Easy Small Batch Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes
These small batch lemon poppy seed cupcakes are one of my favorite desserts of all time! I've been making this recipe for well over a decade, and it's always a hit. The cupcakes are easy to make, super citrusy, a little nutty, and you get just 6 gorgeous servings. You don't even need extracts, just fresh lemons!
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!
Notes
With small batch baking, it's important to weight the ingredients with a scale instead of measuring cups. Even just a little extra flour can completely derail the recipe. But, if you don't have a scale, here's how to measure the flour. First, fluff it with a whisk. Spoon the fluffed flour into the measuring spoon and level it off without packing it in.
I used Diamond Kosher salt when I was testing this recipe. If you use Morton's, halve the amount of salt.
For high-altitude (around 4,500 feet), use half the amount of baking powder.
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.
Try topping the cupcakes with my small batch vanilla buttercream or this small batch cream cheese frosting.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupcakeCalories: 213kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 3gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 121mgPotassium: 65mgFiber: 1gSugar: 13gVitamin C: 0mgCalcium: 56mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!