Bright, zesty, and a little unexpected, Homemade Grapefruit Cupcakes are a citrusy twist on your usual sweet treat. These cupcakes combine the tartness of fresh grapefruit with a soft, buttery crumb and a delicious cream cheese frosting for a refreshing dessert that's perfect for spring or brunch gatherings.
Jump to:
- Why This Recipe Works:
- What You Need for This Recipe
- Variations
- How to Make Grapefruit Cupcakes?
- How to Make Grapefruit Frosting?
- Grapefruit Cupcake Tips
- Making Grapefruit Cupcakes for a Spring Party, Mother's Day, Easter, or a Bridal Shower?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Related Recipes
- Homemade Grapefruit Cupcakes
I love sharing fun, fruity, and tasty cupcakes, and these Homemade Grapefruit Cupcakes are just that! Make sure to check out my lemon cupcakes, orange marmalade cupcakes, and strawberry shortcake cupcakes too!
Why This Recipe Works:
- Fresh grapefruit juice and zest add bold, natural citrus flavor.
- Soft, tender crumb from the balanced mix of butter and buttermilk.
- Delicious topping of grapefruit cream cheese frosting adds the perfect balance of sweetness to the cupcake!
- Unique flavor that stands out from typical lemon or orange cupcakes.
What You Need for This Recipe
Butter: I like to use unsalted butter, but salted can be used in its place. I like to use unsalted butter, but salted can be used in its place.
Flour: In these cupcakes I used regular all-purpose flour but cake flour works too!
Buttermilk: Buttermilk makes the crumb extra tender and adds a subtle tang that enhances the overall flavor.
Grapefruit: I use the juice and zest from a grapefruit for both the batter and frosting.
Cream Cheese: Let the cream cheese come to room temperature before making the frosting for a smooth consistency.
Variations
Grapefruit Oil: Add ¼-1/2 teaspoon of grapefruit oil to the cupcake batter and the frosting for extra grapefruit flavor!
Grapefruit Color: Want to make an even bigger statement? Add some pink food gel coloring to the batter for a truly grapefruit pink cupcake!
Frosting: Try my delicious vanilla buttercream or this milk chocolate fudge frosting!
How to Make Grapefruit Cupcakes?
- Step 1: Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Step 2: In a stand mixer cream together butter and sugar.
- Step 3: Add eggs into the batter one at a time until all are incorporated. Then stir in zest, grapefruit juice, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.
- Step 4: Add flour mixture to the batter and mix until combined.
- Step 5: Scoop batter into cupcake liners and bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
How to Make Grapefruit Frosting?
- Step 6: In a stand mixer, cream butter, cream cheese, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt.
- Step 7: Add in powdered sugar and grapefruit juice, alternating between the two, until all is mixed in. Stir in the zest and frost your cupcakes!
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Grapefruit Cupcake Tips
- Fill the cupcake line ¾ high with batter for a nice full cupcake.
- Use a large piping tip and piping bag for a nice-looking cupcake.
- Make Your Own Buttermilk: Combine 1 cup and 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice, stir, and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Then use it in the recipe.
- Short On Time? If you don’t have time to make cupcakes from scratch, try adding grapefruit zest and some juice to a vanilla-boxed cake mix! Won’t be as tender but works in a pinch.
Making Grapefruit Cupcakes for a Spring Party, Mother's Day, Easter, or a Bridal Shower?
Check out all my spring recipes here, which include lemon bars, pink and gold cake, lemonade, white chocolate cheesecake, cream cheese dip, this whipped cream cheese frosting, and so much more!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can make the cupcakes ahead of time, then thaw the night before serving, and frost the day you serve them.
Yes, but I recommend using only a very small amount at first (¼ tsp), tasting the frosting (or batter if you are comfortable with that), then adding more if needed.
For me, the addition of the grapefruit zest really brings the flavor out, so I don’t find a need to add extract, but if you prefer to add extract, remember that a little goes a long way.
Yes, pour batter into a cake pan that is greased and floured, then bake at 350°F until a toothpick comes out clean.
If frosted, I like to store cupcakes in a large container with a lid in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
More Related Recipes
If you like this recipe, check out my cream-filled chocolate cupcakes, white chocolate cupcakes, easy birthday cupcakes, brown sugar frosting, and caramel frosting!
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Homemade Grapefruit Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature (1 stick)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Grapefruit Use juice from¾ of the grapefruit and zest from the entire fruit.
- 6 tbs buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tbs heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- 1 Grapefruit Use juice from ¼-½ of the grapefruit and zest from the entire fruit.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and place cupcake liners in cupcake pan.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.1.5 cups flour, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream together the butter with sugar until fluffy.½ cup unsalted butter, 1 cup sugar
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing until each is fully incorporated. Then stir in the grapefruit zest, grapefruit juice, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.2 large eggs, 1 Grapefruit, 6 tbs buttermilk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Stir in the flour mixture until combined.
- Fill cupcake liners ¾ full with batter.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Once done baking, remove from the oven and set the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Then remove cupcakes from the pan and allow to finish cooling on a cooling rack.
- Allow cupcakes to cool before frosting.
How to make grapefruit cream cheese frosting:
- With a hand mixer or a stand mixer, cream butter, cream cheese, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt on medium-high until fully combined.½ cup unsalted butter, 4 oz cream cheese, 3 tbs heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, pinch salt
- Add in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, adding in grapefruit juice in intervals to help the powdered sugar incorporate.4-5 cups powdered sugar, 1 Grapefruit
- Stir in the zest and frost your cupcakes!
Notes
- * The more powdered sugar, the stiffer the frosting. I like to use at least 4 cups*
- Storage: If frosted, I like to store cupcakes in a large container with a lid, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Make ahead: You can make the cupcakes ahead of time, then thaw the night before serving, and frost the day you serve them.
- Grapefruit extract/oil? You don't need this, but if you do want to use it, I recommend using only a very small amount at first (¼ tsp), tasting the frosting (or batter if you are comfortable with that), then adding more if needed.
Mareike says
I ended up with a frosting that was overly sweet and completely liquid and useless. Did I do something wrong?
Lisa Killian says
Hmm I'm not sure. The frosting is sweet just from it being frosting but should be stiff enough to pipe. How much powdered sugar and heavy cream did you add? Is your hots really hot? Was the butter room temp when you mixed it or did you melt to a liquid?
izzi says
I made a cake for my moms birthday and just used the frosting, this frosting recipe is amazing!
Lisa says
Yay! I love the frosting!
Tracee says
I have a similar recipe and made grapefruit curd for the filling. Yum!
Lisa says
Oh man that sounds amazing! Talk about tasking it to the next level! I'll have to try that next time!
Mirlene says
These cupcakes look super YUM!!!!! I wish I had seen this earlier, I could have made it for the kids to enjoy after dinner. Looks extremely delicious.
Lisa says
Thanks!
Heather says
I love grapefruit and cupcakes, but never thought to put them together. Totally YUM! Such a fresh, tasty twist on the classic cupcake 🙂
Lisa says
Thanks!
Yvonne says
Such a unique flavor and so pretty too!
Lisa says
Thank you!
Camila says
These cupcakes are not only pretty but I'm sure they're also delicious!!
Lisa says
Thank you!
Stephanie says
These look super yummy - I never would have thought to put grapefruit in frosting but it sounds delicious!!
Lisa says
Thanks!
Arjhon says
Another to add to our list of dessert recipes. I never made a Grapefruit Cream Cheese Frosting before. I will definitely try this.
Lisa says
Awesome!
sondria Harp says
Don't tell people that you'll make these for them, you're going to have a line out the door! But seriously, another fun recipe, can't wait to try
Lisa says
Thanks!