Lemon Meringue Cupcake with dry lemons

12 Oct Lemon Meringue Cupcake with dry lemons

Sometimes we need quick but fantastic look cupcakes for brunch with friends or to take away for a family lunch. This recipe is very lovely and easy because the main cupcake you can use plain as it is, or you can add flavours like this time with the lemon zest or fill it with curd. This Lemon Meringue Cupcake is a very versatile recipe, and you can use all its components as separate recipes for other things.

You can use the meringue frosting for other cupcakes or cake recipes or just cook it but its own as little meringue kisses. The filling could be used to do some whoopie pies or cookies, too. If you are not interested in making the filling from scratch, you can use a lemon curd filling with no problem.

The main thing to learn here is how to dry lemons at home. You can use those with this recipe but also in a drink or cake. The good thing is that you can store them in the fridge for a long time. It is a plus to have some to-go garnish to finish your cakes professionally.

Ingredients:

Cupcake:

• flour
• baking powder
• salt
• milk
• eggs
• sugar
• melted unsalted butter
• vanilla extract
• lemon zest

Filling:

• Condensed milk
• Lemon juice

Meringue:

• egg whites
• sugar
• water
• cream of tartar

Garnish:

• Whole lemons

Prepare the muffin tin with cupcake liners and preheat the oven to 180°C.

Sift the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl, and set aside.

In an electric mixer, whisk together the melted butter and sugar. Add the vanilla and lemon zest to impregnate the sugar while whisking. Add the eggs one by one mixing well after each addition. Incorporate the milk and the flour mixture and mix until everything is smooth. Scoop the cupcake butter into the muffin cups. Bake them for approximately 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick comes clean. Let time cool in a wire rack.

Meanwhile, we can mix the filling by combining the condensed milk with the lemon juice and setting it aside to fill the cupcakes later.

We can also make meringue. We are going to do an Italian meringue, so we are making syrup with the water and sugar in a pot over medium heat until it reaches the soft ball mark. Meanwhile, you should beat your egg white with the whisk attachment with a pinch of cream of tartar. Pour the syrup continuously over the egg whites and continue whisking until the meringue is completely cool. Fill a piping bag and use it for the cupcake buttercream.

After o before cooking the cupcakes, you can dry your lemons by cutting them into even slices and placing them over a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Bake them in a medium heat oven for 1 hour or until they are completely dry. You should turn them over in the middle of the baking to have an even baking. Let them cool, and use them as a garnish whenever you like.

For the assembly, you should core the center of each cupcake and fill it with the lemon filling and finish with the meringue and one of the dry lemons for a final touch.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Lemon Meringue Cupcakes with dry Lemons: