Lemon Meringue Cupcake Recipe
These are one of my favourite cupcakes, light fluffy italian meringue offset with tangy lemon curd and vanilla cupcake.
Vanilla Cupcakes:
Make the cupcake using the vanilla cake recipe on the bottom of this post: vanilla cupcakes
While they are cooking make your lemon curd and italian meringue.
Lemon curd recipe
165g (5.82 ounces) or 3/4 cup caster sugar
2 eggs plus 2 yolks
zest of 2 lemons
240 millilitres (8.12 fluid ounces) or 1 cup lemon juice
90g (3.17 ounces) or 1/3 cup and 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, chopped
Whisk together the sugar, eggs, yolks, lemon zest and juice.
Microwave in 1 minute intervals whisking each time until it thickens.
Whisk in the butter, then pour curd into jam jars or drinking glasses covered in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.
Italian Meringue Recipe (click here for video instructions)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 large eggs
1 cup or 216g (7.62 ounces) caster sugar
1/4 cup or 63 millilitres (2.13 fluid ounces) water
Seperate the eggs and whisk the white to form soft peaks.
Put the sugar and the water in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Wash down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush and leave unstirred until it reaches 238F (114.44 degrees Celsius) on a candy thermometer.
Immediately remove from heat and with the beaters running, pour in a thin stream into the egg whites.
Beat until cooled. This can take a while so if using hand mixers I like to put a bowl of iced water underneath the mixing bowl to speed up the cooling process. When it is cool it will be thick smooth and glossy.
Constructing the cupcakes
Using a knife or a spoon cut a hole out of the top of each cupcake and fill with a teaspoon of lemon curd. Top with a piped swirl of italian meringue. You can place the cupcakes under the grill for a short moment if you want the meringue to be golden.
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What have I been waiting for? Making lemon curd in the microwave is LIFE CHANGING!!! Thank you for this delicious recipe and for all the joy and facts you share with the world. xox
1mention
Oh my god, so amazing! The microwave curd method is so much easier than other recipes I’ve tried. I love citrus curds, but for some reason I can’t ever get them to work. Not this one, it was flavorful, silky and smooth the first go! And the Italian Meringue topping was fluffy and perfect. I’ll definitely be making again!
Hi, Ann! How long can I store the cupcakes before they have to be eaten? Or if anyone else has any idea, thanks!
HI ANN HOW TO STORE THE CURD?? PLEASE REPLY
Hi N, store it in a clear jar in the fridge ?
Hi massive fan watch every video please reply i ask all the time to reply but you do not
PLZ REPLY !!!!!!!!!
Thanks for watching Noah.
Hi! Very big fan!:) what is the shelf life of the lemon curd? thank you!:)
Hi, how does this lemon curd recipe differ from the one you made for the strawberry mousse cake?
Hi Neala, The Lemon curd in the cupcake recipe has a stronger lemon flavour and has no flour of gelatin in it to make it thicker and set. It is meant to be a burst of soft flavour in the cup cake.
Hi! I’d like to know if I can use american buttercream frosting instead of Italian meringue for this recipe?
Hi Beiyi, You could do that though it wouldn’t taste like a Lemon Meringue treat.
Hi. I’ve been a huge fan of yours and have been checking out your videos every Friday. The recipes and videos you makes is just so wonderful and easy to follow. Utterly awesome. I’m going to make a cake for my granny on her birthday, using the lemon curd above for filling. I don’t have a microwave, and wonder if it would work if I put the whisk together the sugar, eggs, yolks, lemon zest and juice on the stove on low, then add in the butter once the heated mixture is thickened.
Hi Jacqueline, Try doing it over a double boiler.
Hey Ann!
I absolutely LOVE your videos and your blog!! 🙂
I have one question, is cream of tartar absolutely essential to this recipe?
If not, what is a substiute I can use? Cream of tartar is, sadly, unavailable where I live.
Thank you! 🙂
<3 Mohana
Hi Mohana, Cream of Tartar (or Tartaric acid) is a stabilizer for the egg white. If you can’t get it, then you could add a little lemon juice. It isn’t as effective but will help.
Hii Ann,
First of all I love your site and your YouTube channel.
I have a question? Do you have some different recipes of the curd?
Or do you know a site for it?
Byee, Myron
Sorry Myron,
This is my best lemon curd recipe.
To Die For.
Made them and my husband rated them equal with my Devil’s Food cupcakes, his absolute favourite. I’m a person who lives to bake and your recipes are the first I go to when I need certain recipes.
Thank you Ann
Thanks Lo.
Hi. May I know can I substitute lemon with lime? If so, please tell me the measurements for the curd. Another question is, what if I dont have a candy thermometer? What or how will I know when it will be okay?
Thanks!! 🙂
Hi xin hui you really need a candy thermometer for this one because the temp is before it has reached soft ball stage so it is difficult to tell from just looking at the syrup. Yes you can swap the lemons in this recipe for limes.
When you say one cup how many grams please
Hi Maria 1 cup=250ml
Hello
Can you tell me if these have to be stored in the fridge?
Hi Maria, they do not have to go in the fridge but you can put them in if you like
Hi Ann, how far in advance can you make these? Also, what’s the best way to store them? Thanks.
As dita I wonder how far in advance you can make these cupcakes. The french wikipedia tells that the italian meringue should be consumed within one hour whereas the english one tells that it is safe to use without cooking and will not deflate for a long while. I would be very interested in your experience in the field.
And by the way, thanks for your wonderful website !
Hello Ann,
I’ve been looking through your beautiful creations and was wondering if you have a Banana’s In Pyjama’s cake that you have made? I’ve added a photo of the one I would love to make but could use any pointers your able to give me.
Thanks from Fiona
Hi Fiona, I haven’t made a bananas but if you look at the minion cake it will give you a great place to start. https://www.howtocookthat.net/public_html/despicable-me-2-3d-minion-cake-decorating-tutorial/
Hello, I just wanted to say how much I love your site. I was looking for the vanilla cake recipe but it is no where to be found even though it says it is at the bottom of the post for the meringue cupcakes. When I just search vanilla cake, it asks me for a password when all your other recipes are given without that step. Can you please send or post the recipe for the vanilla cake? I would love to try it out. Thank you so much for your wonderful tutorials:D
Cheers, Judy
Hi Judy, thanks so much for letting me know the link was broken and taking you to an admin login page. Here is the correct link: https://www.howtocookthat.net/public_html/mickey-mouse-cupcakes-with-mickey-inside/ page has been fixed and I have sent you a free download link for little book of frostings.
Looks interesting… never seen a curd recipe that uses a microwave before!
Super easy and quick compared to traditional recipe and just as yummy.