Limoncello Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting (Printer-friendly)
Moist lemon-infused cupcakes with Limoncello liqueur and creamy frosting, ideal for warm weather celebrations.
# What You Need:
→ Cupcakes
01 - 1½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ¼ teaspoon salt
04 - ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 2 tablespoons lemon zest
08 - ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
09 - ¼ cup Limoncello liqueur
10 - ½ cup whole milk, room temperature
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Limoncello Frosting
12 - ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
13 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
14 - 2-3 tablespoons Limoncello liqueur
15 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
16 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
17 - Pinch of salt
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until well blended.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in lemon zest, lemon juice, Limoncello, and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
05 - Add dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined; avoid overmixing.
06 - Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners, filling each approximately 2/3 full.
07 - Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
08 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Add Limoncello, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt; beat until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
09 - Frost completely cooled cupcakes with Limoncello frosting. Decorate with additional lemon zest if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The cupcake itself tastes like a Mediterranean afternoon, bright without being overwhelmingly sour
- That liqueur infusion keeps things incredibly moist for days, assuming they last that long
- Frosting that sets up perfectly pipeable but still melts into the crumb when you bite down
02 -
- Overmixing the batter after adding flour makes tough, dense cupcakes every single time
- Room temperature ingredients combine smoothly, cold butter creates curdled batter that never quite recovers
03 -
- Zest your lemons before juicing them, so much easier than trying to zest a squishy half lemon
- Sift your powdered sugar directly into the frosting bowl, one less bowl to wash later