Lemon poppy seed is one of my favorite flavor combos of all time, and these small batch lemon poppy seed cupcakes are unbelievably delicious! They are super fluffy, full of citrus flavor (no extract needed!), and the poppy seeds add a nice nutty crunch. The recipe comes together in about 30 minutes, and you'll end up with just 6 servings!
I just got back from Guatemala, where we had the most incredible mangoes, papayas, and watermelons. And then I came back to a big rainstorm and the most flavorless berries I've ever eaten in my life. 🥲 Summer cannot come soon enough.
Luckily, in this weird in-between time, we have lemons! I know citrus season is kind of over, but lemon is year-round for me. And since Mother's Day was this last weekend, I wanted to make my mom a dessert using one of her favorite things: lemon poppy seed!
I've been making a version of these cupcakes since I was in pastry school, but I pared down the recipe so it makes just 6 servings. The cupcakes have a big pop of citrus, but you don't need extracts or any artificial ingredients. Just a few fresh lemons!
Like my small batch vanilla cupcakes, these come together super quickly and easily. All you need is a hand mixer! Top the cupcakes with my small batch cream cheese frosting or even this fluffy vanilla buttercream. Sooo good!
Bake this recipe
Whether you use a hand mixer or a stand mixer, make sure you don't over-mix the batter! Adding too much air will make the cupcakes sink in the center. Mix just until there are no more streaks of flour or milk.
Lemon sugar
I don't mind lemon extract, but I don't like storing a bunch of random flavorings in my pantry lol. So I try to use natural flavors as much as possible! To make these cakes super lemony, we're going to make lemon sugar. (Don't worry, it's super easy.)
To make it, just rub the granulated sugar and lemon zest together until the lemon zest releases its oils. Don't overdo it, though, or the zest will get bitter!
When it comes to small batch baking, I always recommend using a scale to measure the ingredients. Just a small amount of flour can make or break an entire recipe. But if you don't have a scale, use the fluff, spoon, & level method to measure flour, cocoa, & other dry ingredients. Here is a whole guide on how I measure ingredients for small batch baking!
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Easy Small Batch Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes
Equipment
- Hand mixer
- Standard cupcake pan
- Paper cupcake liners
Ingredients
- 80 grams all-purpose flour (⅔ cup)
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Kosher salt I use Diamond
- 10 grams poppy seeds (1 Tablespoon)
- 80 milliliters whole milk (⅓ cup)
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil I use avocado oil
- 75 grams granulated sugar (6 Tablespoons)
- 3 grams lemon zest (1 Tablespoon, lightly packed)
- 60 grams unsalted butter softened (¼ cup)
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a standard cupcake pan with 6 paper cupcake liners.
- Whisk the all-purpose flour, baking powder, Kosher salt, and poppy seeds together in a small bowl. Then, combine the whole milk, lemon juice, and oil in a small measuring cup. (It may curdle, but that's ok!)
- Add the granulated sugar and lemon zest to a medium mixing bowl. Using clean fingers, rub the sugar and lemon zest together until the lemon zest releases its oils and it smells very fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the softened unsalted butter to the lemon sugar. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until it's very light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula halfway through to ensure everything is well-mixed. Then, add the egg and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix until the batter is about 75% combined. Then, add the whole milk mixture. Stir just until the batter comes together. Don't over-mix or the cupcakes will turn out dense and dry.
- Using a cupcake scoop, evenly divide the batter between the cupcake liners. They should be about ¾ of the way full.
- Bake the cupcakes for 15-17 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick has just a few moist crumbs. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then, transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost and decorate as desired. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear what you think!