Lemon cupcakes are topped with a light pomegranate frosting and fresh pomegranate seeds in these light and refreshing Lemon Pomegranate Cupcakes.
Yum
It’s amazing how different two children can actually be.
My daughter – who is the oldest – was practically born talking. She was speaking in full sentences by the time she was 18 months. My next born, a son, is not a talker at all. In fact, I started to worry when he hit two years old and wasn’t fully communicating like my daughter did. The doctor smiled and told me that he was, in fact, quite normal, and that my daughter was just a talker. Even now, at 5 years old, she pretty much doesn’t stop talking, every minute she is awake, while my son is still a boy of few words.
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. They kind of remind me of that old nursery rhyme:
Jack Sprat could eat no fat. His wife could eat no lean. And so between them both, they licked the platter clean.
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!
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Lemon Pomegranate Cupcakes
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
- 3 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
For the frosting:
- 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
- 1 cup 2 sticks butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- Pomegranate seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F. 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.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes and top with fresh pomegranate seeds.
More Favorite Cupcakes:
Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting
Chocolate Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
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Yvonne says
Hello! I chanced upon this website and I would really love to make this cupcake! But I’m a newbie at baking and I’m not too sure what kind of flour to use for this recipe, please advise? Thanks!
Deborah says
I just use all-purpose. Good luck – I hope you love them as much as I do!!
Michelle says
These look great! I wonder if a confectioner’s sugar or lemon glaze would work drizzled over the frosting instead of the seeds?
Deborah says
I haven’t tried anything different, but it may work. Good luck!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
Beautiful cupcakes, I love the pomegranate frosting!
Joanne says
I am all about the citrus lately, so I am loving this addition to the V-Day dessert bandwagon! That pom frosting is so pretty-in-pink!
My siblings and I are all quite different, in our eating habits and otherwise! It really is funny that we all came from the same gene pool!
Christy says
These cupcakes are gorgeous, and that flavor combination totally speaks to me! I’m a sucker for anything lemon, but lemon and pomegranate together? I can’t wait to try these.
Tieghan says
So pretty! Perfect for a sweet valentines day treat!
Annalise says
These cupcakes are gorgeous, Deb! I could eat a whole dozen right now. Love the flavor combo!
Chels R. says
THOSE are GORGEOUS!!! My daughters are both talkers. I know Christian is still young but he only says a few words when the girls had a big vocab, so maybe it’s a boy thing?
Tiffany @ Triple Crème Decadence says
Wow! I don’t think I’ve ever had a cupcake with pomegranate frosting. That sounds delicious.
Susan @ Flavor By Four says
Pomegranates are my new favorite thing to eat. I can’t wait to try these cupcakes.
Megan {Country Cleaver} says
Ohhh C”MON Deborah, could you possibly make these ANY cuter?! It isn’t even fair how adorable they are!
Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie says
I have never baked with actual pomegranate before. Just the juice or store-bought chocolate covered seeds. These cupcakes look so pretty!
Lori @ RecipeGirl says
These are so totally pretty. LOVE!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
That frosting is killer!
Rachel @ Baked by Rachel says
These look absolutely scrumptious! And I completely agree… it’s funny how kids can be so vastly different.
Colleen @ What's Baking in the Barbershop?! says
These are gorgeous cupcakes!!!