Easy Lemon Butterfly Cakes

Name: Easy Lemon Butterfly Cakes (Fairy Cakes)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 190 g Softened butter; 190 g Caster sugar; ½ Teaspoon Vanilla extract; 3 Medium Eggs; 190 g Self-raising flour; Zest 1 Lemon; 160 g Softened butter; 300 g Icing sugar ((plus more for dusting)); 2 Tablespoons Lemon juice; 1 Tablespoon Lemon zest

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These lemon butterfly cakes are easy to make and perfect for baking with kids. They're great for birthday parties, afternoon tea or any other occasion that requires cake!

lemon butterfly cakes in yellow cupcake cases

We're taking it back to basics today with these adorable retro lemon butterfly cakes! They're cute, they're kid-friendly and they're super easy to make. They were actually the very first recipe I ever learned to bake by myself at the age of 10, and they totally fueled my lifelong love for baking!

Even if you don't have any baking experience, I hope that this post can help you to get these cakes right on the first try. You will find detailed instructions, notes and tips in the post below, but if you prefer the quick, condensed version of the recipe, you can jump straight to the recipe card at the end of the post. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Here's everything you need to make lemon butterfly cupcakes:

Butter: When baking, it's best to soften your butter before beginning to make it easier to mix. You can do this by letting it sit out at room temperature for 60 minutes or you can microwave it for 10-15 seconds. Just be careful not to melt it! Baking spread or margarine is great for cupcakes too!
Sugar: I recommend using caster sugar for baking because it will give your fairy cakes the best texture. This type of sugar is also known as superfine sugar in the USA.
Eggs: You'll need 3 medium eggs for this recipe. If you're using smaller eggs, you can add a tablespoon or two of milk to loosen the batter if needed.
Flour: I like to use self-raising flour when baking because it's super convenient and means you don't need to add any baking powder separately. If you don't have any to hand, you can use all-purpose flour then add 2 teaspoons of baking powder to the recipe too.
Lemons: You'll need the zest of 1 lemon (plus a little bit extra for the topping) and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Make sure to use unwaxed lemons for this recipe.
Icing sugar: The last ingredient is icing sugar, also known as powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar. We'll use this for the lemon buttercream and to dust on top for decoration.

Equipment

Aside from the ingredients, you'll also need the following tools:

Food scale: Cups are handy for measuring but when it comes to baking, the weight is super important if you want to ensure accuracy. Always use a digital food scale for best results.
Mixing bowls: A large one for the cake mix and a smaller one for the buttercream.
Utensils: You'll need a wooden spoon, a couple of smaller spoons and a small serrated knife.
Grater: To grate the zest off of your lemons.
Cupcake tin and cases: You'll need a 12-hole cupcake tin and 12 paper cases. I think yellow cases look so cute with lemon fairy cakes but you can use any colour you like.
Piping bag and nozzle: This is not totally necessary but piping the buttercream on makes them look that extra bit fancy. You can also spread it on using a teaspoon, which is how I used to do it in the 90s!

plate with 3 lemon butterfly cupcakes on it

How to make lemon butterfly cakes step by step

So let's get to it, shall we?! Here's how to make these cute lemon fairy cakes...

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 180°C (or 160°C for fan ovens). Line a cupcake tin with 12 paper cases.

Step 2: In a large bowl, cream 190g of softened butter and 190g of caster sugar together. Then stir in ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract.

butter and sugar creamed together in a bowl

Step 3: Stir in 3 medium eggs and 190g of self-raising flour, a little bit at a time. Once it's all mixed in, you should have a smooth but thick cake mix.

Step 4: Stir the zest of 1 whole lemon into the cake mix. Then divide the mix between your 12 cupcake cases.

Step 5: Bake the cupcakes for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Set them aside on a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 6: Once your fairy cakes are cold, carefully cut the tops off using a serrated knife. Cut each top in half, and set aside them aside with the matching cupcake.

Step 7: Prepare your lemon buttercream filling by mixing together 160g softened butter, 300g icing sugar, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest. It's easiest if you stir the icing sugar into the butter a little bit at a time.

Step 8: Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle and pipe a swirl onto the centre of each cupcake. Alternatively, you can spread a small blob on using a teaspoon.

Step 9: Stick the two halves of the tops onto each cupcake with the straight edge facing down. Then dust with icing sugar and enjoy!

Top tips for perfect lemon fairy cakes

Use a serrated knife to cut the tops off of the cupcakes. Don't worry if it's not super neat, they will still look like cute butterflies by the end!
Use a deep cupcake tin or muffin tin such as this one for the best cupcake shape. This will help them to bake taller, making it easier to cut off the tops.
If your cake mix is too thick, you can add a splash of milk to help loosen it. If it's too runny or curdles, add more flour.
Use a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle to swirl the lemon buttercream onto the cupcakes if you can. This will make them look neater.

FAQs

What's the difference between fairy cakes and butterfly cakes?

They are essentially the same thing. The tops are cut in half and stuck on with icing to look like butterfly or fairy wings, hence the name. Mini cupcakes are sometimes called fairy cakes too. The most common types are plain, iced and chocolate chip.

How long do lemon butterfly cakes last?

These will last for up to 4 days. Make sure to keep them in an airtight container, either at room temperature or in the fridge.

Can I freeze them?

You sure can! Pop your butterfly cupcakes into airtight containers and freeze for up to 1 month. When you're ready to eat them, let them sit at room temperature for an hour or two until fully thawed. Do not refreeze.

More fairy cake recipes:

I hope you have fun making these lemon butterfly cakes! If you find this post useful, please share it with a friend using the share buttons on this page. Enjoy!