Lemon Pomegranate Cupcakes

Lemon cupcakes are topped with a light pomegranate frosting and fresh pomegranate seeds in these light and refreshing Lemon Pomegranate Cupcakes.

Want more favorite cupcakes? Try these Red Velvet Cupcakes or these Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting.

It’s amazing how different 2 children can be.

My daughter is the most outgoing little girl that I think I’ve ever seen. During the course of a trip to the grocery store, she will become best friends with the girl in the other cart and she’ll chat up the checker all about every detail of her birthday. My son, on the other hand, is more of a loner. He’ll definitely stick by my side, but he’s more content to play by himself than he is in a group of kids.

If you offer my daughter a cupcake, she’ll ask for one without the frosting, while my son will just lick the frosting off the top of his, leaving the cupcake behind.

But at least I can say that with these Lemon Pomegranate Cupcakes, Abbi did love the cupcakes and Easton did love the frosting!!

I know that the only thing about these that is the least bit Valentine-y is the color, but I had been dying to try this flavor combination. I was watching an episode of Cupcake Wars one night, and one of the contestants made a blood orange cupcake with a pomegranate frosting. I’m sure there was a filling in there, too, but I don’t remember. And while I thought the idea of the blood oranges was intriguing, I know that for me, at least, those babies are hard to find. So I wanted to go with something a little bit more accessible.

And since lemons are in season right now, I decided to go that route. And what a beautiful combination the lemon and pomegranate are!!

For the frosting, I wanted to make sure that it actually tasted like pomegranate, and I knew that pomegranate juice was the only solution. But I wanted to make sure that the taste wasn’t too subtle, so I reduced it down, concentrating the flavor a bit. It was perfection!!

One note – while you are making this frosting, it may look a bit curdled as it starts to come together. Keep beating until it is smooth and light – it will take several minutes. I think you’ll love these Lemon Pomegranate Cupcakes as much as we do!

More Lemon Recipes

Lemon Poke Cake with Coconut
Lemon Loaf
Lemon Bars

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Lemon Pomegranate Cupcakes

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Author: Deborah Harroun

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes minutes

Total Time: 43 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

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Lemon cupcakes are topped with a light pomegranate frosting and fresh pomegranate seeds for a light and refreshing cupcake.

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Ingredients

For the cupcakes

• ▢ 1 cup butter at room temperature
• ▢ 2 cups sugar
• ▢ 4 eggs
• ▢ zest of 2 lemons
• ▢ juice from 1 lemon
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla or lemon extract (use lemon extract for more lemon flavor)
• ▢ 3 cups flour
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 cup milk

For the frosting:

• ▢ 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
• ▢ 1 cup butter softened
• ▢ 3 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ Pomegranate seeds for topping

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line 24 muffin tins with cupcake liners.
• Beat together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Stir in the lemon zest, juice and vanilla extract.
  1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 4 eggs, zest of 2 lemons, juice from 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon vanilla or lemon extract
• In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.
  3 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Add one third of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until combined. Add half of the milk and combine, followed by another third of the flour mixture. Add in the remaining milk then the remaining dry ingredients, mixing just until combined.
  1 cup milk
• Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared tins and bake in the preheated oven until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Cool completely.
• While the cupcakes are cooling, start the frosting. Place the pomegranate juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil until it has reduced by half. Cool completely.
  1/2 cup pomegranate juice
• Beat the butter until light and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and beat on low until combined. Add in the cooled, reduced pomegranate juice and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  1 cup butter, 3 cups powdered sugar
• Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes and top with fresh pomegranate seeds.
  Pomegranate seeds

Keywords: lemon cupcakes, pomegranate frosting