The Domestic Rebel

Everyday Ingredients, Extraordinary Desserts

Lemon Bar Cupcakes

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lemon bar cupcakes arranged with lemon slices on wood standI love lemon desserts. They’re easily one of my favorites in anything – cakes, cookies, bars, you name it. And lemon totally reminds me of springtime, but without the allergies, sinus infections, pollen everywhere, and random days of hot weather that spring usually brings.

All that I can do without.

And one of the first things I baked when I first started baking was lemon bars. Well… my version of lemon bars. It was simply lemon cake mix, baked into a bar recipe, and studded with white chocolate chips. They were so simple but so delicious, and to this day they’re still one of my family’s favorite recipes.

aerial view of a lemon bar cupcake on a wood boardThese Lemon Bar Cupcakes get their name because they have lemon bar filling inside the cupcake and in the luscious frosting. They’re sweet, tart, and bursting with lemon flavor from that irresistible lemon bar filling, and they have just the right hint of crunch and sparkle from the yellow sugar sprinkled on top.

Springtime in a cupcake – with no traces of allergies? Sign me up!

closeup photo of a lemon bar cupcake on a wood stand

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4.80 from 5 votes

Lemon Bar Cupcakes

These Lemon Bar Cupcakes get their name from the lemon bar filling in the cupcake and in the frosting! Luscious, light, and bursting with flavor, these cupcakes epitomize springtime!
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time18 minutes
Total Time43 minutes
Course: Cakes/Cupcakes
Cuisine: American, Dessert
Servings: 18
Author: Hayley Parker, The Domestic Rebel

Ingredients

  • 1 box lemon cake mix plus ingredients on back of box
  • 1 small box lemon pudding mix just the dry mix - I used sugar free, but you can use any kind
  • 1 can Duncan Hines Lemon Pie Filling
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • About 3-4 cups powdered sugar
  • Yellow sanding sugar for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350* degrees F. Line 2 muffin tins with about 18 paper liners. Set aside. Meanwhile, prepare the cake mix according to package directions on back of box. Stir in the lemon dry pudding mix to incorporate.
  • Fill each muffin tin about 3/4 of the way full with the batter. Bake for approx. 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Cool the cupcakes completely.
  • Using a small paring knife or a cupcake corer, core the cupcakes and discard centers, being careful not to puncture through the cupcake's bottom. You only want to core about halfway through the cupcake. Fill with some of the lemon pie filling.
  • Now, to make your frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter, vanilla extract, and 1/3 cup of the lemon pie filling until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until frosting is light and fluffy. You may not need all of the powdered sugar. If frosting becomes too thick, add in a little more lemon pie filling.
  • Spoon the frosting into a piping bag attached with a large open-star tip. Begin piping the frosting onto the cupcakes, taking care to cover the lemon filling in the center. Sprinkle immediately with the yellow sanding sugar. Serve immediately, or store cupcakes airtight at room temperature for up to a day, or airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days.

aerial view of lemon bar cupcakes arranged on wooden stand with lemon wedges

lemon bar cupcake with bite missing on wooden boardYou guys – I cannot emphasize enough at how marvelous these cupcakes are! So light and fluffy, with that creamy lemon bar frosting and the gooey lemon bar filling. These are the ultimate springtime lemon cupcakes for a lemon dessert lover!

lemon bar cupcakes collageHope you have a sweet Sunday!

xo, Hayley

 

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Comments

    • Heck yeah, honey! You’re officially signed up. Come on down to California and I’ll bake these for your sweet face!!!

      Reply

    • Sandra, feel free to search a site like AllRecipes.com for a scratch-made lemon cake. Then proceed as normal! 🙂

      Reply

    • Hi Laura, if there’s pudding in the cake mix you can omit the pudding from the recipe. However, I’ve added pudding to cake mix containing pudding and it works just the same 🙂

      Reply

  19. Pure perfection. Can’t wait to have a reason to make them again. A huge hit. And fun to make!

    Reply

  20. These look yummy!! But would they hold up at room temperature for about 4 hours? I have an open house I would like to use them at!

    Reply

  21. I have tried this recipe twice. The cupcakes come out of the oven looking like souffles and very shortly afterwards they have shrunk down and in to mini cupcake size. Why? I ask? Did any one else have this problem? and, what can you do to keep them from shrinking?

    Reply

    • Hi Donna! I am sorry this recipe is giving you troubles. Some suggestions: when too much air is incorporated into the cake batter (as is the case with accidentally over-mixing the batter), this will cause the cupcakes to deflate and shrink once removed from the oven. Also, make sure you fill your cupcake tins 3/4 full, which still gives the cupcakes space to expand and rise. Hope this helps!

      Reply

  23. 5 stars
    Very delicious! I made a homemade lemon curd for the filling because I couldn’t find canned lemon pie filling. That wasn’t too hard to do and it all turned out amazing! The yellow sanding sugar really sets these off. Family and friends loved them!

    Reply

  24. 5 stars
    Theses are delicious. I think I put too much filling in the cupcake, so you might want to watch your portion. The frosting is delicious. I made these for a birthday party and they were a hit!

    Reply

  25. 4 stars
    Just took the cupcakes out of the oven. Am going to refrigerate them after frosting. Taking them to a picnic tomorrow, so will refrigerate them until then. My concern is the sugaring will it dissolve if refrigerated
    Thank you!

    Reply

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