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+ servings
lemon poppy seed cupcakes on a white marble plate.
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5 from 4 votes

Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes

Lemon poppy seed cupcakes- light and fluffy angel food lemon cupcakes with whipped cream. These lemon poppy cupcakes are made in one bowl in less than one hour and are bursting with fresh citrus flavor!

Equipment

Ingredients

Lemon Poppy Cupcake Batter

  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • ½ cup cake flour *see notes below for measuring*
  • 1 ½ teaspoon poppy seeds
  • teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 6 large egg whites room temperature
  • 2 teaspoon lemon juice

Whipped Cream Frosting

  • 2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream cold
  • cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest cold

Instructions

  • Line one cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners and a second pan with 3 liners. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
  • Process the sugar in a food processor or blender until fine and powdery. Then pulse in the lemon zest. Set aside.
  • Sift the flour into a bowl. Then whisk in ¼ cup of the processed lemon sugar, poppy seeds, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites and lemon juice together on medium-low until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium-high and slowly sprinkle in the remaining ½ cup of sugar. Keep mixing until soft peaks form, about 5-6 minutes.
  • Sift ⅓ of the flour mixture into the bowl of egg whites and use a rubber spatula to gently fold it in. Continue this same process with the rest of the flour mixture.
  • Spoon or use a cookie scoop to fill the cupcake liners ⅔-3/4 full with the batter.
  • Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes or until very lightly browned around the edges and when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Allow the cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack, then remove them and place them directly on the rack to cool completely before frosting.

For the Whipped Cream

  • In a small bowl, combine the gelatin and lemon juice. Set aside for 5 minutes. Melt the gelatin in the microwave until it dissolves and becomes liquid, about 10-15 seconds. It should be liquid but not hot, check and stir it frequently, then set it aside.
  • In a mixing bowl, whisk the cream and powdered sugar on high speed until it has started to thicken but isn’t at a soft peak yet.
  • With the mixer running, slowly stream the gelatin into the mixing bowl and mix until combined. If the gelatin has hardened, gently warm it again before using it.
  • Mix in the zest, then keep mixing until stiff peaks form. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.
  • Fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip with the whipped cream and pipe it on top of each cupcake. Garnish with a wedge of fresh lemon and extra poppy seeds if desired.
  • Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

*Measure your flour properly. This is my #1 baking tip! Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour as this always leads to using too much flour. Instead, use the spoon-level method. This means fluffing the flour first, then spooning it into your measuring cup/spoon. For the BEST results, use a kitchen scale!*
Use a cookie scoop for measuring. For accuracy, use a cookie scoop to scoop the batter into the liners. It's quicker and easier!