two sugar bugs

  • About
  • Recipes
  • Coffee Talk
  • come say hello
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Coffee Talk
  • Come say hello
  • Work With Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Coffee Talk
    • Come say hello
    • Work With Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Cakes and Cupcakes

    Homemade Lemon Cupcakes with Berry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

    Modified: Mar 27, 2021 · Published: Apr 21, 2019 by Tasia · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Pinterest image for homemade lemon cupcakes

    Homemade lemon cupcakes are light and fluffy and topped with berry Swiss meringue buttercream. The spring weather is perfect for whipping up a batch!

    This post is sponsored as part of Bob's Red Mill's #SomeBunnyLovesBobs campaign. As always, all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make two sugar bugs possible.

    photo of a lemon cupcake with sprinkles

    You are going to love these homemade lemon cupcakes! The crumb is so tender and light with the perfect hint of lemon. I topped them with a blueberry Swiss meringue buttercream, but have also paired them with raspberry Swiss meringue. They'd also be fabulous with vanilla, cream cheese or a lemon buttercream.

    cupcake with sprinkles around it and lemons and blueberries in the background

    Disclosure | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    MAKING THE CUPCAKES

    These lemon cupcakes get their super fluffy and light texture from the cake flour, egg whites and buttermilk. You'll want to bring the cold ingredients to room temperature so they fully incorporate in the batter. So plan to let your cold ingredients sit out at least an hour or two prior to starting.

    ingredients for cupcakes

    I also LOVE using my SideSwipe blade on my Kitchen Aid mixer. It creams the ingredients to the most incredible fluffy consistency.

    For this recipe, you will measure your cake flour, using the spoon and level technique. Then you will want to sift the cake flour together with the baking powder and salt and set them aside. I find sifting the cake flour helps to eliminate any clumps that may have developed in the flour. I absolutely love using Bob's Red Mill's Super-fine Cake Flour.

    After preparing all your ingredients, you will start by creaming together the room temperature butter and both granulated and brown sugars. Make sure you get them nice and fluffy. Then you will add in the egg whites and vanilla and incorporate them fully.

    butter and sugars creamed in mixing bowl

    Next, you will add half the flour mixture followed by the buttermilk, lemon zest and lemon juice. I like using fresh lemons to get the juice, just be sure to zest the lemon first as it's much easier than after you juice it. I wouldn't know that from experience or anything!😉😉 Then you'll finish by adding the second half of the flour mixture. Have your mixer on the lowest setting as you do not want to over-mix this batter.

    • Zesting lemons with a microplane. #twosugarbugs
    • The best kitchen helper, squeezing fresh lemons.  #twosugarbugs
    cupcake batter in liners

    Fill your cupcake liners (these are my absolute favorite) ⅔ - ¾ of the way full. Approximately ¼ cup of batter per liner and bake for approximately 15-17 minutes. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

    MAKING THE BERRY SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

    Swiss meringue buttercream has come to be my go-to frosting choice most of the time. I know it's more time consuming and technical to make, but it is SO worth it and people ALWAYS comment on how light and delicious the frosting is.

    up close photo of lemon cupcake with blueberry buttercream

    You start by wiping down your mixer bowl, mixer whisk and the whisk you will be using while you warm the egg whites, sugar and salt mixture. I typically use white vinegar, but lemon juice works too. This is a step that I never skip. You don't want even a trace of fat on anything coming in contact with your meringue so that you get the best stiff peaks when whipping your meringue.

    Next separate the eggs and combine the egg whites, granulated sugar and salt in your mixer bowl. Whisk them together and place over a bowl of simmering water. You will whisk constantly for about 3 minutes or until the sugar is fully melted and the mixture is a bit frothy. Rub a little of the mixture between your fingers to make sure there is no grittiness left from the sugar. When the mixture is hot to the touch and no longer gritty, pull it off the heat.

    Next, with the stand mixer on medium-high (I go to 8 on my Kitchen Aid), whisk the egg mixture until the meringue holds stiff peaks. This typically takes my mixer around 10 minutes. If the mixture is still a little warm, let it cool a few more minutes before adding your butter.

    stiff peaks of meringue
    Nice stiff peaks!

    Switch your mixer to the paddle attachment and turn the speed down to 4 or 6. Add the room temperature butter (see recipe notes for correct temperature) one tablespoon at a time, letting each tablespoon fully incorporate before adding the next one. The mixture will go through several changes - looking soupy at one point and curdled close to the addition of the final tablespoons of butter. Do not worry, if you had a good meringue to start, you are going to be fine!

    freeze dried raspberries in a food processor
    At some point, grind your freeze dried berries to a powder consistency. I use my mini Cuisinart. This photo shows freeze dried raspberries, I get mine at Target or Trader Joe's.

    Once all the butter is fully incorporated, stop the mixer and scrape up and down the sides of your bowl. Add the almond extract and ground freeze dried berries (if using raspberries I sift out the seeds after they have been ground to powder), then turn the mixer back up to 8 or 10 and walk away! Give it about 5 minutes of whipping and when you return you will have a beautiful, silky buttercream.

    berry swiss meringue buttercream in a mixing bowl
    This photo shows raspberry Swiss meringue buttercream.

    Once the homemade lemon cupcakes are fully cooled, frost as desired. I used a Wilton 1M tip for these.

    As an alternative, you can also frost the cupcakes with my lemon buttercream frosting. ⬇️

    cupcake on a plate with other cupcakes in the background

    Happy baking!

    Pinterest graphic for lemon cupcakes
    Up close shot of cupcake
    Print

    Homemade Lemon Cupcakes with Berry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

    Homemade lemon cupcakes are light and fluffy and topped with berry Swiss meringue buttercream. The spring weather is perfect for whipping up a batch!
    Course Dessert
    Keyword cupcakes, homemade, lemon, lemon cupcakes
    Servings 12 cupcakes
    Author Tasia ~ TwoSugarBugs

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ cups cake flour measured and then sifted, I prefer Bob's Red Mill Super-Fine Cake Flour
    • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • ¼ cup brown sugar
    • 2 large egg whites
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • ½ cup buttermilk room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon lemon zest about one lemon
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice about one lemon

    Berry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

    • 3 large egg whites
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¾ cup 1 ½ sticks butter, room temperature*
    • ½ teaspoon pure almond extract
    • 1 ounce freeze dried blueberries or raspberries*** ground to powder

    Instructions

    For the Cupcakes:

    • Preheat oven to 350°F and place cupcake liners in a 12 count muffin pan. Set aside.
    • Measure the cake flour and then sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.
    • Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat the butter and both sugars together on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape up and down the sides of the bowl as needed.
    • Beat in the egg whites and vanilla and mix until well combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape up and down the sides of the bowl.
    • With the mixer on low speed, add half the flour mixture and mix until barely combined. With the mixer still on low, add the buttermilk, lemon zest and lemon juice. Once mostly combined, add in the remainder of the flour mixture and mix just until combined. You do not want to over-mix this batter.
    • Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan. It’s approximately ¼ cup of batter per cupcake. You want the liner filled about ⅔ – ¾ of the way.
    • Bake for about 15-17 minutes, until a tester comes out mostly clean.
    • Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.

    For the Berry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

    • Wipe the bowl and whisk of your stand mixer with vinegar or lemon juice to make sure it is grease free or your egg whites may not stiffen.
    • Whisk egg whites, sugar and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer. Whisk and heat mixture over a saucepan of simmering water until hot to touch, sugar is fully dissolved (you should not feel any granules when rubbed between your fingers) and it’s a bit frothy, approximately 3 minutes.
    • Remove the bowl from the saucepan and wipe the bottom dry. Place on your stand mixer and whisk on medium-high until the mixture is cool and the meringue holds a stiff peak (the bottom of your bowl should also be cooled), approximately 10 minutes.
    • Switch to the paddle attachment and reduce the speed to medium.  Add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, letting the butter fully incorporate before adding more. ** Once all butter is incorporated, scrape down sides of the bowl and add almond extract and powdered blueberries and whip until a thick, whipped consistency is reached.

    Notes

    Cupcakes must be completely cooled prior to frosting.  I used a Wilton 1M for piping.
    * Your butter only needs about 1 hour of time (depending on temperature of your kitchen) to get to room temperature. You want the butter still slightly cool to the touch and not overly warm or soft.
    ** At some point your buttercream is going to be a sloppy mess. It may even look curdled. Do not fear, just keep whipping and it will magically come together into a beautiful whipped frosting. If you feel it is too soupy, place the mixture in the refrigerator for 20 minutes and then re-whip.
    ***If using freeze dried raspberries, you will want to sift out the seeds after you have ground the berries to powder.  Otherwise your buttercream will not be smooth.

    More Cakes and Cupcakes

    • slice of biscoff icebox cake on a plate with a fork
      Biscoff Icebox Cake {Simple No Bake Recipe}
    • slices of cherry chip cake on a plates with a bite on a fork and a bowl of cherries
      Moist From Scratch Cherry Chip Cake
    • slice of cannoli cake on a plate with a fork and a bowl of pistachios and flowers in the background
      Simple One Layer Cannoli Cake
    • lemon raspberry cupcake cut in half in a cupcake liner showing raspberries through the cupcake
      From Scratch Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes

    Love it? Please share it!

    204 shares

    Comments

      Please take a moment to leave a comment, review or ask a question. Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Letscurry says

      June 25, 2020 at 8:11 am

      They look so gorgeous and are so fluffy. I love treats like these and anything lemony is a hot in my household. Thanks

      Reply
      • Tasia says

        June 26, 2020 at 7:32 pm

        Thank you Hasin! I hope you get to make these cupcakes, they are always a hit!

        Reply
      • Leslie says

        May 17, 2023 at 7:39 am

        hi. ty forcrecipe. have you ever tried to make your S.M.butter cream frosting with Fresh fruit? can I make a blueberry syrup, for example instead of adding the freeze dried? thanks in advance.

        Reply
        • Tasia says

          May 17, 2023 at 10:14 pm

          Hi Leslie, I have not made smbc with fresh fruit so I can't tell you how it would work. Freeze dried fruit works so nicely because it packs a lot of flavor without adding liquid. You could try using the blueberry syrup, I'd start with a tablespoon or two and see if that gives you enough flavor; I would add it after all the butter has been added in. Please let me know how it works out!

          Reply
    welcome graphic

    Hi, I'm Tasia, a self-taught baker and enthusiastic home cook with over 25 years experience in the kitchen! I'm here to inspire you to have fun while creating food from scratch. I make approachable and nostalgic recipes for busy bakers that you will want to make again and again. The recipes you find here will mostly be sweet and sometimes savory.

    More about me →

    https://thefeedfeed.com/

    Reader Favorite Recipes

    • stack of cookies with the sun hitting them
      Espresso Brown Butter Toffee Cookies
    • buttercream sugar cookie with sprinkles
      Buttercream Sugar Cookies
    • cookies and sprinkles on a cooling rack
      Sprinkle Cookies
    • Cookie butter cake on cake stand
      Cookie Butter Cake

    ©two sugar bugs.  All images and content are copyright protected.  Please do not use our images without prior permission.  If you would like to republish a two sugar bugs recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own words and link back to the blog post and one to the home page.  See my privacy policy for full details.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Meet Tasia
    • Privacy Policy
    • Comment Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Work with Me
    • Come Say hello

    All images and content are copyright protected.  Please do not use our images without prior permission. 

    Copyright © 2025 two sugar bugs

    204 shares