These lemon curd cupcakes are soft, sweet, and full of fresh lemon flavor. They’re filled with a little lemon curd in the center and topped with a light, buttery lemon frosting. Perfect for spring, tea parties, or just when you’re craving something zesty and homemade.

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Ingredients Needed:

For the Cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
Zest of 2 large lemons
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup Lemon Curd

For the Frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 large lemon
Yellow sprinkles

How To Make Lemon Curd Cupcakes Recipe?

Preheat oven and prep pan: set your oven to 350°f (175°c) and line a 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners.
Mix dry ingredients: in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Make lemon sugar: in a small bowl, mix the sugar and lemon zest. Rub them together with your fingers until the sugar smells fragrant.
Make the batter: in a stand mixer, beat the butter and lemon sugar together until light and fluffy (about 8 minutes). Scrape down the sides when needed.
Add eggs and vanilla: add the eggs one by one, mixing well after each. Then stir in the vanilla.
Combine wet and dry: add the flour mixture and milk in turns, starting and ending with the flour. Mix just until combined, then stir in the lemon juice.
Fill and bake: divide the batter into the cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake for 18–20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool fully.
Make the frosting: in a stand mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Then add milk, vanilla, and lemon zest. Beat until creamy.
Fill the cupcakes: cut a small hole in the center of each cupcake. Fill it with about 1 teaspoon of lemon curd. Replace the top piece of cake to cover the hole.
Frost and decorate: pipe or spread the frosting on top. Add yellow sprinkles if you like. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips:

Rub lemon zest into the sugar: this brings out the natural oils in the zest and gives the cupcakes a stronger lemon flavor from the start.
Beat the butter and sugar for a full 8 minutes: this makes the batter light and fluffy, which helps your cupcakes rise well and stay soft.
Alternate flour and milk slowly: always start and end with the flour. This keeps the batter smooth and stops it from curdling or getting too thick.
Don’t overmix after adding flour: mix just until you don’t see flour anymore. Too much mixing will make the cupcakes heavy and dry.
Cool completely before filling and frosting – if the cupcakes are still warm, the lemon curd can melt and the frosting will slide off.

How To Store Leftovers?

Refrigerate: Let the cupcakes cool to room temperature first. Then put them in a sealed container and keep them in the fridge for up to 2 days. Take them out before serving so they soften.
Freeze: You can freeze the plain cupcakes (no filling or frosting) for 1 month.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 420 kcal
Total Fat: 22g
Saturated Fat: 13g
Cholesterol: 85mg
Sodium: 160mg
Potassium: 65mg
Total Carbohydrate: 54g
Dietary Fiber: 1g
Sugars: 40g
Protein: 3g

Try More Nigella Lawson Recipes:

Nigella Sweet Shortcrust Pastry Recipe
Nigella Key Lime Cheesecake Recipe

Nigella Lemon Curd Cupcakes Recipe

Course: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

420

kcal

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
Zest of 2 large lemons
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup Lemon Curd
For the Frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 large lemon
Yellow sprinkles

Directions

Preheat oven and prep pan: set your oven to 350°f (175°c) and line a 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners.
Mix dry ingredients: in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Make lemon sugar: in a small bowl, mix the sugar and lemon zest. Rub them together with your fingers until the sugar smells fragrant.
Make the batter: in a stand mixer, beat the butter and lemon sugar together until light and fluffy (about 8 minutes). Scrape down the sides when needed.
Add eggs and vanilla: add the eggs one by one, mixing well after each. Then stir in the vanilla.
Combine wet and dry: add the flour mixture and milk in turns, starting and ending with the flour. Mix just until combined, then stir in the lemon juice.
Fill and bake: divide the batter into the cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake for 18–20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool fully.
Make the frosting: in a stand mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Then add milk, vanilla, and lemon zest. Beat until creamy.
Fill the cupcakes: cut a small hole in the center of each cupcake. Fill it with about 1 teaspoon of lemon curd. Replace the top piece of cake to cover the hole.
Frost and decorate: pipe or spread the frosting on top. Add yellow sprinkles if you like. Enjoy!

Notes

Rub lemon zest into the sugar: this brings out the natural oils in the zest and gives the cupcakes a stronger lemon flavor from the start.
Beat the butter and sugar for a full 8 minutes: this makes the batter light and fluffy, which helps your cupcakes rise well and stay soft.
Alternate flour and milk slowly: always start and end with the flour. This keeps the batter smooth and stops it from curdling or getting too thick.
Don’t overmix after adding flour: mix just until you don’t see flour anymore. Too much mixing will make the cupcakes heavy and dry.
Cool completely before filling and frosting – if the cupcakes are still warm, the lemon curd can melt and the frosting will slide off.