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Soft and delicate lemon cupcakes, full of fresh lemon flavor, topped with a light and airy vanilla bean cream cheese whipped cream and a dollop of lemon curd. They are a light and refreshing treat!
Why You’ll Love These Mini Lemon Cupcakes
Tender – these little cupcakes have a delightful texture! They’re soft and delicate with a moist and tender crumb.
Fresh Lemon – lemon zest is used in the batter for fresh lemon flavor. Before baking, a tiny bit of lemon curd is added to the top of each cupcake for an extra refreshing lemon burst. The cupcakes are then topped with a small dollop of lemon curd on top of the whipped cream cheese frosting for a bright citrus finish. They’re light and refreshing with the perfect amount of lemon goodness.
Frosting – the frosting is light and airy and subtly sweet. Made with cream cheese, sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla bean paste, it’s is so simple and delicious. The cupcake is soft and delicate, so the frosting had to match. The light texture, lightly sweet cream cheese and vanilla flavor is the perfect pairing to the tender lemon cupcakes.
Vanilla Bean – the little flecks of vanilla bean add a rustic charm to these cupcakes. Vanilla extract can be used instead if you don’t have vanilla bean paste handy.
Spring & Summer – these cupcakes are amazing any time of year, but they are extra delicious in spring and summer when the days are long and the weather is warm. Their airy texture and bright lemon flavor is refreshing on a warm, sunny day.
So Cute – these tiny cupcakes are the perfect mini treat! To make them even cuter, you can pipe on the whipped cream frosting and lemon curd to look like a flower. The cream cheese whipped cream frosting creates perfect puffy petals and the lemon curd adds a pretty pop of color to the center. The simple design is so pretty and charming.
Parties – these cupcakes would be a fantastic option to serve at so many gatherings and parties. They’d be perfect for bridal showers, baby showers, Mother’s day, Easter, brunch, book clubs, birthdays, graduations, Independence Day parties, backyard BBQ’s, pool parties, etc. Their small size also makes them perfect for a dessert table; they pair wonderfully alongside a variety of other treats.
Tips for Making Mini Lemon Chantilly Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream Cheese Icing
Prepare Lemon Curd – I like to prepare the lemon curd ahead of time, before I start preparing the cake batter. This gives it time to chill before it’s needed for the cake batter and topping.
Store-Bought – if you don’t want to make lemon curd, you can substitute with store-bought to save a little bit of time, though I highly recommend making homemade lemon curd; it’s easy to make and so delicious!
Cake Flour – cake flour has less protein than regular flour, so it forms less gluten, resulting in a soft and tender crumb. You can find it in most grocery stores and online (see Equipment section below for links). While it is preferred to use cake flour, if you need a substitute, you can make one in a pinch with all purpose flour and cornstarch. See the FAQ section or recipe notes below for details.
Room Temperature – using room temperature ingredients is best to provide cohesive batter and a light cake. Using cold ingredients can cause the butter to re-solidify and “curdle” the batter. See the FAQ section for more information on how to get each ingredient to room temperature.
Serving – Since there is butter in the cake batter, the cake does firm up a little bit when it’s refrigerated. If I can’t serve the cupcakes right away, I like to store them unfrosted, in an air-tight container, in the fridge. About 15 minutes before they’ll be served, I let them sit at room temperature. I then frost and decorate them right before serving. This allows the cupcakes to soften a bit before serving, but keeps the icing nice and cold. Alternatively, you can store them in the fridge frosted. For best texture, allow them to sit at room temperature for a short time before serving.
FAQ
What if I don’t have cake flour?
Cake flour has less protein than regular flour so it forms less gluten, resulting in a soft and tender crumb. While it is preferred to use cake flour, if you need a substitute, you can make one in a pinch with all purpose flour and cornstarch. This recipe calls for 1 cup of cake flour. To substitute: measure 1 cup of flour, then remove 2 tablespoons. Add 2 tablespoons of corn starch and whisk or sift to combine. By weight, measure a total of 105 grams of flour and add 16 grams of cornstarch. Then, whisk or sift to combine before using.
Can I use store-bought lemon curd?
While you can use store-bought lemon curd to save a little bit of time, I highly recommend homemade. It’s easy to make and so delicious!
Why are some of the ingredients listed as room temperature (eggs, milk)?
When the ingredients in the batter are room temperature, it allows everything to mix together and emulsify well. It also creates a more consistent texture in the final cupcake. Cold ingredients can cause the butter and oil to separate from the other ingredients and create a “curdled” batter. Room temperature ingredients prevent this, which is why they’re recommended.
How can I get the butter, milk, and egg to room temperature quickly? What if I forgot to take out the cold ingredients ahead of time to get to room temperature?
To get the milk to room temperature, microwave in short intervalls, stirring in between. You can also do this on the stove by placing the milk in a pot over low to medium-low heat and stirring until no longer cold.
To get the egg to room temperature, place it in a bowl of warm water and allow to sit for 10 minutes. You’ll know it’s room temperature when you gently squeeze the egg and it no longer feels cold in your hand.
To get the butter to room temperature, cut into small cubes and allow to sit at room temperature for 15 – 30 mintues. Alternatively, microwave in short 5-second intervals on a defrost or low-power setting, rotating between each interval until softened.
What is vanilla bean paste? Where can I find vanilla bean paste?
Vanilla bean paste is a vanilla flavoring often made from vanilla extract, sugar, thickeners, and vanilla beans. It’s usually used in place of vanilla extract to provide vanilla flavor and those pretty specks of vanilla bean. You can find it in the baking aisle of grocery stores or online (Amazon has some from popular brands like Nielsen-Massey and Rodelle).
Pictured above are these mini lemon chantilly cupcakes along with another recipe, coming really soon. I will link it here when it’s live.
FAQ Continued
Can I use vanilla bean paste in the cake batter instead of vanilla extract?
Yes, you can use an equal amount of vanilla bean paste in place of the vanilla extract. I usually like to save my vanilla bean paste for things that showcase the pretty little specks of vanilla bean (like the whipped cream frosting), but if it’s what you have on hand, you can absolutely use it in the cake batter as well.
Can I use vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean paste in the frosting?
If you don’t have vanilla bean paste and want to use vanilla extract instead, you can absolutley do so. You can use an equal amount of vanilla extract in place of the vanilla bean paste.
Can I make regular sized cupcakes?
Yes, you can make about 8 regular sized cupcakes with this recipe. They will bake for around 18 – 20 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. I’ve found that the blob of lemon curd sinks slightly into the larger cupcake creating a small divet, but it’s not noticeable when the cupcake is frosted.
What piping tips were used to make the flower design?
To pipe the flowers onto these cupcakes, I used an Ateco #12 round piping tip for the frosting and a #8 round tip for the lemon curd. To pipe the pink flowers, shown above, I used a #21 star piping tip. If you’re looking to get into cake decorating or want to play around with fun piping designs, this 29-piece set includes each of the tips mentioned and plenty more.
How can I pipe the flower design on top of the cupcakes?
Fill a piping bag, fitted with a #12 round piping tip, with the whipped cream frosting. Fill another piping bag, fitted with a #8 round piping tip, with the lemon curd. You’ll first pipe the frosting. Hold the piping bag upright and position the tip near the edge of the cupcake. Squeeze the piping bag to pipe a round blob, slowly releasing pressure as you drag the piping bag to the center of the cupcake. This will create a teardrop shape; this is the first petal. Do this again directly next to the first petal. Repeat until you’ve piped 5 petals, filling up the surface of the cupcake. Take the piping bag filled with lemon curd and hold it upright, positioning the tip near the center of the cupcake. Lightly squeeze to dispense a small blob of curd in the center of the cupcake.
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Equipment
This recipe calls for cake flour to keep the cupcakes light and tender. It can be found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores, usually Pillsbury Softasilk, Swans Down, or King Arthur brands. If you’re unable to find it in-store, you can find some online, like these from King Arthur and Bob’s Red Mill. Vanilla bean paste is used in the frosting to add beautiful specks of vanilla bean. Popular brands include Nielsen-Massey and Rodelle, which can be found on Amazon. See the FAQ section above for substitutions.
A lemon zester or microplane is nice to have to zest the lemons for the lemon curd and cake batter. To make the cupcakes, you’ll want a mini cupcake pan and mini cupcake liners. I also like to use a cookie scoop to add batter to each cupcake well.
To whip the cream cheese and heavy cream for the frosting, it’s nice to have a handheld mixer or stand mixer.
If you’d like to pipe the flower design onto the cupcakes, I used piping bags, a #12 round piping tip for the frosting, and a #8 round piping tip for the lemon curd. Alternatively, you can use a plastic bag with the tip cut off, the piping tips will just give a cleaner, more rounded, look. For the pink flowers shown in one of the images, I used a #21 star tip. See the FAQ section or recipe notes for more details on how I piped them.
Mini Lemon Chantilly Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- Lemon zester
- Fine mesh sieve or strainer
- Mini cupcake pan
- Piping bags & piping tips (optional)
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
- 2 ½ tbsp (35 g) butter (cut into pieces)
- ¼ cup + 3 tbsp (88 g) sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- 5 tbsp (75 g) lemon juice
- 2 eggs
Lemon Chantilly Cupcakes
- 1 cup (128 g) cake flour
- ⅔ cup (133 g) sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup (76 g) butter, softened
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp (13 g) oil (neutral oil)
- ⅓ cup (90 g) whole milk, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Whipped Cream Frosting
- 2 oz. (57 g) cream cheese, softened
- 3 tbsp (38 g) sugar
- 1 cup (240 g) heavy cream
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
Instructions
Prepare the Lemon Curd
- Add butter to a heat-safe bowl, set aside.
- Add sugar and lemon zest to a pot.
- (Optional) Use your fingers to rub the zest and sugar together until it feels like wet sand to release some of the flavor from the zest.
- Add lemon juice to the pot and mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk eggs thoroughly until fully blended. You want it to be one smooth mixture – no clumps of egg white should be visible. Add the whisked eggs to the pot and whisk well to combine.
- Cook mixture over low to medium-low heat, stirring continuously. Cook until the mixture coats the back of a spoon well*. The texture will resemble pudding. At this point, remove from the heat.
- Pour the lemon curd mixture through a fine-mesh sieve onto the butter. This will remove the lemon zest and any potential egg clumps.
- Stir the curd and the butter until the butter is melted and fully incorporated.
- Cover and refrigerate the curd until chilled.
Make the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Place a cupcake wrapper into each cupcake well.
- Combine cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add softened butter and mix until it resembles coarse sand.
- Add the oil and about half of the milk to the mixture. Mix on a medium speed for two minutes.
- Add the remaining milk, vanilla extract, egg, and lemon zest. Mix until well combined.
- Fill each lined cupcake well ¾ of the way with batter.
- Add a tiny dollop (about ¼ tsp) of lemon curd to the top of each cupcake.
- Bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Frosting
- Beat the softened cream cheese and sugar on a medium speed until smooth. Set aside.
- Whisk the heavy cream until it starts to hold its shape and resemble whipped cream.
- Add half of the cream cheese mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining cream cheese mixture and whisk until combined.
- Add the vanilla bean paste. Whisk the mixture until thick and fluffy.
Frost the Cupcakes
- When the cupcakes are cool, spread or pipe the whipped cream frosting onto each cupcake. Add a small dollop of lemon curd to the top of each one for extra lemon flavor.To decorate the cupcakes as shown, see the notes section below.
Notes
- Butter – cut into small cubes and allow to sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes. Alternatively, microwave it in short 5-second intervals on a defrost or low-power setting, rotating them in between each interval, until softened.
- Egg – place in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.
- Milk – microwave it in short bursts, stirring in between, until no longer cold. You can also do this on the stovetop by stirring the milk in a pot over low heat, until no longer cold.
If you try out this recipe for mini lemon chantilly cupcakes with vanilla bean whipped cream cheese frosting, I’d love to know what you think! Please leave a comment with a rating below and share a photo of your creation on Instagram using the hashtag #BrooksideKitchen and tag @BrooksideKitchen
