I’m currently obsessed with roasted strawberry jam, and these lemon cupcakes with roasted strawberry cream cheese frosting are a favorite way to use it. The bright lemon cake paired with tangy, jam-infused cream cheese frosting captures classic summer flavors—fresh, vibrant, and utterly satisfying.
How to Make Lemon Cupcakes with Roasted Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Make the Cupcake Batter
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two standard cupcake pans with liners — this recipe yields 18 cupcakes. Whisk the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt) in a medium bowl until evenly combined.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition until incorporated.
In a separate container, combine milk, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla. The lemon juice may curdle the milk slightly—this is normal and won’t affect the final cupcakes.
With three components ready—the butter mixture, dry ingredients, and the milk mixture—combine them by adding one-third of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, followed by half of the milk mixture. Repeat, finishing with the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined; a few streaks of flour are fine. Avoid overmixing to keep the cupcakes tender.
Bake the Cupcakes
Use a standard 4 oz ice cream scoop to portion batter into liners, filling them nearly to the top and leaving about 1/2 inch for rise. Bake at 350°F for 20–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
Pro tip: Remove the cupcakes when the toothpick still has a few moist crumbs. If you wait for a completely clean toothpick, the cupcakes can overbake as they cool in the hot pan and become dry.
Make the Roasted Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat full-fat cream cheese until completely smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add softened butter and beat 2–3 minutes more until the mixture lightens in color.
Add a pinch of salt and vanilla extract, then begin adding powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Build the frosting to a thicker-than-final consistency because the roasted strawberry jam will thin it. Mix in about 1/4 cup roasted strawberry jam and combine. If the frosting becomes too thin, add powdered sugar 2 tablespoons at a time until you reach the desired thickness.
Decorating Cupcakes
I decorated these cupcakes two different ways to show options—use whichever method suits your tools and taste.
No piping bag? Spoon 2–3 tablespoons of frosting onto each cooled cupcake and use an offset spatula or butter knife to spread it. Smooth the edges by holding the spatula vertically and rotating the cupcake to scrape away excess frosting for clean sides. Swirl the top and drizzle a little extra roasted strawberry jam.
If you have a piping bag, fit it with a star or flower tip (Wilton 2D works well) and pipe a generous swirl. Finish with a fresh strawberry or a small spoonful of jam for an extra pop of flavor.
Lemon Strawberry Cupcakes
No reviews
- 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 yet deliver bold lemon and roasted strawberry flavors. The cream cheese frosting adds the perfect creamy, tangy finish.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cupcakes
- 2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 8 TBSP (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 3/4 C granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 C milk, room temperature
- 1/2 C 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 C powdered sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 C roasted strawberry jam
Roasted Strawberry Jam
- 1 C roasted strawberry puree
- 1/4 C 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 total.
- Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer for 3 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing to combine after each.
- In a large measuring cup or bowl, combine milk, Greek yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla.
- Alternate adding dry ingredients and the milk mixture to the butter mixture, starting and ending with dry ingredients. (Add 1/3 of dry ingredients, then 1/2 of milk mixture, repeat.)
- Use a standard 4 oz ice cream scoop to portion batter into liners.
- Bake 20–22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Cool on a wire rack while you prepare the frosting.
For the Frosting
- Beat cream cheese in a stand mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add butter and beat 2–3 minutes until lightened.
- Add a pinch of salt and vanilla, mixing to combine.
- Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, building the frosting thicker than final since jam will thin it.
- Stir in roasted strawberry jam.
- If frosting becomes too thin, add powdered sugar 2 TBSP at a time until desired consistency is reached.
For the Roasted Strawberry Jam
- Combine roasted strawberry puree, granulated sugar, water, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Heat over medium until the mixture thickens slightly; it will continue to thicken as it cools.
- For more on roasting strawberries and making the puree, refer to other roasted strawberry recipes for technique and tips.
Notes
Scrape the bowl sides periodically to ensure even mixing. Properly combined batter helps cupcakes bake evenly and prevents pockets of unmixed ingredients.