These cupcakes are inspired by one of my favourite desserts, lemon meringue pie. They have a light and fluffy sponge with a creamy, but zingy lemon curd centre and a crispy meringue top.
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Lemon Meringue Cupcake Recipe
Makes: 16 cupcakes
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Baking Time: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
For the cupcakes:
- 215 g plain flour
- 190 g caster sugar
- 0.25 tsp baking soda
- 1.25 tsp baking powder
- 0.25 tsp salt
- zest of one lemon
- 170 g unsalted butter melted
- 3 egg whites from large eggs
- 120 ml sour cream
- 120 ml whole milk
- 8 tsp lemon curd
For the meringue:
- 3 large free range egg whites
- 155 g caster sugar
- 0.25 tsp vanilla essence
- 0.75 g tbsp cornflour
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C fan (or 200 °C conventional oven) and line two muffin trays with 16 cup cake cases.
- In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and lemon zest) and mix well.
- In another bowl whisk together the wet ingredients apart from the lemon curd (butter, egg whites, sour cream and milk).
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients – add the liquid into the dry ingredients little by little whisking well after each addition until a smooth batter is formed.
- Half fill the cup cake cases with batter, add half a teaspoon of lemon curd to each case and then fill the case with additional batter such that the cases are three quarters full.
- Bake the cupcakes for 18 minutes until a cocktail stick pierced into the cupcake comes out clean and when the cakes spring back up once you press down lightly on them.
- In the meantime make the meringue. Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff. Use the fastest setting.
- Add the sugar to the egg white one spoon at a time whisking well after each spoonful.
- Add in the vanilla essence and cornflour and whisk until the egg white is glossy and it stays in the bowl when you tip it upside down.
- Once the cupcakes have baked, allow them to cool for around 10-15 minutes.
- Add a generous spoonful of meringue to the top of each cupcake. Use the spoon to create a peak at the top of the meringue.
- Add the cupcakes back to the oven and bake for 10 minutes at 180 °C until the meringue starts to go slightly brown. Then reduce the temperature of the oven to 100 °C and bake for a further 15 minutes.

NOTES
- Ensure that all ingredients, especially the eggs, butter and sour cream at room temperature to prevent the cake batter from curdling.
