These Vegan Lemon Cupcakes are soft and fluffy and are filled with tangy lemon curd. Then, the cupcakes are topped with lemon buttercream frosting for a dessert lemon lovers will love.
I love baking with lemon! I love it as a complementary flavor like in Vegan Blueberry Lemon Cookies as well as a main flavor like in Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins or Vegan Lemon Cake. It's just so bright and refreshing!
And these Vegan Lemon Curd Filled Cupcakes are my most lemony dessert! They are triple lemon with lemon cupcake batter, vegan lemon curd filling and vegan lemon frosting. So, if you love lemon, these are for you.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- These Vegan Lemon Cupcakes use simple ingredients and an easy-to-follow method.
- They are full of lemon flavor and are packed with lemon zest and lemon juice!
- The lemon frosting is light and fluffy.
- And the vegan lemon curd filling is tangy and silky.
- But most importantly, they are absolutely delicious!
Ingredient Notes
Lemon Zest: All of the lemon flavor lives in the zest! So, instead of using lemon extract, I use lemon zest in the cupcake batter, in the lemon curd filling and in the frosting.
Fresh Lemon Juice: Be sure to use fresh lemon juice for this Vegan Lemon Cupcakes recipe- you will taste the difference if you use bottled juice.
Vegan Butter: Be sure to use a vegan butter that comes in stick form. The kind that comes in a tub is too soft for making frosting. My favorites are Earth Balance Soy-Free Buttery Sticks and Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks. But if you want a lemon dessert that doesn't require frosting, make my Vegan Lemon Bundt Cake!
Lemon Curd: The lemon curd only requires 6 ingredients and 10 minutes to make and is is bright and tangy and makes the perfect cupcake filling.
Lemon Frosting: And the frosting is only 4 ingredients! You will need a hand mixer or a stand mixer to get it light and fluffy though.
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1. First, make the vegan lemon curd by combining cornstarch, sugar, coconut milk, salt and turmeric in a small sauce pan. Whisk well and place the pot over medium heat.
Step 2. Cook whisking constantly until the mixture reaches a full boil and allow the mixture to boil for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and immediately transfer to a heat-safe container and place in the refrigerator until cold.
Step 3. To make the cupcake batter, combine the sugar, non-dairy milk, canola oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
Step 4. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk to form the lemon cupcake batter.
Step 5. Scoop the batter into a lined cupcake tin and bake in a 350* oven for about 20 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before filling and frosting.
Step 6. Next, make the vegan lemon buttercream frosting by creaming vegan butter and lemon zest until completely smooth. Then, add powdered sugar and mix until combined. Finally, add lemon juice and mix until light and fluffy.
Step 7. To fill the cupcakes, take a small paring knife and cut a hole into each cupcake that is about ½ inch in diameter. Scoop the lemon curd into a piping bag and fill each cavity with the lemon curd.
Step 8. Scoop the lemon frosting into a piping bag that is fitted with your favorite piping tip and decorate the Vegan Lemon Cupcakes as desired. Serve.
Recipe FAQs
To store, place the cupcakes into an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Yes. The flavors of lemon and vanilla pair really nicely! In fact, if you wanted to use Vegan Vanilla Frosting on these cupcakes instead of lemon frosting, it would be delicious!
The secret to super moist cupcakes is using oil in the batter! Since oil is a liquid at room temperature, the cupcakes will stay soft and moist even once they are completely cool.
No. They will start to dry out by day 3. If you want to bake the cupcakes ahead of time, do it the night before and they will be great! Store them in an airtight container and fill and frost them the next day.
Expert Recipe Tips
When making the lemon curd, be sure to whisk constantly. If you stop whisking, the curd will quickly stick and burn to the bottom of the pan.
Start with the lemon curd because it will take the longest to cool.
Be sure that the lemon curd filling is cold- not just cool- and that the Vegan Lemon Cupcakes are completely cool before filling and frosting the cupcakes.
Looking for More Vegan Dessert Recipes?
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling
Equipment
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Rubber Spatula
- 1 Cupcake Tin
- 12 Paper Cupcake Liners
- 1 1 Quart Saucepan
- 1 Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
Ingredients
For the Lemon Curd
- ¼ Cup Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- ⅓ Cup Canned Coconut Milk
- ¼ Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 Pinch Kosher Salt
- 1 Pinch Turmeric optional, just for color
For the Lemon Cupcakes
- 1 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt ¼ teaspoon if using table salt.
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- ¾ Cup Non-Dairy Milk
- ⅓ Cup Canola Oil
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Zest this is the zest of 1 ½ lemons
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
For the Lemon Frosting
- 8 tablespoon Vegan Butter, room temperature see note
- 2 teaspoon Lemon Zest This is the zest of 1 lemon
- 2 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
Instructions
To Make the Lemon Curd
- In a 1-quart sauce pan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Whisk to break up any cornstarch, then add the coconut milk, lemon juice, salt and turmeric.¼ Cup Sugar, 1 tablespoon Cornstarch, ⅓ Cup Canned Coconut Milk, ¼ Cup Fresh Lemon Juice, 1 Pinch Kosher Salt, 1 Pinch Turmeric
- Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a full boil. Then, allow the mixture to boil for 30 seconds while still whisking constantly. Remove from heat and immediately pour into a heat-safe container and refrigerate until completely cold, at least 3 hours.
To Make the Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350* F. Line a cupcake tin with 12 paper liners.
- Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk and set aside.1 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour, 2 teaspoon Baking Powder, ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- In a large bowl, combine sugar, non-dairy milk, canola oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla. Whisk well. Then, add the dry ingredients and whisk once more to form the batter.1 Cup Granulated Sugar, ¾ Cup Non-Dairy Milk, ⅓ Cup Canola Oil, 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice, 1 tablespoon Lemon Zest, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Scoop the batter into a prepared muffin tin, filling each liner about ⅔ of the way full. You will get exactly 12 cupcakes. Bake in a 350* F oven for 19-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Allow to cool completely before filling and frosting.
To Make the Lemon Frosting
- In a bowl using a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the vegan butter with the lemon zest until completely smooth.8 tablespoon Vegan Butter, room temperature, 2 teaspoon Lemon Zest
- Add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Then add the lemon juice and mix until the frosting is light and fluffy.2 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted, 1 tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
To Fill and Frost the Cupcakes
- Scoop the lemon curd into a piping bag. No need for a piping tip. Then, scoop the frosting into a piping bag that is fitted with your desired piping tip. I used a Wilton 2D.
- Use a paring knife to cut a small hole into the center of each cupcake. Pipe the lemon curd into the hole. Then, frost as desired with lemon frosting and serve!
