Blood Orange Lemon Cupcakes
Celebrating citrus season with the lightest and brightest blood orange lemon cupcakes made with my favorite Sunkist® citrus! Filled with bright and tangy lemon curd made with Sunkist lemons, these fluffy citrus cupcakes are a must bake!
Topped with naturally pink blood orange frosting, made from freshly-squeezed Sunkist Blood orange juice, these beauties are the most delicious way to brighten up the week.
Vitamin C-filled Sunkist Blood oranges are available now through May and have a rich orange flavor with a hint of raspberry that pairs perfectly with the lemon curd. Sunkist lemons are available all year round, and their bright and zesty flavor really makes the cupcakes pop!
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How to Make Blood Orange Lemon Cupcakes
Lemon Curd – Bright and tangy homemade lemon curd makes the most delicious cupcake filling. To make the curd, combine Sunkist lemon zest and juice in a small saucepan with sugar, a pinch of salt, and two large eggs. Cook over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened. Gradually whisk in unsalted butter, a few pieces at a time, until melted. Continue cooking until curd is smooth and thickened, and coats the back of a spoon.
Strain curd through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Press a piece of plastic directly on the surface, and chill for at least 1 hour before using. Lemon curd can be made 1-2 days ahead and chilled until ready to use.
Cupcakes – Flavored with Sunkist Blood orange and lemon zest, these cupcakes bake up golden and buttery. Buttermilk and creamy Greek yogurt make each cupcake soft and fluffy, and cake flour ensures a tender crumb. For the best cupcakes, use room temperature ingredients and a gentle hand while mixing the batter.
Bake Cupcakes – Bake cupcakes for 18 to 20 minutes, until tops spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool in pans on wire racks for 2 minutes before removing from pans to cool completely.
Blood Orange Frosting – To make the frosting, beat butter and salt in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually mix in powdered sugar on low speed until incorporated. Add Sunkist Blood orange juice and lemon juice and mix in on low speed until smooth. Increase speed to medium-high and beat frosting for another minute, until light and airy.
Fill Cupcakes – To fill the cupcakes, use a small paring knife to cut a small cone out of the center of each cupcake. Fill each cupcake with a spoonful of lemon curd.
Decorate Cupcakes – Transfer frosting to a large piping bag fitted with a large star tip and decorate cupcakes. If desired, garnish cupcakes with a Sunkist Blood orange or lemon wedge.
Blood Orange Lemon Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 18 cupcakes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Celebrating citrus season with blood orange lemon cupcakes filled with tangy lemon curd and topped with blood orange frosting!
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
- 1 1/2 tsp Sunkist® lemon zest
- 6 Tbsp Sunkist® lemon juice
- 1/2 cup sugar
- pinch of salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Cupcakes
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 Sunkist® Blood orange, zested
- 1 Sunkist® lemon, zested
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt, at room temperature
Blood Orange Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup Sunkist® Blood orange juice, strained
- 1 tsp Sunkist® lemon juice
Instructions
- For the curd, whisk together lemon zest, juice, sugar, salt, and eggs in a heavy saucepan. Cook over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened. Add butter a few pieces at a time, whisking constantly until melted, before adding more butter. Continue until curd is smooth and thickened, and coats the back of a spoon (about 5 minutes total).
- Strain curd through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Press a piece of plastic directly on the surface, and chill until cold – at least one hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two 12-cup standard muffin pans with baking cups.
- Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until light and fluffy; beat in Blood orange zest, lemon zest, and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined. Combine buttermilk and Greek yogurt in a small bowl. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk mixture (begin and end with flour mixture).
- Use a medium cookie scoop coated with nonstick spray to fill each baking cup 2/3 full of batter.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until cupcakes spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool in pans on wire racks for 2 minutes before removing from pans to cool completely.
- For the frosting, beat butter and salt in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Mix in powdered sugar on low speed 1 cup at a time until incorporated, scraping down bowl as needed. Add Blood orange juice and lemon juice and mix in on low speed until smooth. Increase speed to medium-high and beat frosting for 1 minute, until light and airy.
- To fill the cupcakes, use a small paring knife to cut a small cone out of the center of each cupcake. Fill each cupcake with a spoonful of lemon curd.
- Transfer frosting to a large piping bag fitted with a large star tip and decorate cupcakes. Chill 20 minutes before serving.
- Store leftover cupcakes covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Notes
Cake Flour Substitute: For every cup of flour called for in a recipe, place 2 tablespoons cornstarch in an empty 1-cup measure, then top up with flour. Sift the mixture several times to evenly distribute the cornstarch and use as a substitute for 1 cup cake flour.
Make Ahead: Lemon curd can be made 1-2 days ahead and chilled before using.
This recipe is created in partnership with Sunkist. All opinions expressed are my own.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy.
Very fun way to celebrate citrus season, I love everything about them the lemon curd filling, blood orange frosting, lemon zest and how they look! Thank you
Thank you, Sabrina! I agree, these cupcakes are perfect for spring! 🙂