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Frosted cupcakes on light blue serving platter with lemon slices as garnish.
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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. 
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Frosting Preparation and Decoration 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 18
Calories 244kcal
Author Anne Clark

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

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.
 

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