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Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins

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★★★★

4 from 2 reviews

Delightful lemon muffins with a creamy lemon cream cheese swirl in each bite, topped with a crumb topping for a perfect balance of tangy and sweet flavors.

Ingredients

Scale
  • Cream Cheese Swirl:
  • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup (83 g) confectioners' sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Muffins:
  • 1/2 package (4 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks / 170 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups (192 g) cake flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons buttermilk, room temperature
  • Crumb Topping:
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 4–6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and cold

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven and prepare muffin pan with liners.
  2. For the cream cheese swirl: Beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and lemon juice until smooth. Set aside.
  3. For the muffins: In a bowl, combine cream cheese and butter until smooth.
  4. Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  5. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  6. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract; mix until incorporated.
  7. Add cake flour and salt; mix until just combined.
  8. Add buttermilk on low speed; mix until just incorporated.
  9. For crumb topping: Mix flour and sugars; add cold butter and mix until crumbly. Chill until use.
  10. Assembly: Fill muffin cups halfway with batter.
  11. Add 2-3 teaspoons cream cheese swirl on top of batter in each cup.
  12. Cover swirl with more batter to fill to the top.
  13. Using a toothpick, swirl the cream cheese into the batter gently.
  14. Top each muffin with about 2 tablespoons of crumb topping.
  15. Bake for 30-35 minutes until muffins spring back when touched.
  16. Cool in muffin tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

1. Use room temperature ingredients for best mixing results. 2. Do not overmix batter to keep muffins tender. 3. Swirling the cream cheese gently prevents it from fully blending, creating a marbled effect.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.rapidrecipes.blog/lemon-cream-cheese-muffins/