Lemon Sour Cream Cupcakes

5 from 1 vote

These moist Lemon Sour Cream Cupcakes with Whipped Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting are soft and delicious!

Prep Time20

Cook Time14

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

1 ½ sticks (170g) unsalted butter softened (holds it shape but dents when pressed)
2 cups (400g) sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (4g)
4 eggs, room temperature (If in a hurry, place eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.)
3 cups cake flour (342g) (We use Swan's Down)
2 teaspoons baking powder (8g)
½ teaspoon baking soda (3g)
½ teaspoon salt (3g)
1 tablespoon lemon extract (8g)
zest of two lemons
1 cup Sour Cream ( 242g) (Full fat is best)
⅓ cup juice from 1-2 lemons
¼ cup vegetable oil (54g) We use Canola Oil
Yellow Coloring Gel (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, add paper cupcake liners to cupcake pan(s)
In a medium bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt for 30 seconds. Set aside
In another bowl, add these wet ingredients: ⅓ cup lemon juice, lemon zest, vegetable oil, sour cream, vanilla extract and lemon extract Set aside.
In the bowl of your mixer, add the softened butter and mix at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and continue to mix on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes until lightened in color and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each until the yellow of the yolk has blended.
With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and wet/sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients (3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of liquid). **If adding a touch of yellow coloring gel, you can do this at any time.
Mix just until incorporated. Be careful not to over-mix.
Scoop about ¼ cup cake batter into each cupcake liner (in the cupcake pans)
Bake at 350 degrees for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just few crumbs attached. We like to remove cupcakes immediately from the pans to prevent over-baking. Baking times can vary depending on pan & oven- check at 14 minutes to be on the safe side, but it may take a few minutes more.
Makes about 24-28 cupcakes (approximately ¼ cup of batter per cupcake)

Freeze your mixing bowl and beaters 15 minutes before whipping the cream. Use the whisk attachment if using a stand mixer, or beaters on your hand mixer.
Beat the cream on medium high to high speed until stiff peaks form. You are at the stiff peak stage when you lift the beater and the cream stands straight up forming a peak. Keep in the refrigerator while completing the next step.
In another bowl combine the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon extract, and lemon zest. Mix until very smooth. (If using coloring gel, you can add at any time.)
Gently fold/mix the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture (or vice versa)- you can do this step with a spatula as we did today, or you can use a mixer on the lowest speed. Mix just until combined. Cover and refrigerate.

Once the cupcakes have cooled, decorate however you like! You can use an offset spatula to apply the frosting or you can pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes using your piping tips of choice. We used a 2D large star piping tip.

Because of the cream cheese frosting, these lemon sour cream cupcakes need to be refrigerated in an airtight container or under a cake dome. However, for the very best flavor and texture, it is important to remove the cupcakes from the refrigerator a couple of hours before serving. This will allow plenty of time for the cupcakes to warm and soften.

Recipe makes approximately 7 cups of cake batter (around 24-28 cupcakes)