Mini Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Mascarpone Frosting
The fluffiest lemon cupcakes with creamy, dreamy lemon mascarpone frosting.
Servings: 75 mini cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 2 c sugar
- 1 c butter softened
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 4 tsp vanilla
- zest of 1 lemon
- 3 c flour
- 3 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 c milk
- 1/2 c lemon juice preferably freshly squeezed
Frosting
- 1 c butter softened
- 4 c powdered sugar
- 2 T lemon juice
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 8 oz mascarpone cheese softened
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Fill two or three mini muffin tins (or however many you have) with mini cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer), cream together butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).
- Add eggs one at a time, beating just until combined in between. Scrape bowl as needed.
- Stir in vanilla and lemon zest and beat on low speed just until combined.
- Add flour mixture a little at a time, mixing on low speed until combined.
- Add milk and lemon juice and mix on low speed until combined.
- Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, fill prepared mini cupcake tin, filling each about 3/4 full.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cupcakes are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs on it. Cool in tins for a couple of minutes and then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Frosting
- Beat powdered sugar and butter on medium high speed of electric mixer for about 4-5 minutes, until thick, creamy and fluffy.
- Beat in lemon juice and zest until combined.
- Add mascarpone and beat on low speed, just until combined. Do not overbeat or mascarpone will start to separate.
- Scoop frosting into a pastry bag and pipe onto cooled cupcakes. I used an Ateco #808 tip (it has a big round opening), but a star tip would be really pretty too.
- Decorate as desired, and enjoy! Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- You could use this recipe to make about 24 full-size cupcakes or a 9-inch layer cake also. If you do that, you'll need to extend the baking time - cupcakes will need about 20 minutes, and two 9-inch layers will need about half an hour (these are just estimates - best to start with a little less time and test with a toothpick, adding time as needed until done).
- Don't like mascarpone, or can't find it? You can sub cream cheese. If you do that, though, you'll want to beat the softened cream cheese with the butter first until fluffy, then add the powdered sugar and other ingredients after. Check out my recipe for Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting for a great cream cheese frosting recipe.