Limoncello Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting (Printable)

Light lemon cupcakes infused with Limoncello liqueur, topped with creamy frosting for a refreshing Italian-inspired dessert.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Cupcakes

01 - 1½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ¼ teaspoon salt
04 - ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 2 tablespoons lemon zest
08 - ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
09 - ¼ cup Limoncello liqueur
10 - ½ cup whole milk, room temperature
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ For the Limoncello Frosting

12 - ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
13 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
14 - 2–3 tablespoons Limoncello liqueur
15 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
16 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
17 - Pinch of salt

# Step-by-step:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in lemon zest, lemon juice, Limoncello, and vanilla extract.
05 - Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
06 - Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full.
07 - Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
08 - In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Add Limoncello, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt, and beat until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
09 - Once cupcakes are completely cool, frost with the Limoncello frosting. Decorate with extra lemon zest if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The frosting is impossibly creamy and balances sweet with just enough bright citrus tang
  • These cupcakes stay moist for days thanks to the Limoncello keeping everything tender
  • They look elegant on a platter but come together with simple pantry ingredients
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter makes tough cupcakes so stop as soon as the flour disappears
  • Cold ingredients create curdled batter and uneven texture so everything must be room temperature
  • The cupcakes must be completely cool before frosting or the butter will melt and slide right off
03 -
  • Zest your lemons before juicing them so you do not struggle to get the zest from squeezed fruit
  • Sift the powdered sugar before making frosting to avoid any lumps in your silky finish

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