I love lemon.
Lemon Bars, lemon tarts & lemon chiffon cake to name a few.
These lemon cupcakes, like I’ve mentioned before for the Lemon Cupcakes with Lavender Buttercream, are like little cakes of sunshine.
However, this dessert was more inspired by my love of a bear.
Yes, a bear.
More specifically, an adorable yellow bear who lives in Hundred Acre Wood.
I’ve had a Winnie the Pooh stuffed bear since the second grade. Or, was it the third?
That cuddly bear with a rumbly in his tumbly inspires even today.
It was last year that I found out about January 18th as Winnie the Pooh day and being so in love with the bear, I couldn’t wait to make something this year! Obviously, if you know me, I didn’t come up with an appropriate dessert to make until the last minute!
The Lemon cupcakes are topped with a delicious White Chocolate & Lemon Buttercream. The light, citrus cupcakes with a tender crumb pair wonderfully with the creamy white chocolate buttercream for a refreshing dessert.
If you try out this recipe, please let me know! Tag me on instagram (_littlemiracles_). Feel free to leave a comment below; let me know what you think! I love to hear from you all! Follow me on Instagram: @_littlemiracles_ or just click on the Follow Me! button on the top right hand of the page to get an email every time there’s a post!♥
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon zest
- 3 nos egg whites large
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup milk room temperature
- 1 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 226 gms unsalted butter room temperature
- 240 gms confectioners' sugar
- 170 gms white chocolate melted and cooled
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice + extra
- Pinch of salt
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Preheat oven to 180º C/350º F. Line a 12 cupcakes pan with liners and set aside.
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Measure all ingredients and set aside. Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl, set aside.
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Beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl till light and fluffy. Add the sour cream and beat well.
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Pour in the vanilla and lemon zest and mix well.
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Halve the seperated egg whites and add one portion and beat well. Add in the remaining egg whites and mix till combined completely.
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Add in half of the dry ingredients and combine.
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Mix the milk, water and lemon juice together separately and pour into batter. Mix well.
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Add the remaining half of dry ingredients and beat well, using a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure everything mixes fully.
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Pour batter into prepared cupcake liners about 3/4 full. Bake for about 15 minutes, keeping an eye on them and using a toothpick/ cake tester to check if they’re done.
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Remove from oven when they’re done and leave to cool for a couple minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.
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Prepare buttercream while cupcakes cool.
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Beat butter at medium speed until creamy.
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Add confectioners' sugar in batches, continuing to whisk until completely combined. Adding all at once will cause the sugar to fly while whisking.
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Pour the melted & cooled white chocolate and whisk to combine. Add the 1 tbsp of lemon juice and beat until desired consistency- adding some more lemon juice for a thinner frosting.
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Taste and add pinch of salt if needed. I added just a pinch.
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If frosting for regular cupcakes, use preferred piping tip. Spoon buttercream into a piping bag and pipe. My favorite icing tip is the 1M Wilton tip.
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If making the Winnie the Pooh cupcakes, then colour half of the icing yellow and a quarter dark brown.
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Using a large round piping tip, pipe yellow frosting from the center outwards in circles. Using an offset spatula, gently spread icing as smooth as possible.
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Using a thin round tip, pipe brown frosting for the eyes & eyebrows.
- If storing in the refrigerator to pipe or frost at a later time, you may need to add a splash of lemon juice once it has reached room temperature to get back the creamy consistency.
- Winnie the Pooh's eyebrows are not over his eyes, but a little to the side.
White Chocolate Buttercream recipe adapted from Also the Crumbs Please.
