Published: · Modified: by Pate Giltner 23 Comments
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These lemon, thyme, and rosemary cupcakes have such a lovely herby kick and all the lemony goodness! These cupcakes balance lemon with fresh rosemary and thyme and a tart lemon mascarpone cream cheese frosting.
Southern Italy inspires these cupcakes, and they combine all the wonderful flavors of the Amalfi Coast with a moist and light cupcake
How do these lemon cupcakes taste?
- Sunshine
- Summer
- Southern Italy
- Fresh lemons
- Subtle fresh herbs that are perfectly balanced with lemon
- Tart but light lemon mascarpone frosting
Key ingredients for this recipe:
- All-purpose Flour:This gives the cupcakes their structure.
- Sugar:Sugar is what makes these cupcakes so sweet. However, there's not too much; I'm not a fan of overly sweet desserts.
- Unsalted butter: the butter provides flavor and helps the cake to rise when beaten with sugar.
- Salt:Salt is the ultimate flavor enhancer, and fun fact, if you ever want a dessert to be sweeter, a lot of times, it means you need to up the salt and not the sugar.
- Baking powder:baking powder is the leavener in this recipe, and along with the eggs, helps the cookies to rise.
- Eggs:The eggs in this recipe act as a binding agent for all the ingredients.
- Milk:The milk adds both moisture and flavor to this recipe.
- Vanilla extract:In addition to the sugar, the vanilla provides sweetness and flavor.
- Fresh lemons:fresh lemon juice and zest are what give this recipe its lemon flavor.
- Fresh rosemary and thyme:this recipe has just the right amount of herbs to give a light but delightful rosemary and thyme flavor.
- Mascarpone:mascarpone is an Italian sweet cream cheese that's a sweet and less tart alternative to cream cheese.
- Lemon curd:homemade or store-bought lemon curd gives the frosting its sweet lemon flavor.
Step by step instructions:
- Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and by lining a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Next, whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl and then cream the butter and sugar together with a mixer
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition
- Combine the milk, vanilla, rosemary, thyme, and lemon zest together in a small bowl
- Add the flour and milk mixtures to the butter and sugar mixture
- Mix in the lemon juice
- Then divide the batter between prepared cupcake tins, filling ¾ of the way
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean
FAQ's
How to store these cupcakes:
These cupcakes will keep in an airtight container for up to three days in a refrigerator.
Tips and tricks for making cupcakes:
Cupcakes are super simple to make! The key to good cupcakes is to whip the butter and sugar thoroughly. This helps air to get whipped into the batter.
Thoroughly mince the herbs so that they blend nicely into the cupcakes and frosting.
Test the cupcakes after 20 minutes; if the cake springs back when touched, and if a knife or toothpick comes out clean, they are ready!
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Lemon, Thyme, and Rosemary Cupcakes
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.7 from 7 reviews
- Author: Pate Giltner
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 cupcakes 1x
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Homemade lemon cupcakes with a lovely herby kick! These cupcakes balance lemon with fresh rosemary and thyme and a tart lemon mascarpone cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
UnitsScale
For the cupcakes
- 2 ¼ cups sugar
- 2 sticks of butter (softened, or zapped in the microwave for 10 seconds)
- 3 eggs
- 1 egg white
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbs baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbs finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tbs finely chopped fresh thyme
- Zest from 1 lemon
- Juice from 2 lemons
For the icing:
- 2 ½ cup mascarpone
- 1 cup lemon curd
- 2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
- 4 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl
- In a stand mixer cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
- Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition
- Mix the milk, vanilla, rosemary, thyme, and lemon zest together in a small bowl
- Add flour mixture and milk mixture to the butter and sugar, starting with just ⅓ of each and alternating wet and dry ingredients.
- Mix in the lemon juice.
- Divide batter between prepared cupcake tins, filling ¾ of the way.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
For the icing
- Mix all the ingredients with a mixer and you're done!
Notes
- Cupcakes are super simple to make! The key to good cupcakes is to whip the butter and sugar thoroughly. This helps air to get whipped into the batter.
- Thoroughly mince the herbs so that they blend nicely into the cupcakes and frosting.
- Test the cupcakes after 20 minutes; if the cake springs back when touched, and if a knife or toothpick comes out clean, they are ready!
More Cupcakes
Reader Interactions
Comments
Elizabeth says
These are so summery and delicious!!!
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Kim Savettiere says
Can you use this recipe to make a cake ?
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Pate Giltner says
Hi Kim! Yes, you can. You could turn it into both an 8 or a 9 inch three layer cake, depending how thick you want your cake layers to be. You will have to adjust the baking time, I would start checking the layers at 20 minutes.
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Kim Savettiere says
Thank you! Very much appreciated. The recipe looks beautiful 🍋
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Mary says
These sound delicious! In the photo, the dried lemon slice, did you do that? Directions? Thanks!
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Pate Giltner says
Hi Mary!Thanks so much, they are so delicious! To make dried lemon slices, just thinly slice lemons and bake on a tray fitted with an oven safe cooling rack and bake at 200 degrees for 4-5 hours. It's super easy!
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latoshia taylor says
Hi pat! Will these be ok with vegan substitutions?
Reply
See AlsoMini Protein CheesecakesPate Giltner says
Hi! I’m am so sorry to say that I’m not sure. I’m not an expert in vegan baking. If you have a vegan vanilla cupcake recipe that you like I would use that and then just reduce the vanilla and add in the lemon and herbs. The icing should would with vegan cream cheese!
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Anonymous says
Thank you 😊
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B says
Wow these are incredible!! Everyone who tried them absolutely loved them!
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Pate Giltner says
I'm so glad you liked them!!! That makes my day!
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Jean S says
I followed this receipe and instead did two 8 inch round cakes (baked for 45 minutes). AMAZING! The batter is so light. The flavor with lemon, thyme and rosemary is so different but a surprisingly nice, light taste. I made my lemon curd, which next time I plan to use between my cake layers. And it was so nice the find a frosting that is not heavy and thick. Super happy with how this came out This was a winner with my family!!
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Pate Giltner says
I thank you so much Jean!! I am so thrilled you and your family loved it!
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Brenda says
Can these be frozen?
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Brenda says
Very nice flavors. I just wish the cake was less dense and more springy. They seemed more like muffins in texture.
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alli says
has anyone does these as mini cupcakes? i want to take these to a potluck and there’s always so much food i’d rather not do full size cupcakes. or maybe i could do a sheet pan cake and make little petit fours!
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Hely says
Can these babies be frozen? I made some yesterday, really lovely - thank you!!
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Liga says
Beautiful shots, by the way 🩷
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Roni says
These look great! Do you think they would work with 1:1 GF flour?
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Pate Giltner says
Hi! I haven't tested it, but it should!
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Jenna says
Hello, I am going to be making these tonight for a bridal shower for this weekend! I wanted to know, can I use a traditional lemon buttercream with these instead of the mascarpone icing? Thanks!
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Pate Giltner says
Absolutely!
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