Lemon meringue cupcakes are a fancy little cupcake filled with lemon curd and topped with meringue. It’s a fun twist on the classic lemon meringue pie. They look fiddly but are really very easy once you get started.
This is the first batch I have ever made, and I made a double batch. I was so pleased with my efforts and set them all up in my 24 cupcake carrier ready to go on a picnic the next day, only to hear a loud CRASH! My 1 year old had decided she wanted to take a closer look at them and of course dropped the carrier head first onto the floor. Needless to say, squashed cakes are still tasty. The smashed up version was taken on the picnic and everyone got a laugh out of it.
If you have any leftover lemon curd, it will last in a sterilised container in the fridge for 2 weeks.
If you love citrus like I do, you should also try these recipes; lemon tart, lemon delicious slice, mandarin cupcakes and mandarin and lemon syrup cake.
Prep: 2 hours (including chilling time)
Cook: 35 minutes
Makes: 12
Ingredients
Curd
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 165 g sugar
- 80 g butter, cubed
- zest and juice of 2 lemons
Cupcakes
- 125 g butter, room temperature
- 155 g caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 150 g SR flour
- 150 g plain flour
- 125 ml milk
Meringue
- 4 egg whites
- 215 g caster sugar
Method
- To make the curd, place the eggs, yolks and sugar into a saucepan and whisk until smooth. Heat over low heat and add the butter, zest and juice. Stir continuously.
- Once the butter has melted, increase the heat to medium. Continue whisking until the curd has thickened.
- It is best to strain the curd through a sieve before placing it into a container and refrigerating for 60-90 minutes.
- While the curd is cooling, preheat the oven to 180C and line a cupcake tray with 12 cupcake paper cases.
- Cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs one at a time. Beating well after each addition.
- Add the flours and milk and mix until combined. Divide the mixture evenly between the 12 cupcake cases and bake for 20 minutes.
- Leave the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing them to cool on a wire rack completely.
- Using a serrated knife, cut the middle out of the cupcakes leaving at least a 1 cm border. Fill the centres with the lemon curd.
- Make the meringue by whisking the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually whisk in the sugar and continue whisking until the sugar has dissolved.
- Spoon the meringue into a piping bag and pipe the meringue over the top of the cupcakes.
- Use either a cooks blow torch, or place the cupcakes under the grill for a few minutes to lightly toast the meringue.
