Lemon flavouring recommendations

[WopBopALooBop]

Am just making some lemon cupcakes using Dr Oetker lemon essence --- the essence smells lemony but tastes of NOTHING. I know, essence is generally crap and extract is way better, but I couldn't find any. I've always struggled to find a v lemony flavouring. Any recommendations?? I'd be very grateful

I've been recommended lemon oil, but I've only seen it on sale for £15 .

Or alternatively does anyone have a lemon cupcake recipe using zest and juice? I have tried but they are never very lemony once baked.

Thanks in advance!

i work in catering and when we are making lemon cakes etc we use lemon juice (but not fresh) if you go to morrisons or somewhere like that you will find that they do bottles of lemon juice for like 80 odd p. amazing! add some of that into your mixture OR what i prefer make normal cakes, then stab the top with a fork whilst still warm and put a tsp worth of the lemon juice in, yummy!
also, if you want icing you can use the lemon juice instead of water to make "water icing", and some lemon zest if you still have some lying around!
yummy.. craving lemon cakes x

Use lemon extract (even my local co-op sells it) as opposed to lemon essence - much stronger lemony flavour!

THIS ONE Caveat - I've not tried it, but I have it's orange brother, which is yum.

You can get it in lakeland, but this seems to be cheapest if buying it over t'internet?

Oops, meant to say 'THIS ONE?' ie as a suggestion, not an order!

Haha thanks Hazel, will have a look.

Kbear I did use extract, I just got confused. The bottle deffo says Ectract. It smells so lemony but tastes so plain!! Probably because I chose the cheap option

becca good suggestions, thanks so much! Have tried the stabby lemon juice technique in the past but I couldnt get it to seep through evenly - didn't like that the lemon flavour wasn't throughout the whole cake - it's more concentrated to the top that way. Which is yummy and gooey!! But not what I want (sorry, am being very difficult! :()

Have done another batch with lemon zest in mixture and then half have a blob of curd in the middle and half have the curd mixed into the mixture. Will see if that's any better! Then will get on the Lakeland site and stock up :)

Thanks for your suggestions! These are for my wedding in 2 weeks so I still have time to try all your suggestions- just about! :)

Sainsburys do a wee bottle of lemon oil -it's inthe finest range and in the baking aisle. I use it a lot and find it really good and lemony. I use a teaspoon for a 3 egg cake mix and it comes out really lemony and deelish!

Lemon zest - that's where the oil comes from....

I would use lemon zest and some lemon extract but as medjool says the zest is where the flavour is