I remember the day I first tried this lemon+basil combo in something sweet. I’d always been a huge lemon and a huge basil fan – topping fix with squeezes of lemon wedges and adding in ad much fresh basil as I possibly could to bolognese or tossing fresh sprigs on a platter of sliced tomatoes and burrata. But together? It was deep summer back in Ashland, Oregon, I think while I was still in high school. Maybe a weekend since we were wandering around in the plaza downtown in the early, hot afternoon. We ducked into Mix, our favorite tiny coffee+sweets shop on the edge of the line of shops, right by the river, and admired a case with eight freshly-made ice creams and sorbets. Dairy wasn’t agreeing with me at the time so I had to go for a sorbet, and the lemon basil was intriguing. Ohhhh boy did I make the right choice. I finished the entire cup before we even got up to the duck pond in Lithia Park and every time I’m back home I meander down to Mix to see if they have that pivotal flavor in stock that day.
For those of you who haven’t tried it yet, you’re in for a treat. I will say, I prefer the ice cream version of this combo, simply because the coolness of the ice cream or sorbet seems to heighten the flavor pairing and the refreshingness (totally a word) of each spoonful. But! These cupcakes are pretty darn fantastic. I’m on an herbal recipe kick and you’ll see another one soon that involves rosemary, and maybe one with thyme soon…if you have any ideas for something in the sweet realm that pairs with thyme, let me know!
These cupcakes are also some of the easiest you could ever make. They’re one-bowl, in and out of the oven in no time, and the only painful part is waiting until the cupcakes have cooled to pipe on your buttercream. So there’s no reason not to make them after work or on your lunch break if you’re also still working from home! If you’re a lemon fan, check out this epic lemon poppyseed pound cake, or these lemon ricotta cupcakes, or this show-stopping four-layer strawberry lemonade cake!
Gluten Free Lemon Basil Cupcakes
Equipment
- Cupcake pans
- Electric mixer
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 Cup canola oil
- 1 Cup sour cream
- 1 Cup white sugar
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 tsp finely chopped fresh basil
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 Cup gluten free 1-1 flour mix with xanthan gum in it (if your mix does not contain xanthan gum add 1 tsp now)
- 2 Cups blanched almond flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the buttercream:
- 2 Cups salted butter room temperature
- 4-5 Cups sifted powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2-1 tsp finely chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- First, make your cupcakes! Preheat the oven to 350° F and line two 12-cupcake pans with paper cupcake cups. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil, sour cream, lemon juice/zest/extract, honey, vanilla, and basil until combined. Add in the flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix to combine.
- Spoon cupcake batter into each lined cupcake cup – they should be a little over 3/4 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting them.
- While cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting! In a large bowl, using the electric mixer, beat together the butter and 1 cup of the powdered sugar on high for at least a minute until smooth and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time until smooth. Add the vanilla, lemon juice/zest/extract, and basil and beat beat until smooth. Add in more powdered sugar to stiffen up the frosting, or add a teaspoon of cream if it's too stiff.Once cupcakes are cooled, scoop frosting into a large piping bag with your choice of piping tip, and pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Top with sprigs of basil and serve!
Tag @sisterssansgluten on Instagram if you snap a photo of your cupcakes!
Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber
