Mini Lemon Meringue Cupcakes
April 21, 2010 by Shelley
Lemon Meringue Cupcakes?! If you love lemon, you will love these. These bite sized cupcakes are gorgeous, tasty, and easy. Speaking of ‘bite sized’,…why does everything taste better when ‘mini’? Seriously?! Mini is adorable, and for whatever reason,…mini is EXTRA tasty.
I know you all must think we are turning into a ‘food blog’ with all of these food posts! Alison,…pull out a 2×4 and make something will ya?! 
All I can do is think of food lately! I was just bursting to share these divine cupcakes! I served these cuties at my little sisters baby shower (post coming soon).
I started with Rachel Ray’s Lemon Cupcake Recipe. Go the extra step and make them from scratch. It only takes a few more minutes and it’s totally worth it.
I then used homemade lemon curd to fill the center of the cupcakes. DIVINE! I double dog dare you not to try to eat this by the spoonful while it’s warm. -You will. Gaurantee it. Fill a piping bag with lemon curd and use a large tip to squeeze curd into the center of each cupcake. Drizzle the remaining lemon curd on top.
Use an easy meringue recipe for topping. Put the meringue in a piping bag and ‘frost’ the cupcakes. I played around with several different piping tips.
Until I decided on using simple round tip…
Place in your oven on broil for a minute or two until golden brown. Watch closely so they don’t burn. You can also use a small flame torch.
I want one. Now.
Alison? How about these for your birthday? I need an excuse to make another batch.
Ingredients
- Cupcakes:
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon peel, plus thin strips of peel for garnish
- 2 large eggs plus 4 egg whites, at room temperature
- For the lemon curd:
- 3 lemons
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 extra-large eggs
- 1/2 cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- For the meringue:
- 4 egg whites
- 6 tablespoons white sugar
Instructions
- For the cupcakes:
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees . Line mini-muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk and lemon juice.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup sugar and the lemon peel and beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the 2 eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined, scraping down the sides between additions. On low speed, beat in a third of the dry ingredients, then a third of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat, alternating ingredients, until the batter is smooth.
- Spoon the batter into each liner, about three-quarters full. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool on a rack.
- Make the lemon curd:
- Using a carrot peeler, remove the zest of 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.
- Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.
- Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.
- To Make Meringue: In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form.
- Fill a piping bag with lemon curd and use a large tip to squeeze curd into the center of each cupcake. Drizzle the remaining lemon curd on top.
- Put the meringue in a piping bag and ‘frost’ the cupcakes. I played around with several different piping tips.
- lace in your oven on broil for a minute or two until golden brown. Watch closely so they don’t burn. You can also use a small flame torch.
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O.M.G!!!!!!Shelley those look SOOOOOO good!!! I am SO trying them and soon!!! yes!! I LOVE lemon!!! any idea how that icing holds up though? are these something that needs to be eaten right away or refrigerated?
FYI…..at our house, we call mini cupcakes “poppers”…because, yes, I pop a whole one in my mouth! LOL shhhhhhhh
.-= TidyMom´s last blog ..Cathe Holden Guest Post & Custom Monogram Giveaway! =-.
Thanks Cheryl!
I think the general rule with Meringue is that is should be eaten fairly soon. But I think it would be fine in the fridge for a day or so…. Anyone else know?
Yum!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am drooling at my desk…… I NEED to make these!!!! How do you fill a cooked cupcake???
Just fill a piping bag and poke the piping TIP right in the center of the cupcake. Gently Squeeze. It will fill the center a little. Don’t squeeze too much in or it will crack.
Those look GREAT! I am trying to think of a suitable occasion. How about the great day of……Thursday! Thanks for sharing.
these look fabulous! mini is better because you don’t feel so bad after eating 5 of them!!
.-= M´s last blog ..days go by.. =-.
I must make these!!! Thanks for sharing, I can’t wait to try them!!!
I <3 Mini!!!!
YUM!! Just printed out all the recipes.
Those look good. To bad I am on a diet right now:(
.-= brenbren´s last blog ..Celebrate the Mom Give Away =-.
Thanks Shelley! I am so excited to try these! The hubby LOVES lemon and these look perfect!
Morsels of lemony goodness – yum! And you are right – minis do definitely taste best!
WOW, those look SOOO good! I love Lemon Merengue too!
.-= michelle´s last blog ..Random Wednesday =-.
These look absolutely DELICIOUS and ADORABLE!! I love mini anything
.-= Stephanie Hanson´s last blog ..Thanksgiving =-.
Ohhh my goodness! I’m obsessed with mini cupcakes, muffins, cookies… you name it, if it’s mini, I’ll eat it! I’m definitely going to be bake these this weekend!
xxMK
.-= Mary´s last blog ..Chewy Brownies =-.
Yea, right now I’m tempted to lick my computer. Sorry, but I’m a total sweet head. My son loves lemon so he’s getting these for his birthday in June. Can’t wait to make them. Thanks.
.-= Pegg´s last blog ..C Notes Pink 4 Pack Any Initial Available =-.
These muffins were divine at the baby shower! Sorry you had to keep shooing me away from the muffin plate.
Oh….my. These look DIVINE! I have to make these!
.-= Autumn´s last blog ..Proud as a Peacock =-.
They look so yummy!
yummy, these were so good!
I don’t know about Alison, but you can make them for MY birthday!!!
These are gorgeous!
.-= Kaitlin´s last blog ..Thanks! =-.
Shelly, they look amazing! I want one
really I wish I had one right now!
.-= Diane {createdbydiane.blogspot.com}´s last blog ..Steak Tacos =-.
Hey girls! Shelley and Cheryl,
If I remember right, meringue will “weep” if not eaten the same day.
These look fabulous! Don’t forgot about Cupcake Tuesday next wk, I’d LOVE for you join in!
~Liz
.-= Liz@HoosierHomemade´s last blog ..Earth Day Bug Cupcakes ~ How to =-.
You can make some for my birthday…October 7th to be exact! Wow…looks delicious!!!
For the love of God I certainly didn’t need to see this on the first day of my quest to attempt to lose some poundage.
WoW!
They look scrumptialumptious!
.-= meghan´s last blog ..Can I have jam please? =-.
That is a great idea! I have a link party today at http://www.iamonly1woman.blogspot.com and would love it if you could stop by
Yum!
.-= Entertain Exchange´s last blog ..DIY Festive Mexican or Cinco De Mayo Centerpiece =-.
I’m so glad you a had a minute to link up to Cupcake Tuesday! Thanks much my friend!!!
~Liz
.-= Liz@HoosierHomemade´s last blog ..Cupcake Tuesday ~ Goin’ to the Movies =-.
I bought some lemons and I’m making these tomorrow. I can’t wait.
I love lemon, and have been looking for a recipe to use up a bunch of them. This looks super tasty!
.-= Stacia´s last blog ..Roasted Red Pepper and Mushroom Risotto =-.
I made these for Mother’s day with the family(not mini though) and they were a hit. Thanks!
.-= Jenn Warnick´s last blog ..Happy Mothers Day! =-.
Hi the lemon meringue cupcakes look gorgeous. I want to try and make them, I am from Australia and wasn’t sure what you mean by lemon curd. Can you please give me an idea of what it is thank you.
Yep. Just click on the lemon curd link in the post and it will take you to a recipe. Homemade curd is made of lemon juice, butter, sugar and a few other ingredients. It is DIVINE. Please let me know how they turn out for you. Try not to lick your fingers!
These cupcakes are adorable! I love the piped meringue on top…and I agree, I could eat lemon curd by the bowl-ful!
.-= Melanie´s last blog ..Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas =-.
Those lemon meringue cupcakes are so cute! I love anything lemon!
These look amazing! Lemon Meringue is something that everyone loves and it looks adorable in cupcakes, I’m definatley gonna try this one out sometime.
.-= Harriet´s last blog ..Sell Your Mobile =-.
These look so delicious! Thanks so much for the recipe!
http://thisnestisbest.com/2011/06/17/lemon-cupcakes/
I love making cupcakes and reading your posts! I am truely the cupcake queen at my school.