Lemon Meringue Cupcakes Recipe

unsalted butter

🥗Healthier: coconut oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Coconut oil adds a unique flavor and reduces saturated fat.

granulated sugar

🥗Healthier: coconut sugar

💰Cheaper: brown sugar

Coconut sugar has a lower glycemic index.

cream of tartar

Cream of tartar stabilizes egg whites for meringue.

powdered sugar

🥗Healthier: erythritol

💰Cheaper: granulated sugar

Erythritol is a low-calorie sugar alternative.

Pre-heat your oven to 140C Fan/160C/325F/Gas Mark 3, and line a cupcake tin with cupcake cases.

For the cupcake sponge, mix together the baking spread and caster sugar, ideally using an electric hand mixer or in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, for 5 minutes until smooth and fluffy.

Add the eggs and mix them in.

Then gently whisk, or fold in, the self raising flour and lemon zest.

Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases, and bake them for 25-30 minutes or until a thin skewer inserted in the centre of the cupcakes comes out clean. Put them on a rack to cool completely.

Using a cupcake corer, apple corer or a knife, make holes in each cupcake and fill with the lemon curd. You can do this using a spoon or put the lemon curd into a small piping bag, snip the end off and pipe it in.

To make the Italian meringue put the caster sugar and water in a pan, stir them together then bring to a boil. When the mixture reaches 112C (235F), take it off the heat and pour the sugar syrup into a jug.

While the sugar water is coming to a boil, in a stand mixer or using an electric whisk, whisk up the egg whites with the cream of tartar until they reach soft peak stage (foamy and they are just starting to holding their shape on the whisk but not quite).

Then, keeping the mixer running on a medium speed, pour in the hot sugar syrup slowly. Be careful not to let the sugar syrup hit the side of the bowl too much. Turn the mixer speed up to high and mix until the meringue is white, shiny and holds its shape, and the bowl of the mixer feels cool.

Put the meringue in a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe it on top of the cupcakes. Or spread on with a spoon. Use a kitchen blowtorch to brown the meringue all over.

Serve immediately, store leftovers in the fridge and eat within 2 days.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens