I’m currently obsessed with roasted strawberry jam, and these lemon cupcakes topped with roasted strawberry cream cheese frosting are a delicious way to showcase it. Strawberries and lemon are an ideal summer pairing — bright, fresh, and perfectly balanced.
How to Make Lemon Cupcakes with Roasted Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Make the Cupcake Batter
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two cupcake pans with liners; this recipe yields 18 cupcakes. Whisk the dry ingredients — all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt — in a medium bowl to combine.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated after each addition.
Combine the milk, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla in a large liquid measuring cup or bowl. Note: the lemon juice may cause the milk to curdle slightly; this is normal and won’t affect the batter.
You should now have three bowls: the creamed butter/sugar/eggs, the dry ingredients, and the milk mixture. Add the dry and wet ingredients to the creamed mixture in alternating additions: 1/3 of the dry ingredients, then half the milk mixture, then repeat — finishing with the dry ingredients. Mix just until mostly combined; a few streaks of flour are fine. Avoid overmixing for tender cupcakes.
Bake the Cupcakes
Scoop batter into liners using a standard 4 oz ice cream scoop; this fills the liners nearly to the top, leaving about 1/2 inch for rise. Bake at 350°F for 20–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
Pro tip: Removing cupcakes when a toothpick comes out completely clean can dry them out, since they continue to cook in the hot pan. Pull them when the toothpick still has a few moist crumbs for the best texture.
Make the Roasted Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese until completely smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the butter and beat another 2–3 minutes until the mixture lightens in color.
Stir in a pinch of salt and the vanilla extract. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, continuing until the frosting is slightly firmer than the desired final consistency (the roasted strawberry jam will thin it). Mix in the roasted strawberry jam. If the frosting becomes too thin, add powdered sugar 2 tablespoons at a time until it firms up to your liking.
Decorating Cupcakes
I decorated these cupcakes two ways to give you serving ideas — feel free to get creative.
No piping bag or tip? Try the jam-topped method. Dollop 2–3 tablespoons of frosting onto the center of each cupcake and spread it outward with an offset spatula or butter knife, keeping the top relatively flat. Hold the spatula vertically against the cupcake and rotate it to scrape away excess frosting and create clean, straight sides. Finish with a small swirl on top and a drizzle of extra roasted strawberry jam.
If you have a piping bag and tip, use a star or flower tip and pipe a classic swirl. A Wilton 2D-style tip works well. I like to pipe generous mounds of frosting for a rich, indulgent balance, but pipe to your preference and top with a fresh strawberry if desired.
Lemon Strawberry Cupcakes
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- Author: Elizabeth Buuck
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 18 Cupcakes
- Category: Cakes and Pies
- Cuisine: Dessert, Snack
Description
These cupcakes are simple to make but impressive in flavor, combining bright lemon with the concentrated sweetness of roasted strawberries. A creamy cream cheese frosting infused with roasted strawberry jam finishes them beautifully.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cupcakes
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 8 TBSP (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup milk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, room temperature
For Roasted Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 TBSP unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 oz (1 block) full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 6–7 cups powdered sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup roasted strawberry jam
Roasted Strawberry Jam
- 1 cup roasted strawberry puree
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 TBSP water
- 2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two cupcake pans with 18 liners.
- Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer for 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until combined.
- In a large measuring cup or bowl, combine the milk, Greek yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk mixture to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients, then 1/2 of the milk mixture, and repeat.
- Use a standard 4 oz ice cream scoop to fill the cupcake liners.
- Bake for 20–22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Cool cupcakes on a wire rack while you prepare the frosting.
For the Frosting
- Beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the butter and beat an additional 2–3 minutes.
- Add a pinch of salt and the vanilla, mixing to combine.
- Add powdered sugar one cup at a time until the frosting is slightly stiffer than desired.
- Mix in the roasted strawberry jam.
- If the frosting becomes too thin, add powdered sugar 2 TBSP at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.
For the Roasted Strawberry Jam
- Combine the roasted strawberry puree, sugar, water, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Heat over medium until the jam thickens slightly; it will continue to set as it cools.
- For more detail on roasting strawberries, refer to your preferred roasted strawberry jam method or recipe source.
Notes
Scrape down the sides of your mixing bowls frequently to ensure even mixing. This helps the cupcakes bake uniformly and prevents pockets of unmixed ingredients.