Ingredients:

  • 250g (2 cups) All-Purpose Flour (plain flour)
  • 175g (3/4 cup packed) Granulated Sugar (caster sugar)
  • 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda (Bicarbonate of Soda)
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 120ml (1/2 cup) Vegetable Oil (or melted unsalted butter)
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 120ml (1/2 cup) Buttermilk (or milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice added)
  • 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
  • Zest of 2 Lemons (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 115g (4 oz or 1/2 cup) Cream Cheese, softened
  • 50g (1/4 cup) Granulated Sugar (caster sugar)
  • 1 Large Egg Yolk
  • 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Line muffin tin with paper liners or grease well.
  2. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg yolk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, eggs, buttermilk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract.
  5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. A few streaks of flour are okay.
  6. Spoon a generous dollop of muffin batter into each muffin liner, filling each cup about halfway.
  7. Drop a spoonful of the cream cheese filling onto the center of each muffin.
  8. Top with remaining muffin batter, filling each cup about 3/4 full.
  9. Bake for 5 minutes at 200°C (400°F), then reduce oven temperature to 175°C (350°F) and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  10. Let the muffins cool in the muffin tin for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.