Description
Delicious lemon meringue cupcakes with a heart of lemon curd and a delicious Swiss Meringue frosting (for 12 cupcakes)
Ingredients
Lemon cupcakes
- 100 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter - very softened or cooled melted
- 120 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar - white
- 2 eggs - medium, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract - liquid or powder
- 1/2 lemon juice + zest - about 15 ml
- 160 g (1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour - T45
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) semi-skimmed milk
Lemon curd
Swiss meringue
- 4 egg whites
- 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar - white
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch of salt
Instructions
Lemon Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and line a standard cupcake tin with paper liners.
- In a bowl, sift together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and zest of half a lemon for about 3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat again for 3 minutes on high speed until the mixture becomes fluffy.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients and the mixture of milk and lemon juice, alternating between them, until a smooth cake batter forms. Pour the batter into the paper liners, filling them about 3/4 full.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 18 minutes until golden on top and cooked through in the center. (check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of a cupcake - it should come out clean)
- Let the cupcakes cool for a few minutes before removing them from the tin and allowing them to cool completely on a wire rack.
Lemon Curd
- Follow my lemon curd recipe (using any remaining egg yolks from the Swiss meringue and adding 1 large egg), then let it cool completely.
- Remove the centers of the cooled cupcakes using a cupcake corer and fill them with the lemon curd.
Swiss Meringue
- Place the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer.
- Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water on medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 4 minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved. (the mixture should reach 131°F/55°C) Transfer the mixture to the bowl of your mixer or place the bowl back on the mixer base fitted with the whisk attachment.
- Whisk for about 7 to 10 minutes until a stiff and glossy meringue forms.
- Transfer the meringue to a large piping bag fitted with a round tip and decorate the tops of the cupcakes with swirls.
- Torch the meringue using a kitchen torch, then let the cupcakes cool in the fridge for 1 hour before serving.
Notes
Storage: Up to 4 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer.
Tips:
- Fresh Ingredients: Use fresh lemon juice and zest for the best flavor.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure eggs and butter are at room temperature for better incorporation.
- Even Filling: Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full for even baking.
- Proper Cooling: Allow cupcakes to cool completely before filling and frosting.
- Stiff Peaks: Whip meringue until stiff peaks form for stable frosting.
- Torching Meringue: Use a kitchen torch for a golden finish on the meringue.
- Chilling: Chill cupcakes before serving for best taste and texture.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: cupcakes
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 239
- Sugar: 27.5 g
- Sodium: 332 mg
- Fat: 7.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 38.1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 49.7 mg