Karen Gordon: Baking secrets for the perfect lemon muffins

They’re so yummy that they’re worth the effort — even in the heat.

It was the first scorching weekend of the year and our central air-conditioner decided to pack it in. But Jim and I wanted homemade glazed lemon muffins for breakfast. Despite the weather, I cranked up the oven and baked these babies. They’re so yummy that they’re worth the effort even in the heat.

This recipe creates 12 bakery-style muffins with domed tops. Not only do they smell heavenly as they bake, but they also taste equally scrumptious. Their texture is more bread-like than cake. They have a nice airy crumb that is soft, springy, and tender to the bite. The muffin tops have that perfect combination of chewiness and a slight crunch around the edges. And because they’re made with olive oil and Greek yogurt, they remain soft and moist even days after being baked. 

Here are my baking secrets for lemon muffins:

• Use freshly squeezed lemon juice. While the bottled lemon juice is great for cocktails, it lacks that bright flavour of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

• Do not skip the lemon zest. When I first started baking, I thought that lemon juice was enough to create lemon muffins. I was wrong. To create that lemony flavour and add a burst of freshness to your muffins, you need lemon zest. When zesting lemons, only remove the bright yellow peel as the white part beneath is bitter tasting. If you do not own a lemon zester, use the smallest holes on a cheese grater to zest the lemons. Alternatively, use a vegetable peeler to remove the peel and then finely chop to make the zest.

• Roll the lemons on a work surface before juicing. Rolling helps break up the membranes inside the lemon that contains each juicy segment. It also softens the outside of the lemon, making it more pliable and easier to squeeze.

• Use a lemon juicer to extract the juice from the lemon. If you do not own a lemon juicer, use a fork. The tine on the fork helps to further breakdown the membranes inside the lemon and better extract its juices. Slice the lemon in half widthwise. Then insert the fork into the middle of the lemon. Squeeze the lemon with one hand while scraping the insides with the fork, using the other hand.

• Do not overmix the batter, which will crush the air bubbles leading to tough muffins. To prevent overmixing, gently fold the wet and dry ingredients until the mixture is almost combined; 10 to 15 folds work best for me. There should be some small lumps and flour streaks remaining at this point. If your batter looks completely smooth, you’ve overmixed it. 

• Bake the muffins initially at 425 F to help the muffins rise quickly, giving them that bakery-style domed finish. Once they’ve baked at 425 F for 7 minutes, turn the oven down to 350 F and continue baking for another 6 to 7 minutes. Do not open the oven door. Opening the oven during the bake will cause your muffins to deflate.

Follow these tips plus the recipe below and you’ll have perfect lemon muffins every time.

Glazed Lemon Muffins

2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour

2½ tsp (12.5 mL) baking powder

¼ tsp (1 mL) baking soda

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

2 lemons, zested (reserve ½ tsp of zest in a small airtight container)

½ cup (120 ml) extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup (60 g) Greek yogurt

¼ cup (60 mL) milk

¼ cup (60 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 large eggs

1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract

½ tsp (2.5 mL) butter vanilla emulsion (optional)

Lemon Glaze

1¾ cup (105 g) confectioner’s sugar, sifted if lumpy

2 tbsp (30 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice

In a large mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and all but a ½ teaspoon of the lemon zest. The ½ teaspoon of lemon zest will be used to garnish the muffins. Place this leftover lemon zest in an airtight container until needed. This will prevent the zest from drying out. Whisk flour mixture until well combined. Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together the olive oil, Greek yogurt, milk, lemon juice, eggs, vanilla extract, and butter vanilla emulsion, if using. 

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the mixture until it is about 90 per cent incorporated. Do not overmix. Batter will look a little lumpy with streaks of flour. That’s OK. Allow batter to rest at room temperature while you preheat the oven.

Place the oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Working with two muffin tins, line every other muffin tin with a muffin liner. In other words, there should be 6 muffin liners in each tin. This will allow more heat to circulate around the muffins, forcing them to rise higher and create that domed top.

Using a ¼ cup ice-cream scoop, scoop batter into the prepared muffin tins. 

Once the oven is preheated, bake one tray of muffins at a time. Bake the muffins at 425 F for exactly 7 minutes. Once the 7 minutes are up, immediately turn the oven down to 350 F and continue baking for another 6-7 minutes. Do not open the oven door.

Once the muffins have baked for 13 minutes, remove them to check for doneness. To test, insert a clean toothpick into the muffin until it touches the bottom of the muffin pan. Remove immediately. The toothpick should be clean. Should any batter remain on the toothpick, continue baking for 2-3 minutes until the toothpick comes out clean.

Remove the muffin tray from the oven. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a baking rack to continue cooling. 

To bake the second tray, increase oven temperature to 425 F and allow oven to heat up. This may take around 5 minutes. Once the oven reaches 425 F, place the second tray in the oven and repeat the process.

To glaze the muffins:

Add confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice to a small bowl. Using a small rubber spatula, stir to combine until the mixture is smooth and lump free. Be prepared to use the glaze immediately as it sets up quickly.

Using a small teaspoon, drizzle lemon glaze over the tops of the cooled muffins. Garnish with lemon zest. Enjoy.

Store leftover muffins in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 2 days. Alternatively, store the muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

Makes 12 bakery style muffins

Karen Gordon is a food blogger from North Vancouver who shares her recipe creations online at karentology.com, on Instagram at @karen.t.ology, and on Pinterest @karentologyblog.

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