Do you like surprises? How about a Sweet Surprise in the form of Lemon Meringue Cupcakes!
I love a serendipity moment every so often. I think it makes life that little bit more exciting. This month dessert lovers are in for a sweet surprise.
I had been planning to make lemon curd for so long!
Each week I am given lemons from various lovely people and my store of lemons was growing well beyond that which can be consumed with normal lemon usage.
This is a deliciously light cupcake, with a surprise lemon curd filling, hidden under a sweet meringue cloud.
How I wanted to take a huge bite of these light as air beauties whilst photographing!
I even had the opportunity to test out the new blow torch my mum bought me for my birthday on the meringue.
Sweet Surprise Lemon Meringue Cupcakes
Cupcakes
- 125g unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 cups caster sugar
- grated rind 1 lemon
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup milk
Lemon Curd
- 2 egg yolks
- 3 Tbs sugar
- 4 Tbs lemon juice
- 2 Tbs Butter
Meringue
- 2 egg whites
- pinch salt
- 1 /4 tsp cream of tartar
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- Lemon Curd
- Prepare a double boiler saucepan with about ¼ filled with water.
- Bring the water to the boil, then lower the heat to a gentler boil.
- Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and lemon juice together in a smaller saucepan until combined.
- Place the saucepan over the boiling pan so that it just hovers above the water.
- Stir constantly until the mixture thickens.
- Add butter and continue stirring and cooking until the butter is completely melted and becomes one with the mixture.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Preheat oven to 180 deg.
- Cream the butter with sugar until it is light and fluffy.
- Add lemon rind and juice and mix well.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined.
- Sift flour and baking powder together and add to the mix, alternately with the milk.
- Spoon into 12 lined muffin tins, filling almost to the top.
- Bake in oven for 25 minutes until cakes are lightly browned and cooked.
- Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.
- When cool, scoop a small piece of cake from out of the top and place a spoonful of lemon curd.
- Top with meringue and brown with a blowtorch, if desired.
- Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites at low speed until they foam, add salt and cream of tartar.
- Increase speed and beat to soft peaks.
- Reduce speed to low as you prepare sugar syrup.
- Bring the sugar and water to a simmer, until sugar is dissolved.
- Increase heat and cook until soft ball stage (240F or 116C on a sugar thermometer).
- Slowly drizzle the syrup into the egg whites, beating on low speed. Try to avoid the edge of the bowl and the wires of the whisk.
- Increase speed to medium and keep beating for 10 minutes, until the mixture is cool and the egg whites form stiff, shiny peaks.
