Chocolate Frosted Lemon Cupcakes
A bright lemon cupcake is filled with a sweet raspberry puree and topped with rich, fudgy Greek yogurt chocolate frosting. These filled Chocolate Lemon Cupcakes are perfect for celebrating!
You are going to love these cupcakes. They start with a bright lemon cake, flavored with lemon zest and juice. Once the cupcakes are baked and cooled, you’ll cut a little wedge out of the top of each one to make room for some sweet, homemade raspberry filling. I’ve used frozen raspberries so that you can make these cupcakes any time of year.
For the frosting, I doubled up on the chocolate and added both cocoa powder and melted bittersweet chocolate. Instead of sticking with a standard buttercream I added a bit of Greek yogurt to the frosting to up the fudgy factor. Often, you will find sour cream or cream cheese in a frosting, and Greek yogurt is a great healthier option. Not that I’m trying to make these cupcakes healthy. We are celebrating, and we’re going all out. Pile on that chocolatey frosting, and go for a second cupcake, while you’re at it.
Tips before you bake these cupcakes:
- The eggs and milk for the cupcakes need to be at room temperature, so place them on your counter about an hour before you plan to begin making the cupcakes.
- The butter for the frosting needs to be at room temperature, so place it on the counter to soften now, too.
- Before you can puree the raspberries for the raspberry filling, they will need to be completely thawed. Take them out of the freezer before you begin any of the other steps so they will have time to defrost. There’s lots of thawing/softening of ingredients going on here, and I promise it will be worth it! 😉
Chocolate Frosted Lemon Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Lemon Cupcakes:
- 1 ½ cups cake flour, (192 grams)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. lemon zest
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces, softened slightly but still cool
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup milk, whole milk is best, at room temperature
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
For the Raspberry Filling:
- 4 ounces frozen raspberries, thawed
- 2 tbsp. water
- 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
For the Chocolate Frosting:
- 3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- Fresh raspberries, for garnish
Instructions
Make the Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins with paper liners.
- Sift cake flour, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the lemon zest, and, using the paddle attachment, mix together briefly on low speed.
- With the mixer on medium-low, add the butter, one piece at a time, letting each piece incorporate before adding the next. Mix in the sugar and then increase the speed to medium and mix until the mixture looks like fine, sandy crumbs with a few larger pieces, about 3 minutes.
- Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Combine the milk, lemon juice, and vanilla in a liquid measuring cup. Pour the milk mixture into the batter and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Scoop batter into cupcake wells, filling each a little over half full. Bake cupcakes for 14-15 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely before filling and frosting.
Make the Raspberry Filling:
- While the cupcakes bake, puree thawed raspberries with 2 tbsp. water in a blender until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a small saucepan to remove the seeds. Stir in the sugar and cornstarch and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly with a small spatula, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool.
Fill the Cupcakes:
- Use a small paring knife to scoop a small wedge out of the top center of each cupcake. Put the raspberry puree into a piping bag fitted with a small tip. (Alternatively you can use a small spoon to scoop the filling into the cupcakes.) Pipe a small amount of filling into the top of each cupcake.
Make the Frosting:
- Melt the chopped chocolate in the microwave by heating it for one minute, stirring, and then heating in 15-second intervals until melted, stirring until smooth. Set aside to let cool.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 4 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Mix in the Greek yogurt and melted chocolate and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Frost cupcakes as desired and top with fresh raspberries.
I’m happy to hear that surgery was the only form of treatment that you had to do, Kristine. I think blogging is such a great outlet to help you focus on other things that you enjoy. I think these cupcakes are such a perfect way to celebrate your blog anniversary too! Your photos are so gorgeous and these cupcakes sound absolutely amazing!
Thank you, Danielle!! You are so kind. Blogging has been such an important outlet for me these past five years. It is work, but it’s work that I love!
Congrats on your 5 year bloggiversary! That’s so exciting! And I’m so glad everything worked out with your colon cancer in the end. It sounds like this blog was a great outlet for you and I’m glad it’s grown so much. These cupcakes are just beautiful! I wish you would teach me how to frost like this, as mine always comes out in big blobs! 🙂 Pinned!
Thank you for your kind words, Gayle! Frosting cupcakes just takes practice and the right tools. 🙂
These are beautiful! The frosting looks so light and creamy! Happy blogiversary!
Thank you, Kelly!
Wow these are so bright and gorgeous. Reminds me of warm summery days.
Thank you, Kathy!
Congrats on 5 years blogging! So glad that you are healthy and your house is full of crazy little ones 🙂 These cupcakes look amazing, you seriously have combined all my favorite things – raspberries, greek yogurt, lemon and chocolate! Who could’ve thought those ever went together, but you’ve done it! They look amazing!!!
Thank you, Jessica! Those are some of my very favorite things, too! It’s surprising how well lemon and chocolate go together.
Kristine, first of all, I’m amazed at the way you handled your illness. You’re right: nobody would ever know, and you must be so crazy strong to keep all the balls in the air. I’ve always enjoyed your blog, but now I am in so much more awe of you.
And your photos are amazing. I really am completely impressed. And not just because these cupcakes look delicious!
Mir, your words mean more to me than you can know. Thank you, friend!!!
Happy 5 year blogiversary Kristine! You have such delicious recipes, I love seeing what you’ve cooked up. Glad we’re internet friends. And I had no idea you had cancer! So glad you’re healthy and in the clear. we should have another big celebration for your 5 year mark from cancer. In the mean time, I can’t wait to make these cupcakes! All my favorite flavors : )
Thank you, Natalie! I really appreciate your thoughtful words!
One of my favorite things ever is lemon cupcakes. These cupcakes look moist and perfect!
Thanks so much, Layla!
I can only echo was everyone has said above: Amazing how strong you went through your illness! I’m so glad it got caught in time. And happy, happy 5 year blogiversary! Way to pick a date for starting your blog 😉 And WAY to celebrate, those cupcakes look incredible!q
Thank you, Nora! Your words mean a lot to me. 🙂
OK, I’m not sure if WordPress swallowed my comment or if you now have a double from me 🙂 But I was just saying how amazingly you beat your illness! So impressive. And way to pick a date to start your blog 😉 You’re definitely celebrating in style, these cupcakes look delicious and the pictures are simply gorgeous!
I do have double, but always love hearing from you! 😉
Happy 5 year blogiversary! What a scare you had to endure. I’m sorry you went through all that. But so glad everything is great now and we can celebrate life and cupcakes and all your awesome blogging achievements! XO
Thanks, Liz! I’m trying to celebrate a lot these days! 🙂
Yum – those cupcakes look amazing!! Super moist and fluffy looking! Pinned 🙂
Thank you, Christina!
Dear Kristine, these cupcakes are so beautiful. They look so light and moist…absolutely perfect. xo, Catherine
Thank you, Catherine! They really are so light and bright for Spring!
Kristine, I had no idea you’d had such a health scare, and I’m so glad you came through it! Thank you for sharing all that — and I’m really glad I’ve gotten to get to know you some this past year or so and I do so love your blog! Happy 5 years, and these cupcakes are certainly worthy of the big celebration. They’re gorgeous and I’d love about a dozen! Congrats, my friend!
I am so glad I’ve gotten to know you too, Marcie! Thank you for your thoughtful words, friend! 🙂
What beautiful cupcakes to celebrate such a milestone! Five years is a big accomplishment!
I had no idea you had colon cancer. So glad it was caught early. We had a cancer scare with our son a year and a half ago (he’s been cancer-free over a year now!) and I totally get what a great outlet blogging can be during such a stressful time
I am so glad to hear that your son is doing well. It was scary enough having cancer myself, I cannot even imagine having to go through that with my child. Hugs to you!
Happy blogiversary! These cupcakes look delicious and I like how you lightened up the frosting with Greek yogurt. It’s amazing how things can change in 5 years. Wishing you continued good health.
Thank you, Thao! A lot does change in 5 years!
Kristine, I had no idea that you are a colon cancer survivor…that would have been so scary! Thank-you for sharing, and for your constantly positive outlook on life 🙂 And happy blogiversary (I know, I’m late!!! Sorry!!!) Love these cupcakes, they look seriously delicious, and I love the raspberry/lemon/chocolate combo…divine!
Thank you, Denise! Your comment made me smile. 🙂
These look amazing! Just pinned to try and make sometime. WOW! 🙂
Thanks, Brittany! If you try these, I hope you like them!