Go Back
+ servings
featured sherbet cupcakes.

Sherbet Cupcakes Recipe

Course: cupcakes, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 38 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 38 minutes
Servings: 18 cupcakes
Calories: 534kcal
Dense, yet soft and somewhat bready cupcakes are filled with a sweet, tart lemon flavor. They are topped with a smooth, thick, lemon, pastel colored buttercream for a beautiful finish.
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • Kitchen Scale (optional)
  • 2 Cupcake Tin
  • Stand Mixer
  • Piping Tip Set

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

  • cups all-purpose flour 420 grams
  • teaspoons kosher salt 5 grams
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder 4 grams
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda 2 grams
  • 1 cup salted butter 226 grams, room temperature (2 sticks)
  • cup granulated sugar 133 grams
  • cup vegetable shortening 61 grams (⅓ stick)
  • 2 large eggs 100 grams, room temperature
  • 1 large egg yolk 14 grams, room temperature
  • 11 tablespoons sour cream 156 grams (½ cup + 3 tablespoons)
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 42 grams from 1½ lemons
  • teaspoons pure vanilla extract 6 grams
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest 12 grams, from 2 lemons

For the Frosting

  • 5 cups powdered sugar 565 grams
  • cups unsalted butter 339 grams, room temperature (3 sticks)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest 12 grams, from 2 lemons
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice 9 grams, from ½ lemon
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 grams
  • Food coloring orange, green, and yellow

Instructions

For the Cupcakes

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 18 wells of 2 cupcake tins with paper liners. Set aside.
    overhead view of ingredients for sherbet cupcakes.
  • Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
    3½ cups all-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda
    dry ingredients for sherbet cupcakes in a white bowl.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and shortening together on high speed for 1-2 minutes, or until smooth, fluffy, and lighter in color.
    1 cup salted butter, ⅔ cup granulated sugar, ⅓ cup vegetable shortening
    sugar and butter in a stainless bowl.
  • Add the eggs and beat together for 30 seconds, or until fully incorporated. Scrape the sides down.
    2 large eggs, 1 large egg yolk
    eggs added to beaten sugar and butter in a stainless bowl.
  • Add in the remaining ingredients and beat together for 30-45 seconds or until completely combined. Add in the flour mixture and mix only until the flour has been incorporated.
    11 tablespoons sour cream, 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons lemon zest
    sherbet cupcake batter in a stainless bowl.
  • Divide the cupcake batter between the cupcake tins.
    sherbet cupcake batter in cupcake tins.
  • Place the cupcake pans into the oven to bake for 38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Once baked, remove from the oven and place onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
    baked sherbet cupcakes in cupcake tins.

For the Frosting

  • While the cupcakes are cooling, make the buttercream. Add all of the ingredients, except for the food coloring, to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat together on high speed for 2-3 minutes, or until smooth and fluffy. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl down intermittently to ensure all of the ingredients are fully incorporated.
    5 cups powdered sugar, 1½ cups unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons lemon zest, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    sherbet cupcake frosting in a stainless mixing bowl.
  • Once smooth and fluffy, evenly divide the frosting into 3 separate bowls. Add a drop of food coloring to each bowl, separately. Mix until the frosting is completely colored.
    Food coloring
    3 bowls of colored sherbet cupcake frosting.
  • Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a round tip or tip of your choice. Pipe the frosting onto the top of each cupcake. Optionally, top with sprinkles or gummy candies.
    baked sherbet cupcake next to a piping bag filled with green frosting and two bowls of yellow and orange frosting.

Notes

  • Use room temperature ingredients for the cupcakes.
  • Feel free to swap the lemons for oranges or limes!
  • Measure your flour using the spoon-and-level method to prevent dry cupcakes.
  • Take care not to overmix the batter; otherwise, your cupcakes will end up dense and tough.
  • Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting off.
Storage: Store sherbet cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 534kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 103mg | Sodium: 348mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 878IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg