Cheesecake Stuffed Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting
Cheesecake Stuffed Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting are bright, zesty, and indulgent treats featuring light lemon cupcakes filled with creamy cheesecake and topped with tangy lemon frosting. Perfect for spring, summer, or any time you crave a sweet citrus dessert, these cupcakes are visually stunning and delicious.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes
- Category: Dessert, Cupcakes
- Method: Baking, Filling, Frosting
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 ⅔ cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 ¼ cups milk
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon lemon zest
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
3.3 oz instant cheesecake pudding mix
1 ½ cups milk (for pudding)
½ cup butter, softened (for frosting)
4 oz cream cheese, softened (for frosting)
16 oz powdered sugar, sifted (for frosting)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (for frosting)
1 teaspoon lemon zest (for frosting)
Yellow gel food coloring (optional, for frosting)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually add to wet ingredients, alternating with milk, starting and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
- Prepare cheesecake filling by whisking instant cheesecake pudding with 1 ½ cups milk according to package instructions.
- Fill cupcake liners halfway with batter, add 1–2 tablespoons of cheesecake filling, then top with remaining batter until ¾ full.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- For frosting: Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, then stir in lemon juice, lemon zest, and optional yellow gel coloring. Beat until fluffy.
- Frost cooled cupcakes using a piping bag or spatula. Garnish with lemon zest or small lemon candies if desired.
Notes
Use a piping bag for neat frosting swirls.
Cool cupcakes completely before frosting to prevent melting.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days.
Mini muffin tins can be used; reduce bake time to 12–15 minutes.
Optional: top with fresh berries for extra flavor and color.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 36g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
