bowl, combine softened cream cheese and softened butter with an electric mixer (or wooden spoon). Add 2 cups of confectioners sugar, lemon extract, 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest.
- Use an electric mixer (or wooden spoon) to mix together.
- Taste a sample. If desired, stir in remaining confectioners sugar TWO TABLESPOONS AT A TIME and remaining 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Repeat until satisfied with taste.
- Frosting will be thick. To thin, microwave on high for 10 seconds. OR warm in a saucepan over low heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Spread "warm/thin" frosting over COOLED cake. The frosting will thicken as it cools.
I made the cupcakes and this recipe was an epic fail for me. The batter was good but not thick . It would’ve made more than 12 cupcakes because of it’s consistency. The batter ran over the muffin tins and dripped down onto the floor of the oven, burning and causing my smoke alarm to go off. I have been baking for years and have never had an epic fail such as this. I will make this recipe again but I will do 18 to 24 muffins in the future. I will not fill the cupcake liners totally to the brim. I will do what I normally would do when I have baked cupcakes in the past and I will post my results.
Hi Mattie!
Thank you for your interest in the recipe! Failures are excellent learning experiences.
You’re right about not filling up the cupcake liners.
I look forward to hearing from you when you make them again.
Happy baking!