A classic pud in cupcake form!
I’m a big fan of Lemon Meringue Pie – in fact you can find my recipe here! I couldn’t resist turning this much loved dessert into a cute cupcake.
Soft and fluffy lemon cupcakes, filled with a zingy lemon curd and topped with the dreamiest Italian meringue – what’s not to love?
This recipe does require making a few different elements and so will take a bit longer to make than your average cupcake but I promise you’ll know it was worth the effort once you take a bite! Making your own lemon curd might seem a bit of a faff but it’s quite easy to get the hang of. Of course, if you’d rather, you can use shop bought stuff. And then there’s the Italian meringue! And what would a Lemon Meringue Cupcake be without meringue? I’ve included lots of tips to help you out if you’ve not made it before; please feel free to drop me a message on social media if you have any questions!
This recipe makes 12 cupcakes and will take approximately 2 hours to make. The lemon curd can be made up to 1 month in advance as long as it is stored in a sterilised jar (see tip below). The Italian meringue is best made on the day the cupcakes will be served.
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
- 150 g unsalted butter
- 150 g caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 100 g gluten-free self raising flour
- 50 g ground almonds
- 1 tsp baking powder (make sure this is gluten-free)
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum (omit if your flour blend already includes it)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- zest of 1 lemon
- juice of 1/2 lemon
For the lemon curd:
- 75 g unsalted butter
- 150 g caster sugar
- Juice of 3 lemons
- 1 egg
- 2 egg yolks
For the Italian meringue topping:
- 3 large egg whites
- 225 g caster sugar
- 75 ml water
Useful Equipment: weighing scales, 12 hole muffin pan, cupcake cases, mixing bowls, spatulas, wire cooling rack, small saucepan, heatproof bowl, whisk, sugar thermometer, hand/stand mixer, piping bag and nozzle, blowtorch (optional!)
Storing leftover lemon curd: The curd can be made up to 1 month in advance as long as it is stored in a sealed sterilised container. Otherwise it can be stored fresh in the fridge for up to 2 days. To sterilise glass jars, either wash them in the dishwasher or by hand washing with plenty of soap and hot water and then dry them in the oven on a low heat (160 °C). Make sure that you take off the rubber seals beforehand, wash them separately and do not put them in the oven with the jars.
Method:
For the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 175 °C/350 °F and place the cupcake cases in the 12 hole muffin tray.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, whilst whisking.
- Sieve in the flour and baking powder and add in the almonds, salt, lemon zest and juice. Fold to combine.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the cupcake cases and bake in the oven for 18-20 mins or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the lemon curd:
- In a saucepan over a low heat, melt the butter with the sugar and lemon juice.
- In a heatproof bowl, beat the egg and egg yolks together.
- Once melted, temper the eggs by pouring a small amount of the melted butter mixture slowly into the bowl whilst whisking.
- Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan and stir carefully until the mixture is thick enough to cover the back of a spoon.
- Remove from the heat and pour into a sterilised jar if storing or into a bowl if using straight away. It will thicken when it is cooled completely.
For the Italian meringue:
- Heat the sugar and water in a saucepan on a medium heat until boiling. Keep heating until 117 °C is reached. This is the hard ball stage – if you don’t have a thermometer, drop a small tsp into a bowl of cold water. If the sugar forms a firm ball that is difficult to mould with your fingers, it is ready. If not, keep heating until this stage is reached.
- Meanwhile, place your egg whites into a metal or glass bowl or stand mixer and whisk on a medium speed until stiff peaks form.
- Once the syrup is at temperature, pour slowly into the egg whites whilst whisking, ensuring a steady stream of sugar (and careful not to touch the mixer). Keep whisking until the mixture has cooled back to room temperature.
- Place the meringue into a piping bag with your favourite nozzle attached (I used a 9FT tip).
Assembling the cupcakes:
- Using a small knife, cupcake corer or the large end of a piping tip, scoop out the middle of the cupcake.
- Spoon the lemon curd evenly into each cupcake hole.
- Pipe the meringue on top (or just dollop it on with a spoon for a more rustic look!).
- (Optional) Get your blowtorch out and lightly toast the top of the meringue (or briefly heat under a grill).
- Enjoy!!
These cupcakes need to be stored in the fridge due to the meringue so be sure to take them out and allow them to come to room temperature before serving. They will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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