This may sound like a strange combination but trust me, it works brilliantly! When I bake, I usually don’t have more than a bite of one of the cupcakes. But I lost count of how many of these I ate. Whoops…

Chocolate Lemon Cupcakes
Ingredients
Lemon Cake:
- 1 box White Cake Mix
- 4 egg whites
- 1/4 cup oil
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- zest of 3 lemons
Lemon Glaze:
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1-2 cups powdered sugar
Chocolate Buttercream:
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
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1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.
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2. In a small bowl, sift cake mix to remove any lumps.
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3. In a large bowl, gently whisk egg whites, oil, buttermilk, lemon juice, sour cream and lemon zest together.
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4. Combine wet ingredients with the cake mix and stir until well combined.
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5. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 15-20 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
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6. Lemon Glaze: Place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. The mixture should reach a consistency similar to tomato soup. (I can't think of anything else to liken it unto)
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7. Spoon glaze over cupcakes that are nearly cooled and let the glaze set.
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8. Buttercream: Beat butter and cream cheese for 2 minutes. Scrape down bowl and add vanilla and cocoa. Slowly add powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency.
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9. Pipe buttercream over glazed cupcakes and top with yellow sprinkles or lemon slices.

These look so delicious! I’m on a big lemon kick now, which is different for me. I’m usually more of a chocolate person. This is the best of both worlds!
Lemon & chocolate? Two of my favorites but together? Hmmmm…….gonna have to try this!
I had never seen this combination but I think that they must be delicious, I’ll try it…when I can, I’ve just moved to Paris and there is not an oven in my temporary flat!! 🙁 We are looking for other bigger flat and obviously, with an oven 🙂
I really want to try these. They look amazing.
Just made these cupcakes tonight and they are amazing! Wasn’t sure at first about them but oh my, they are sooo good! Thanks for another amazing recipe!
These are beautiful cupcakes! It is a strange combination of ingredients but I’ll bet it’s delicious!
I made these today for a party! Absolutely yummy!!!
I’m in the process of making these right now – can’t wait to taste them!
Is it supposed to be 3/4 of a cup of powdered sugar or 3 to 4 cups? Just wanted to make sure!
Ah! 3 to 4 cups!
These were phenomenal!! SO freaking good!!!!
They look so yummy. I would eat at least three of them. How can you control yourself to only eat small amount every time you bake? I have the habit of eating a lot after I bake something. Lemon is beautiful, smells good, and perfect for baking. This is another recipe to try.
Oooh, these sound fantastic! I love s nice lemon tart with dark chocolate crust – I never though to replicate the same combination in a cupcake.
I have been on a serious cupcake baking kick and I come to your site for all these great recipes! However, I want to try chocolate and orange… You think if I switched it out for lemon it would still taste alright? 🙂 ps: I’m from Oregon too 🙂
Yes, go for it!
I made the Chocolate Lemon Cupcakes today and they are divine! Not too sweet and just enough tang to really make your mouth sing. I topped mine with Edible Daisy Wafers that a friend brought be from England and I know they will be a huge hit at work tomorrow. Thank you for the fun and unique recipe.
I love to bake and have wanted to try this 4 a long time. Are they good?
These are SO good, some of my favorite cupcakes actually. The flavor combo may seem strange but it’s amazing!
If I didnt want to use the glaze, would the cupcake itself be lemony enough with the lemon buttercream frosting.
Yes, but you can add extra lemon zest to it if you a re worried!
Can you substitute grapefruit juice for lemon juice ?Been trying to find a good grapefruit cupcake recipe.
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