With summer in full swing, it's that time of year where zucchini is abundant, and you're always looking for ways to use up that garden zucchini before it goes bad in the fridge. Well, look no further! These moist Lemon Zucchini Cupcakes are the perfect summer dessert.
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I absolutely love zucchini breads and cakes, and this lemon zucchini cupcakes recipe is a new, fresh take on the classics. It has a super moist zucchini cake topped with a bright and luscious lemon cream cheese buttercream. It is one of the absolute best zucchini recipes!
Want to enjoy these delicious flavors for brunch? Try my lemon zucchini muffins!
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Why We Love This Recipe
- This great recipe can be made in only 6 really simple steps!
- The lemon and zucchini combination are a great twist on traditional spiced zucchini bread.
- The zucchini adds moisture and color, but it won't taste veggie-forward. It's my favorite way to eat my veggies and the perfect zucchini recipe!
- Lemon cream cheese buttercream frosting brings a tang that perfectly balances the sweet, delicious cupcakes.
Ingredients
- Zucchini - these long, green veggies are the star of this recipe. They bring so must moisture and color to these beautiful cupcakes. You can use any size you can find, although using larger zucchini will make for easier grating.
- Cream cheese - make sure you use full-fat cream cheese and not reduced fat or Neufchâtel cheese so you get a really fluffy cream cheese frosting.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- For a lime version of these zucchini cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, substitute the lemon zest with lime zest in both the cupcake batter and the cream cheese frosting.
- If you like adding nuts to your zucchini bread, try adding some toasted, chopped pecans into the batter before baking for a tasty crunch.
- Try making mini or jumbo cupcakes by swapping out the muffin tin.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: In a large bowl, mix granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and canola or vegetable oil. Then stir in the lemon zest, egg, vanilla extract, and sour cream.
Step 2: Sift all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cardamom, and salt into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
Step 3: Fold in the grated zucchini until evenly incorporated.
Step 4: Fill cupcake liners halfway using a cookie scoop or spoon batter into the muffin cups and bake until lightly browned and a toothpick comes out of the center clean. Place cupcakes on a wire rack and cool completely.
Step 5: In a medium bowl with an electric mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat room temperature cream cheese, butter, lemon zest, and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Transfer to a piping bag.
Step 6: Pipe frosting onto the top of each cupcake. I used a large closed-star piping tip.
Expert Tips
Tip #1 - It's important for your cream cheese and butter to be at room temperature, otherwise your frosting may have lumps. If they are too cold, remove any foil and microwave in 10 second bursts until soft but not melted.
Tip #2 - There are 3 ingredients in this zucchini cupcake recipe that ensure moist, fluffy cupcakes - shredded zucchini, sour cream, and oil. Make sure to use full fat sour cream and do not swap out the oil for butter!
Tip #3 - For extra lemony flavor in your cupcakes, mix the lemon zest into the granulated sugar with your fingers before adding the rest of the ingredients in Step 1. This is a great way to bring out the oil in the zest.
Recipe FAQs
While both long, dark green, and cylindrical, zucchini and cucumbers are quite different and cannot be substituted for each other in this recipe. Cucumbers have a thick, sometimes bitter skin and are quite watery inside. Zucchini are a summer squash with a lighter green stem on one side.
No, there is no need to peel zucchini before grating it. The peel is fully edible and adds great color to these cupcakes. Do make sure to wash the zucchini first since you will be eating the skin.
Since you don't really taste the zucchini, these taste like zesty lemon cupcakes! They almost remind me of Froot Loops.
Storage
Room Temperature: Frosted cupcakes can be stored at room temperature for 1 day. Unfrosted cupcakes should last at room temperature for 5 days.
Refrigerator: Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Freezing Instructions: Wrap unfrosted cupcakes and store them in a freezer bag for up to 1 month. Frosted cupcakes can also carefully be stored in the freezer.
Did you try this recipe? I'd love to see it! Tag @brokenovenbaking on Instagram & Facebook and leave a ⭐️ review below!
📖 Recipe
Lemon Zucchini Cupcakes
Equipment
- Cupcake pan
- Cupcake liners
- Measuring spoons
- Scale or measuring cups
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Scoop
- Cooling rack
- Hand mixer (recommended)
- Piping bag & tip (for frosting - optional)
Ingredients
Lemon Zucchini Cupcakes
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup (118.29 ml) canola oil
- 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) lemon zest lightly packed
- 1 large (1 large) egg room temperature
- ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60 g) sour cream room temperature
- 1½ cups (187 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) salt
- ⅔ cup (slightly less than 1 medium) (⅔ cup (slightly less than 1 medium)) zucchini shredded
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup (56.75 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 2½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
Lemon Zucchini Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F and fill a cupcake pan with liners.
- Shred the zucchini and pat out some of the moisture with paper towels.
- Whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, and canola oil. Then, stir in the lemon zest, egg, vanilla and sour cream.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cardamom and salt into the wet ingredients and gently whisk to combine until a few flour streaks remain.
- Fold in the zucchini until everything in the batter is evenly combined.
- Scoop batter into each liner so they're ½ full. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes sit in the pan until they're cool enough to transfer to a wire cooling rack.
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Mix the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl with a hand mixer.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip and frost the cooled cupcakes.
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