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Bright, fresh, and bursting with flavor, these tender Lemon Cupcakes are filled with tangy lemon curd then topped with luscious cream cheese poppyseed frosting. Perfect for spring holidays, parties, or any time you want a sunny treat that’s equal parts elegant and fun!
These lemon cupcakes are the stuff of citrus dessert dreams — light, moist, and full of bold lemon flavor. Each cupcake hides a surprise center of lemon curd that adds a creamy, tangy pop with every bite. And the frosting is a silky cream cheese blend flecked with poppyseeds for a little extra texture and charm.
I made these for the first time many years ago for an Easter dessert when living in Belgium with my young family. Belgium is a lovely country, but not exactly known for sunny weather, even as the weather turns to spring. We decided to add the sunshine to the dinner table, instead!
Years later, we still love these for a special treat. They strike a beautiful balance between tart and sweet, creamy and fluffy, playful and polished. Whether you’re baking for a baby shower, a brunch, or just a sunny weekend treat, these cupcakes are bound to steal the show — and they’re just as fun to make as they are to eat.
Pro Tip
This makes a relatively small batch of 12 cupcakes. If you are baking for a large crowd, take note and plan to double the recipe! You may only need a 1.5x batch of frosting, depending on how generously you plan to frost each cake.
Ingredient Notes
Perfect Pairing Ideas
These cupcakes are ideal for spring holidays, garden parties, or afternoon tea. Pair them with iced herbal tea, sparkling lemonade, or a glass of bubbly for a light and festive dessert spread. You can even dress them up with a lemon slice, edible flower, or sprinkle of zest on top for extra flair.
Ready to bake?
Gather your lemons and fire up the mixer — these filled lemon cupcakes with poppyseed cream cheese frosting are a ray of sunshine in edible form!
Perfect Filled Lemon Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- zest and juice of two medium lemons
For Filling and Frosting:
- 1/2 cup lemon curd, homemade or store-bought
- 8 ounces cream cheese, chilled
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 and 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- Bake the cupcakes. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Prepare a 12-count muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until creamed, 2-3 minutes.1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated white sugar
- Add eggs and vanilla, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and beat again on medium-high speed until mixture is well-combined.2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture in three batches, beating on low speed after each addition. Mix in the milk, lemon zest, and juice, and beat again on low speed just until combined. Do not overmix.1/2 cup whole milk , zest and juice of two medium lemons
- Divide batter evenly between 12 cupcake liners, and bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of cupcakes comes out clean. Remove from the oven, allow to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely before filling and frosting.
- Fill the cupcakes. Using a small paring knife, cut a small cone out of the center of each cupcake, making a well about 1.5 inches deep. Spoon a small amount of lemon curd into the well. If you like, slice the smooth top edge off of each cone you removed and place it in the hole over the lemon curd filling, so the top of the cupcake still has a smooth surface of cake with the curd underneath. (This is definitely not necessary, but is pretty quick and easy and can make the cupcakes slightly easier to frost.)1/2 cup lemon curd
- Frost the cupcakes. Using a handheld or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.8 ounces cream cheese, 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- Add powdered sugar and mix on low speed just until incorporated, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat 3-4 minutes, until mixture is smooth and light.2 and 3/4 cups powdered sugar
- Add the vanilla and poppy seeds, and beat again 1-2 minutes. Frost cupcakes as desired, serve, and enjoy.3 teaspoons clear vanilla extract , 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
Notes
- Regular vanilla extract may certainly be used in the frosting, but oddly enough, clear imitation vanilla works even better with cream cheese frosting, both to keep it bright white and to help the frosting hold its shape.
- This makes enough frosting to decorate at least 1 dozen cupcakes. Depending on how generously you frost your batch, you may have extra.
- Store cupcakes tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let them rest at room temperature for 30-60 minutes, if possible, prior to serving.
- Recipe inspiration: Cake adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction; filling adapted from Williams-Sonoma; frosting adapted from Annie’s Eats
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published on April 3, 2017, and has been updated as of July 23, 2025 with more structured information about the ingredients, variations, and step-by-step instructions.
Related Recipes
If you enjoy these cupcakes, you may also like my extra chocolatey Guinness cupcakes, these champagne-filled beauties, Paloma cupcakes, or our all-time favorite chocolate buttermilk recipe with chocolate frosting.
Does this cream cheese frosting pipe nicely through the 2D tip? I tried a cream cheese frosting once before but I felt the frosting didn’t hold up well when piped.
Hi Jade, I more often use a 1M tip but this should also work nicely with a 2D. For cream cheese frosting that holds up well, keep it chilled and use clear imitation vanilla extract if possible – it seems to help the frosting hold its shape, in my experience.
I want to make these lemon cupcakes but without the curd or frosting. They are for a bridal shower next month so I want to make them now and freeze them, then frost them the day before the shower. Do these freeze well in foil cupcake liners without comprimising quality and taste? I don’t want to end up with soggy or stale cupcakes. Thanks.
Yes, the cupcakes should freeze well as long as they are not filled or frosted. Enjoy!
I am a lemon lover. These cupcakes look like the perfect treat. I would love them for my birthday!!
Absolutely delicious!!
Very easy to follow. Will be sharing this recipe around.
Thank you!
I made this recipe with the tiniest change : I added poppy seeds to the cupcake batter and omitted them in the cream cheese frosting.
This was my first time ever making cupcakes and they were beautiful ! Everyone enjoyed them, and the surprise filling of homemade lemon curd inside was a big hit!
I made these for my birthday, everyone stuck a candle in it and blew from a safe distance at the same time, for a fun 2020-appropriate twist on birthday cake. And by some magic, even though it was 30°C with 70% humidity, the cream cheese frosting somehow did not make a huge mess. Thank you for a great fool proof recipe for a cupcake newbie like me !
Wow, I do not even know where to begin these are amazing!! 11/10 recommend. Instead of vanilla extract, I put lemon extract ( I love a potent lemon flavor) and added more lemon zest. The cupcakes were nice, moist, and delish. I do have one questions and that is, how long do these last in the fridge?
So glad you enjoyed them! I love the idea of using lemon extract and extra zest. They should last 3-4 days in the fridge!
I don’t know what I did wrong, followed the recipe to the letter and they all sank 🙁
Anybody have any ideas where I went wrong?
Hi Barbara – sorry to hear that, I know how disappointing that feels! A couple of ideas – over-beating the batter can cause cupcakes to sink, because it whips extra air into the batter, which then collapses while they bake. Sometimes opening the oven door early in the baking process can cause a sinking effect, as well, especially if the door is opened before the cupcakes have a chance to set.
Thanks for the recipe! I made 13 large sized and 6 mini cupcakes in this batch, they were so beautifully light and delicious! I always thought lemon curd was tough to make but it isn’t at all!
The family finished all the cakes, curd, frosting, and all the plates were licked clean.
This is a keeper!
These look amazing! I’m looking to make a batch of these for my daughter’s 2nd birthday (in addition to a chocolate cake with strawberry frosting), so I am hoping for some make ahead tips. Can I make the cupcakes a couple of days ahead of time? Can the frosting also be made ahead of time? (I have enough time to assemble the cupcakes on the day of.) Thank you in advance! Can’t wait to try this recipe out!
Hi Joy, absolutely! You’re totally fine to bake the cupcakes 1 or 2 days ahead of time, and make the frosting ahead, as well. Store the cupcakes in any airtight container, and the frosting in the fridge. Fill/frost the cupcakes on the day of or the night before. In fact I follow that exact schedule all the time when bringing cupcakes to a party or into the office! Leave yourself a couple extra minutes for the frosting to warm up after it comes out of the fridge, and give it a quick whip in the mixer or with a spatula and some elbow grease to bring it back to the perfect consistency.
Good luck and enjoy! Happy birthday to your sweet little lady! Lemon cupcakes and a chocolate cake with strawberry frosting sound absolutely amazing – anyone would want to be at that party! 🙂
Thank you for this delicious recipe! I used part coconut sugar in the curd so it turned out dark and I added cocoa to the frosting because I like contrasting flavors, and the boyfriend quite liked it 🙂