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    Home » Desserts » Lemon Poppy Seed Cup Cakes

    Lemon Poppy Seed Cup Cakes

    Published: Nov 9, 2022 by Anne Clark · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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    poppy seed cake recipe pin

    These easy Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes from scratch are beautiful, flavorful, and moist. They're topped with a sweet lemon icing that's the perfect final touch.

    Welcome to My Kitchen Serenity! I'm so glad to share this lemon poppy seed cupcake recipe with you! First, I love all things lemon. There's my Lemon Chess Pie recipe and my Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings recipe.

    So why not have another lemon recipe? These cupcakes are also one of my favorite year-round desserts; elegant enough for Christmas and Thanksgiving yet just right for spring and summer. Win-Win!

    Frosted cupcakes on light blue serving platter with lemon slices as garnish.

    Why You'll Love These Cupcakes

    These cupcakes are made from scratch so they contain all the basic cupcake ingredients such as flour, sugar, butter, eggs, etc. We add a small amount of instant pudding mix to ensure the cupcakes are moist. The addition of lemon juice and lemon zest gives the cupcakes an amazing, delicate lemon flair.

    Are you more of a chocolate fan? Then head over to my Chocolate Orange Sheet Cake recipe. It's homemade goodness, just like this one!

    After the cupcakes cool, we'll top them with a sweet lemon icing that's made from powdered sugar, milk, and lemon juice. MMM! I wish you could smell how amazing my house smells while these are baking!

    Ingredients

    Just a few notes about the ingredients. For the best results for these lemon poppyseed cupcakes, please follow the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    ingredients measured out in individual bowls on counter top.

    All-purpose Flour - do not substitute with self-rising. We will add salt, baking powder, and baking soda in just the right amounts.

    Poppy Seeds - The poppy seeds are more for show because they don't really add a ton of flavor. They do, however, compliment the lemon flavor with a slight nutty flavor that's very pleasing to your palette! You could leave them out if you wish, but I highly recommend using them.

    Instant Pudding Mix - all it takes is a couple of tablespoons of this to add a little extra moisture and flavor to the cupcakes. You can always use the leftover pudding mix to make pudding (just slightly decrease the milk added).

    Fresh Lemon Juice - fresh tastes so much better than the concentrated version in the bottle. You'll need 3 large lemons for the juice.

    Lemon Zest - zest one of the lemons before slicing it. Use a handy zester to remove just the yellow peel and none of the bitter white part.

    Butter - the butter needs to be room temperature to ensure a creamy texture for the icing. Allow 1 hour for it to sit on the countertop to become softened. Unwrapping the butter and slicing it into chunks helps speed up the process.

    How to Make the Cupcakes

    Here's a quick review of the recipe steps with photos. Please follow the recipe card when making these cupcakes.

    Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, milk, and lemon juice and blend until smooth.

    Creamed butter and sugar in stainless steel mixing bowl.

    Add the flour, instant pudding mix, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest bowl. Blend until smooth.

    Batter in stainless steel mixing bowl.

    Fold in the poppy seeds.

    Batter in muffin pan.

    Fill each muffin cup.

    Baked cupcakes in muffin pan.

    Bake at 350F for 15 minutes. Let cool completely. Prepare icing.

    Frosted cupcakes on light blue serving platter with lemon slices as garnish.

    Pipe the icing on top of the cupcakes. Garnish with poppy seeds and lemon zest.

    Storing Cupcakes

    Unfrosted cupcakes will stay fresh for up to 3 days if left covered on your counter top. However, since the icing is made of butter, it's best to store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Take them out about 30 minutes prior to serving them to let the icing soften up.

    If you need to transport them, keep them in a plastic cake holder, such as this one from Southern Homewares, to help keep them nice, fresh, and intact. The lid locks onto the base and is somewhat translucent.

    Make-ahead Cupcakes

    Cakes and cupcakes are always better eaten the next day. However, I would wait to frost the cupcakes until the day you plan to serve them.

    Freezing Cupcakes

    Cakes and cupcakes freeze well and often makes them even moister than before you froze them! Be sure they're completely cooled. Skip the icing for now. Then wrap the cupcakes in several layers of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of tin foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. When you're ready to eat them, remove the plastic wrap and foil, then let them thaw on the counter top for 2-3 hours. Top with frosting. Enjoy!

    Frosted cupcakes on light blue serving platter with lemon slices as garnish.

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    If you'd like more easy recipes sent straight to your email, subscribe and get a free 5-day meal plan! How easy is that!

    If you tried this recipe, please let me know by leaving a comment! I'd love to hear from you.

    Recipe

    Frosted cupcakes on light blue serving platter with lemon slices as garnish.

    Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes

    These easy Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes from scratch are beautiful, flavorful, and moist.  Topped with a sweet lemony frosting that's the perfect final touch. 
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin For Later Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Frosting Preparation and Decoration: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Servings: 18
    Calories: 244kcal
    Author: Anne Clark | My Kitchen Serenity

    Equipment

    • muffin pans
    • mixing bowls
    • measuring cup(s)
    • measuring spoons
    • zester
    • Electric mixer
    • Wire cake rack

    Ingredients

    CUPCAKES

    • ½ cup butter, softened (room temperature) must be very soft in order to blend smoothly
    • 1-½ cups granulated sugar
    • 2 large eggs, room temperature
    • ¾ cup milk
    • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
    • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
    • 1-½ cups all purpose flour I use White Lily brand for these cupcakes
    • 2 tablespoons vanilla flavored dry instant pudding mix
    • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ tablespoon poppy seeds plus some for garnish

    ICING

    • 1-¼ cups butter, softened (room temperature) must be very soft in order to blend smoothly
    • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
    • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
    • 3 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Prepare standard-sized muffin pan(s) by placing a liner in each muffin cup and spraying them with non-stick cooking spray).
    • With an electric mixer at medium speed, beat the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until creamy (takes about 4-5 minutes). Add eggs, milk, and lemon juice. Mix until smooth (about 1 minute).
    • Add in 1 cup of the flour, instant pudding mix, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Blend for 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with a spatula and blend for another minute. Add the remaining flour and blend for 1 minute. Add the poppy seeds and blend for 30 seconds.
    • Fill each muffin cup ¾ full with the batter. Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 15 minutes or until edges are slightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake.
    • Remove from oven and allow to completely cool before frosting them.
    • Once completely cooled, prepare the frosting by beating the butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth. Blend in 1 cup powdered sugar. Then blend in the remaining powdered sugar until nice and creamy.
    • Transfer the frosting into a frosting bag with a star tip. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. Garnish with a light sprinkling of poppy seeds and lemon zest.

    Notes

    Save the remaining instant pudding mix for actual pudding at another time.
    Once the cupcakes are frosted, they should be stored covered.  They can be left on the countertop for an hour or two, but they should be stored in the refrigerator.  Let them come to room temperature before serving so the frosting will be nice creamy and not hard (they're made of butter, so naturally the butter will harden in the fridge).
    You can purchase disposable frosting bags with a star tip at most grocery stores.
     
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @mykitchenserenity or tag #mykitchenserenity on Instagram!!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 210mg | Potassium: 35mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 280IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 0.3mg

    This recipe was originally published in 2019 and was updated in 2022.

    Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy to my readers. I'm not a nutritionist and I don't guarantee the accuracy of this data. The data may differ according to the brands I used versus the brands you use. To calculate the data yourself using your brands, try using an online nutrition calculator or app.

    « Muffin Pan Cinnamon Rolls
    Crispy Chicken Parmesan »

    About Anne Clark

    Hi! I'm Anne, the founder and content creator at My Kitchen Serenity, a food blog focused on serving the needs of busy moms and dads who are looking for easy and delicious recipes for the family.

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    Hi. I’m Anne and I’m happy to share with you my easy, family-friendly recipes. I’ve been cooking for my family for 30 years, and what I’ve learned is that most busy families appreciate easy homemade meals. Now that the kids are grown, my passion is creating and sharing flavorful food for you and your family to enjoy as well. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at Anne@mykitchenserenity.com. 

    I’d love to hear from you!

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