These lemon meringue cupcakes are a fun twist on a classic pie flavor. Full of tart and tangy citrus and intermingled with sweetness, these cupcakes have a bright and refreshing flavor you are sure to love.
These delicious, moist and fluffy lemon meringue cupcakes are a sweet treat. With a lemon cupcake base, filled with lemon curd filling and topped with toasted meringue what more could you ask for?
Turning classic desserts into cupcakes of the same flavor, like these is pretty easy to do. Some others are these carrot cake cupcakes or these apple pie cupcakes.
This cupcake recipe is perfect to make in spring or summer, but is also well suited for holidays like serving as a Thanksgiving cupcake.
🧁Why To Try This Recipe
Fancy Looking - these cupcakes topped with toasted meringue look fancy and over the top, but aren't too hard to make.
Citrus Flavor - the tangy lemon citrus flavor is in the cupcake itself as well as the filling.
Sweet Filling - to make the flavor off the charts, the cupcakes are filled with a sweet and tart lemon curd filling.
Jump to:
📋Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- Butter - softened
- Granulated Sugar
- Flour
- Cornstarch
- Egg
- Vanilla
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Baking Soda
- Lemon Extract
- Milk
For the lemon curd:
- Granulated sugar
- Butter - melted
- Whole Eggs & Egg Yolks - remaining egg whites are used for the meringue.
- Lemon Zest
- Lemon Juice - fresh squeezed is best
For the meringue
- Egg Whites
- Cream of Tartar
- Salt
- Sugar
See recipe card for quantities.
📖Substitutions & Variations
Here are a few ideas for ingredient substitutions and variations for this recipe.
- Use Cake Mix - need to make these faster? Try out a lemon cake mix for the cupcake base instead of making them from scratch.
- Lemon Pudding - although lemon curd is closer to the filling of a typical lemon meringue pie, if you want to make these easier just use instant lemon pudding for the filling.
- Add garnish - make these even fancier looking by adding lemon zest or even a lemon slice on top or the side of each cupcake.
Love lemon meringue, but not into cupcakes? Give these lemon meringue cookies a try.
⏲️Instructions
Use these easy to follow process shots and directions to make your own batch.
Step one: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, line your cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
Step two: Add flour, sugar, cornstarch, salt, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, lemon extract, egg and butter to mixing bowl. Mix on low for a few minutes - it will become crumbly and lumpy.
Step three: Add milk and mix on low until combined. Then, turn up to medium for a few minutes until batter thickens up.
Step four: Scoop batter into cupcake liners until about ⅔ of the way full. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 16 - 18 minutes.
Step five: Make the lemon curd. Add sugar, butter, eggs, lemon juice and lemon zest to bowl and whisk together.
Step six: Heat in the microwave at 1 minute intervals. Stir in between. Continue heating until curd thickens -5 to 8 minutes.
Step seven: Use a strainer to strain out any pieces of zest or egg. Then, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.
Step eight: For the meringue: Add egg whites and cream of tarter to a mixing bowl. Mix on medium for about 3 minutes - soft peaks will form.
Step nine: Add salt and part of the sugar. Mix on medium for a minute or so.
Step ten: While mixing on medium, slowly add the rest of the sugar. Scrape down sides as needed. Mix until stiff peaks form. Scoop into a piping bag with a large star tip.
Step eleven: Once cupcakes are fully cooled, use a spoon and scoop out the centers.
Step twelve: Scoop chilled lemon curd into a piping bag with a large circle tip (or no tip if preferred). Fill the center of each cupcake.
Step thirteen: Pip large swirls of meringue on top of each cupcake. Then, use kitchen torch to toast the meringue (if desired).
Hint: don't overbake the cupcakes. They are done cooking when the edges are golden brown and the center is set. You should be able to stick a toothpick or fork in the center and remove it without cupcake sticking to it.
⭐Recipe Tips for Success
- Coring the cupcakes - you can use an apple corer or a small spoon to scoop the center of the cupcakes out. Alternatively, you can poke the piping tip down into the cupcake and squeeze it in until you feel the cupcake bulge a little. Either way, make sure not to puncture through the bottom of the cupcake.
- Toasting the meringue - if you don't have a kitchen torch, you can place the cupcakes in the oven on broil for about 1 - 2 minutes.
- Meringue consistency - you want to make sure that you don't over or undermix the meringue. It should have stiff peaks formed when mixing so that it will hold its shape when piped onto the cupcake.
- Curd consistency - you will know it is done when you can run your whisk through it and it leaves a track, then slowly refills the void.
- Chilling lemon curd - make sure it is completely chilled before using. When chilling it, place plastic wrap on top of it letting it touch the curd to prevent a film from forming on top.
Storage
These can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 2 - 3 days.
You can also freeze them for up to 3 months, just be aware that if you add the meringue on top it can loose it's texture when defrosted.
💭FAQ
No, you can broil them in the oven for 1 - 2 minutes to get the same toasted look. Just be aware that warming the whole cupcake like this will cause the curd to flow out like a lava cake unless you allow them to cool first.
Lemon Meringue Cupcakes
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Spoon
- Measuring Spoons
- measuring cups
- Hand or Stand Mixer
- Cupcake/muffin tins
- Cupcake Liners
- Microwaveable bowl
- Whisk
- Fine mesh strainer
- Kitchen torch optional
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 6 tablespoons Butter softened
- ⅔ cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 ½ cup Flour
- 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
- 1 Egg
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Lemon Extract
- ⅔ cup Milk
For lemon curd:
- 1 cup Sugar
- ½ cup Butter melted
- 2 Eggs Whole
- 2 Egg Yolks save whites for meringue
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
- ¾ cup Lemon Juice fresh squeezed if possible
For meringue:
- 3 Egg Whites
- ¼ teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- 1 dash Salt
- ½ cup Sugar
Instructions
For the cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, cornstarch, salt, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, lemon extract, egg and butter.
- Using a paddle attachment, mix on low until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is lumpy.
- Add in ⅔ cup of milk and mix until combined.
- Turn mixture up to medium and mix for another 1 - 2 minutes. Batter will become thick.
- Scoop about ¼ cup of batter into each cupcake liner. They should be about ⅔ of the way full.
- Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 16 - 18 minutes or until golden brown.
For the lemon curd
- In a large mixing bowl add 1 cup sugar, ½ cup melted butter, 2 whole eggs, 2 egg yolks, ¾ cup lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lemon zest. Whisk to combine them.
- Heat mixture in the microwave at 1 minute increments stirring in between. Continue until curd thickens - usually about 5 - 8 minutes.
- Use a fine mesh strainer and strain curd to remove the lemon zest and any cooked egg pieces.
- Cover bowl of curd with plastic wrap and allow to completely cool in fridge.
For meringue:
- Add 3 egg whites and ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar to mixing bowl. Mix on medium until soft peaks form - about 3 minutes.
- Add a dash of salt and part of the sugar and mix on medium for a minute.
- Next, slowly add in sugar in small amounts. Continue mixing on medium until stiff peaks form.
- Then, scrape down sides to ensure all sugar is incorporated and mix on high for about 10 - 15 seconds.
- Scoop meringue into piping bag with a large star tip.
Cupcake Assembly:
- Place chilled lemon curd into a piping bag.
- Use a small spoon or corer and scoop out the center of each cupcake.
- Cut a hole in the end of the piping bag with the lemon curd and fill the center hole in each cupcake.
- Next, take the meringue and place a large mound on top of each cupcake.
- Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue; or place cupcakes in oven on broil for 1 - 2 minutes.
Notes
- Coring the cupcakes - you can use an apple corer or a small spoon to scoop the center of the cupcakes out. Alternatively, you can poke the piping tip down into the cupcake and squeeze it in until you feel the cupcake bulge a little. Either way, make sure not to puncture through the bottom of the cupcake.
- Toasting the meringue - if you don't have a kitchen torch, you can place the cupcakes in the oven on broil for about 1 - 2 minutes.
- Meringue consistency - you want to make sure that you don't over or undermix the meringue. It should have stiff peaks formed when mixing so that it will hold its shape when piped onto the cupcake.
- Curd consistency - you will know it is done when you can run your whisk through it and it leaves a track, then slowly refills the void.
- Chilling lemon curd - make sure it is completely chilled before using. When chilling it, place plastic wrap on top of it letting it touch the curd to prevent a film from forming on top.
- Keep in the fridge for 2 - 3 days in an airtight container.
- Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. But be aware that the meringue may loose some of its texture/consistency when defrosted.
Nutrition information provided is just an estimate and may vary based on specific ingredients used.
