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5 from 9 votes

Gluten Free Lemon Ricotta Cupcakes

Intensely lemony, these gluten free cupcakes are the ultimate spring treat!
Prep Time35 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Cooling time35 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Keyword: buttercream, cupcakes, lemon, lemon drizzle, ricotta, spring
Servings: 24 cupcakes
Calories: 350kcal
Author: Amelia Farber

Equipment

  • Cupcake pans

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

  • 3 large eggs separated yolks from whites into two bowls
  • 1 3/4 Cup white sugar
  • 3/4 Cup canola oil
  • 1 1/2 Cups ricotta
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 1/2 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 1/2 tsp lemon extract
  • 1 1/4 Cup gluten free 1-1 flour mix with xanthan gum in it (if your mix doesn't have xanthan gum, add 1 tsp now)
  • 3/4 Cup almond meal/flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt

For the lemon glaze:

  • 1/4 Cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp lemon extract
  • 2 Cups powdered sugar

For the lemon buttercream:

  • 2 Cups salted butter room temperature
  • 6 Cups powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp lemon extract
  • 2 1/2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
  • yellow food coloring optional

Instructions

  • First, preheat the oven to 325° Fahrenheit. Grease two 12-cupcake pans, or line with paper cupcake liners, then set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the eggs, sugar, oil, ricotta, vanilla, lemon juice, extract, and zest until smooth and blended. Add in the flour, starch, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and stir together using a wooden spoon or spatula.
  • Spoon batter into cupcake cups - they should be about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove and let cool for a few minutes, then, using a skewer or toothpick, poke about 15 holes in the top of each cupcake (this is for the lemon glaze).
  • Then, make the lemon glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk together all glaze ingredients until smooth. You can taste it and add more lemon juice/zest/extract to your liking. Then, spoon about a teaspoon of the glaze on top of each cupcake, using the spoon to spread the glaze so that it covers all of the toothpick holes. Once the glaze soaks in, you can add more to each cupcake if you want.
  • Let the glazed cupcakes continue to cool. Once cooled, remove from cupcake pans and place them on a cooling rack or cookie sheet to prepare for frosting.
  • Make the buttercream. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the two cups of room temperature butter until smooth. Add in the lemon zest, extract, and juice and beat until combined, then add 1 cup of the powdered sugar at a time until the frosting is smooth and stiffer. Add in a few drops of yellow food coloring (totally optional!) and beat until color is evenly distributed. Taste frosting and adjust lemony-ness as needed - you can always add a bit more lemon juice or zest for a tangier frosting!
  • Scoop the frosting into a prepared piping bag (or just use a butterknife to spread frosting over cupcakes! If you're hungry, I recommend this faster/less fancy option). Pipe on frosting, and then serve!