Make light, fluffy, zesty lemon cupcakes with this Lemon Cupcake Recipe that can easily be made gluten-free too! These lemon cupcakes are bursting with lemon flavor paired with vanilla and whipped topping. This cupcake recipe is perfect for a spring shower, party, or an afternoon treat!

Choosing the right cupcake is the key to any party, these Lemon Cupcakes are made completely from scratch, no box cake mix needed, and it uses everyday ingredients that are hanging out right in your pantry. We love to add a little bit of lemon and peppermint garnish to make them look bakery style without any effort!

What you’ll love about Lemon Cupcakes:

Made from scratch with everyday pantry ingredients!
Can be made gluten-free or gluten-filled with an easy swap of flour!
Perfect for parties, they taste even better when chilled too!
Bakery style cupcakes!

Ingredients for Gluten-Free Lemon Cupcakes Recipe:

All-Purpose Flour or Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour
Baking Powder
Salt
Unsalted Butter
Granulated Sugar
Eggs
Lemons
Lemon Juice
Vanilla Extract
Buttermilk
Frosting or Fresh Whipped Cream
Powdered Sugar
Vanilla Extract

Step-by-Step Instructions for Lemon Cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and fill a cupcake pan with liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Beat in the zest and vanilla extract.
Add dry mixture alternating with buttermilk and lemon juice, beating just until combined after each addition.
Divide the batter into cupcake liners.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack after cook time.
Frost with fresh whip cream or frosting of your choice.
If you are making the whipped cream in this recipe, add the whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla into a mixing bowl. Whip this on high for about 3 minutes until the whipped cream is formed.
Place the whipped cream into a decorator’s bag with the Wilton 1M tip and frost the cupcakes.
Garnish with Lemon Slices.

How do you make Lemon Cupcakes into Gluten-Free Lemon Cupcakes?

The only swap needed to make these cupcakes gluten-free is to use a gluten-free all-purpose flour. This needs to be a high quality 1:1 ratio flour, that means it’s an even swap with regular flour. Our go-to flour is King Arthur Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour.

Other gluten-free flour options that will work are Better Batter, Bob’s Red Mill, Cup 4 Cup, and GF Jules.

Can you substitute lemon juice for lemon extract?

Lemon extract is actually very strong so it’s best to substitute that out for lemon zest. Now, keep in mind that 1 Tsp of the extract is about the same as 2 tsp of the lemon zest. The key is to keep a good balance in these cupcakes of vanilla and lemon, so do not go overboard. Using lemon zest is the best option, then you can use your lemon slices to garnish the cupcakes as well.

How do you zest a lemon?

In order to zest a lemon, it’s basically scraping off the bright yellow part of the peel of the lemon. This is done with a Microplane, just rubbed on the lemon. A little bit of lemon zest goes a long way, simply scrape it off and add it into the mix per the recipe card instructions below.

How do you garnish or frost Lemon Cupcakes?

Lemon Cupcakes are best topped with Homemade Whipped Cream. If you do this, I’d suggest using the Wilton 1M tip along with the decorator’s bag for the whipped cream. The whipped cream recipe is in the recipe card below.

Once they are topped, you can add a sliced lemon and mint leaf if you prefer.

Tips for Moist Gluten-Free Lemon Cupcakes:

Use high quality gluten-free all-purpose flour with a 1:1 ratio.
Cool completely before frosting.
Use lemon zest, it gives the best flavor!
Store in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

How to store cupcakes:

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you do a whipped topping instead of buttercream, it’s best to store these in the fridge. If you use buttercream, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

If you enjoy this Lemon Cupcake Recipe, head on over to make these Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes next! Just a tip that they can be made gluten-free too. If you need some new gluten-free desserts, be sure to check out these gluten-free everyday dessert recipes.

Gluten-Free Lemon Cupcakes are the perfect spring or summer treat, we love to use these for bridal showers, baby showers, and spring parties. They are simple to make and full of zesty, citrus flavor!