Incredible Poppyseed Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Recipe

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Last Updated on January 12, 2023

Today, we’re going to be taking a look at how to make poppyseed cupcakes with lemon buttercream. They make for the perfect light sweet treat and are ideal for absolutely any occasion. I enjoy making these poppyseed cupcakes around Easter time. They always seem to be a hit with the whole family.

There are many great flavor combinations when it comes to baking, but poppyseeds and lemon is a combinations that you just can’t seem to beat. The poppy seeds give great texture, and the tartness of the lemon is just what you’d want from a cupcake. But how do you go about making them? Let’s take a closer look.

What are Poppyseed Cupcakes?

Poppyseed cupcakes are exactly as they sound. They’re light, and fluffy and have a great crunch from the poppyseeds. They’re then topped with a tart lemon buttercream frosting, which is bursting with flavor. No matter the occasion, these cupcakes are ideal!

Ingredients in Poppyseed Cupcakes

The ingredients for these cupcakes will differ, depending on which recipe you’re following. Our recipe contains the following ingredients:

• granulated sugar
• lemon zest
• cake flour
• baking powder
• baking soda
• salt
• melted butter
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• whole milk
• sour cream
• lemon juice
• poppyseeds
• confectioners’ sugar

Nutritional Information of Poppyseed Cupcakes

You may be wondering what the nutritional value is when it comes to poppyseed cupcakes. Each cupcake contains the following:

• calories: 549
• carbohydrates: 69g
• fat: 29g
• protein: 4g
• sugar: 55g
• sodium: 147mg
• fiber: 1g

Lemon Poppyseed Cupcakes With Lemon Frosting Recipe

Now that we know everything about these cupcakes, we just need to learn how to make them. This recipe is inspired by one from Boston Girl Bakes. It makes for moist lemon cupcakes and citrus buttercream frosting, that has heaps of flavor. Let’s take a closer look.

Ingredients

For this recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:

for the poppyseed cupcakes:

• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 1 2/3 cups of cake flour
• zest of 2 lemons
• 3/4 cup of melted butter
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 cup of lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons of poppyseeds
• 1/4 cup of whole milk
• 1/2 cup of sour cream

for the lemon buttercream frosting:

• 1 1/4 cups of softened butter
• 2 tablespoons of lemon zest
• 4 cups of confectioners’ sugar
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup of lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons of milk

Recipe

Now all you need to do is:

Step 1: Prepare

Gather all of the ingredients you need for this recipe and preheat your oven to 375F. You’ll also need to line your cupcake tin with cupcake liners. Add the lemon zest and sugar to a food processor and blitz for a few seconds.

Step 2: Make the Batter

Grab a bowl and add the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Mix well and leave to one side. In a separate bowl, add the milk, butter, extract, eggs, sour cream, and lemon sugar (from step 1). Mix well and then add the bowl of wet ingredients to the dry. Mix well and then fold in the poppy seeds, as well as the juice.

Step 3: Bake the Cakes

Pour the batter into your liners (around 3/4 full). Place into the center of your preheated oven and bake for 5 minutes. After this time, change the temperature to 350F and cook for a further 10 minutes. Remove from oven and leave to cool before frosting.

Step 4: Make the Buttercream

Grab a bowl and add the butter and lemon zest. Mix until fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar (around 1 cup at a time). Once thoroughly mixed, add the juice, milk, and vanilla extract. Keep mixing until it becomes light and fluffy (this should take around 6-8 minutes).

Lemon Filled Cupcakes Recipe

If you’re looking to make your cupcakes even more lemony – then look no further! This recipe is inspired by one from Nourish and Fete. Let’s take a closer look.

Ingredients

The ingredients you’ll need for this recipe are:

for the cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 cup of butter
• 1 cup of white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup of whole milk
• juice of two lemons
• zest of two lemons

for the filling:

• 1/2 cup of lemon curd

Recipe

Now all you need to do is:

1. Gather all of the ingredients you need for this recipe and preheat your oven to 350F. You’ll also need to line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
2. Grab a bowl and add the baking powder, salt, and all-purpose flour. Mix well and leave to one side.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar and butter for a few minutes.
4. Then add the vanilla extract, as well as the eggs. Mix well and then add the bowl of dry ingredients, to the wet ingredients.
5. Once mixed, add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and milk. Stir until the ingredients are just mixed.
6. Pour batter into liners and bake for around 18 minutes, and then leave to cool.
7. Once cool, make a hole in the center of each cupcake, around an inch deep. Add a teaspoon of lemon curd into each hole and replace the top of the cupcake with parts of the cake you discarded (it doesn’t need to be perfect, as you can frost over the top).
8. Frost as desired, and then sprinkle with poppy seeds. Enjoy!

Lemon Buttercream Frosting With Lemon Extract Recipe

We’ve perfected the poppyseed cupcakes. Now, if you’re looking to make a super tart lemon buttercream frosting, you can try making frosting with lemon extract. This recipe is easy to follow and absolutely delicious.

For this recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• 3 sticks of butter
• 1 teaspoon of lemon extract
• 1 lemon zest
• 7 cups of powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

Now all you need to do is:

1. Grab a bowl and add the butter. Beat the butter until fluffy, and then add your lemon zest and lemon extract.
2. Add your powdered sugar slowly (1 cup at a time) and then mix in the milk.
3. Add the sugar and salt. Then mix for around 3-5 minutes; be sure to scrape the bowl as you go.
4. Mix on a low speed for another minute or so, until light and fluffy.
5. Use as needed.

Extra Tips for Lemon Buttercream Frosting

Remember that the consistency of the buttercream can change depending on the weather – temperature and humidity are key factors to consider when preparing buttercream. If you feel the cream is too thick, add a tablespoon or so of milk until you reach the desired consistency.

If, on the contrary, it is too thin, add some extra powdered sugar to stiffen it back up. The ideal texture depends on what you are planning to use it for. You want a stiffer cream for piping details, but a more spreadable one for filling.

Extra Ideas

Another thing you can do to make them extra special is to candy an edible yellow flower and place it on top of each cupcake. Candied flowers have been a delicacy since sugar was introduced into our diets. They are quite delicious but also very beautiful!

To do this, you will need edible flowers – you can use pansies or violas, for example – with their stems removed. With an egg and a teaspoon of water, make an egg wash. Cover each flower.

Let them sit overnight at room temperature over some parchment paper. They are so easy and look incredible on any type of baked good. These are the kind of things our grandmothers used to make and they make everything extra special. 

Another thing you can do to elevate these cupcakes is to drizzle some dark chocolate on top. The contrast between the dark chocolate and the lemony sweetness will make for a topic of conversation!

You could even give them a chocolate center! Or maybe fill them with some lemon curd or raspberry jam. All of these thoughts are giving me an appetite, should we publish some of these ideas next? What do you think?

Conclusion

I hope this post has helped you to become more familiar with how to make poppyseed cupcakes, as well as lemon buttercream. If you have any tips or tricks when it comes to making these poppyseed cupcakes, please feel free to let me know in the comments below. 

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