Name: Small Batch Lemon Cupcakes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 32 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup butter (softened); ¼ cup sugar; 1 egg; ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons milk; ¼ teaspoon lemon extract; ⅔ cup all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder

Small-batch lemon cupcakes are just what you need to make when you don’t want a whole batcg of treats. This recipe is easy to follow and has the perfect amount of sweet citrus flavor that will please anyone who tries it! Serve these up with your favorite frosting or let them stand on their own.

There are days when you know you should NOT make a whole batch (2+ dozen) of cupcakes. The reasons may vary and you might be the only one who knows why, bless your heart. And then a little special someone wants a sweet treat. What’s a gal – or guy – to do? The answer is simple – make a small batch of lemon cupcakes.

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

These sweet little treats aren’t made with lemonade, but they are light and delicious. The batter easily makes six cupcakes with enough leftover for you to lick the spatula. If you have lemons, you could add some fresh grated lemon zest to make them even better.

I love to top cakes and cupcakes with simple buttercream icing. (You can get my recipe by clicking here.) My topping is not snow white because I prefer to use organic powdered sugar and real vanilla (which is BROWN). If you are really ambitious, you can make these babies with ALL organic ingredients.

Ingredients

For this easy cupcake recipe, you need the following ingredients:

½ stick (4 Tbsp butter), softened
¼ cup sugar
1 egg
¼ cup + 2 Tbsp milk
¼ tsp lemon extract
⅔ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

How To Make Lemon Cupcakes

The easiest way to make these is to use a stand mixer. However, you can make them using a large mixing bowl. Start by whipping butter at medium-high speed in a mixer bowl. Add sugar and mix until creamy. Add egg, milk, and lemon extract.

In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients at a slow speed until the batter is moist. Turn the speed to medium-high and beat until smooth.

Lemon cake batter in a glass mixing bowl.

Spoon into prepared muffin pan and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Depending on the cupcake liners you use, the recipe will yield 4-6 cupcakes. A batch made four cupcakes using these stand-alone cupcake liners.

Allow the cupcakes to cool before decorating.

Homemade buttercream is always a great option for topping these sweet treats.

Lemon cupcake with buttercream frosting.

These little treats are great at any time of the year, but especially so in Spring. You can top them with some shredded coconut that has been tossed with green food coloring and it will look like fresh new grass. For Easter, you could add a couple of jelly beans on top and serve them in small terra cotta pots.

Need a gluten-free cupcake? Check out the small-batch gluten-free chocolate cupcakes at Well Fed Baker. They’re so stinkin’ cute!