Recipes, re-invented from cooking shows
Lemon Meringue Cupcakes
Prep. Time:
Baking Time:
Total Time:
1 hour
18 - 22 minutes
2 hours
Serves:
makes 12 cupcakes
In Season 2 of The Great British Baking Show ™ we saw Jason create this dish. He used a lemon créme patissiere but in tests, we found that the best way to get a really sharp lemon flavor was with a lemon curd, which is what we use in this version of the recipe.
Ingredients
LEMON CUPCAKES:
1¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (200g) caster sugar
½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup (120ml) buttermilk
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp lemon zest (from 2-3 lemons)
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup (60ml) vegetable oil
LEMON CURD FILLING:
⅓ cup (80ml) fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp lemon zest
⅓ cup (65g) caster sugar
2 large eggs
3 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed
Pinch of salt
SWISS MERINGUE:
4 large egg whites
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
¼ tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Instructions
CUPCAKES:
Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
Dry ingredients: Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
Wet mixture: In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in vanilla, lemon juice, and zest.
Combine: Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Slowly drizzle in oil while mixing on low speed.
Bake: Divide batter evenly among liners (about ¾ full). Bake 18-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
Cool: Cool in pan 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Cool completely before filling.
LEMON CURD:
Cook: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together lemon juice, zest, sugar, eggs, and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon (8-10 minutes).
Finish: Remove from heat and whisk in butter until smooth. Strain through fine-mesh sieve to remove zest and any lumps. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface and refrigerate until cool and thick (at least 30 minutes).
SWISS MERINGUE:
Heat: Combine egg whites, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water (don't let bowl touch water). Whisk constantly until mixture reaches 160°F (71°C) and sugar dissolves completely.
Whip: Remove from heat and attach to mixer with whisk attachment. Add cream of tartar. Beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form and bowl feels cool to touch (8-12 minutes). Beat in vanilla.
ASSEMBLY:
Core: Using a cupcake corer or small knife, remove center from each cupcake, leaving bottom and sides intact.
Fill: Spoon or pipe lemon curd into each hollow, filling to just below the top.
Top: Using a piping bag fitted with a star tip, pipe meringue generously on top of each cupcake, creating peaks and swirls.
Torch: Use a kitchen torch to lightly brown the meringue peaks until golden. Alternatively, place under broiler for 30-60 seconds, watching carefully.
Serve: Best enjoyed the day they're made, but can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.
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