Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

For some reason lately, I have had the urge to stuff my baked creations. Here is a perfect example. I thought about making these for a barbecue as my best friend absolutely loves lemon meringue pie, and I tried to put together a cake version that would have the same impact without the hassle of slicing and plating. This was one food experiment that turned out very well. These do take a bit of work, however you can make the cupcakes in advance and freeze until needed, and the lemon curd can be made at most a week in advance.

Vanilla Cupcakes
Makes 12.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup sugar
6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper or foil liners.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the sugar and butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the egg and egg white one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk in 2 additions, beating until just combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat just until no traces of flour remain, about 30 seconds; do not overbeat.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-fourths full. Bake until the cupcakes are lightly golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Then transfer the cupcakes to the rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.

Lemon Curd
Makes more than enough to fill 12 cupcakes.

3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lemon zest

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer, about 2 min. Slowly add the eggs and yolks. Beat for 1 min. Mix in the lemon juice. The mixture will look curdled, but it will smooth out as it cooks.

In a medium, heavy-based saucepan, cook the mixture over low heat until it looks smooth. (The curdled appearance disappears as the butter in the mixture melts.) Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 15 min. It should leave a path on the back of a spoon and will read 170°F on a thermometer. Don't let the mixture boil.

Remove the curd from the heat; stir in the lemon zest. Transfer the curd to a bowl. Press plastic wrap on the surface of the lemon curd to keep a skin from forming and chill the curd in the refrigerator. The curd will thicken further as it cools. Covered tightly, it will keep in the refrigerator for a week and in the freezer for 2 months.

Meringue
Makes enough to top 12 cupcakes.

2 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar

Beat egg whites until foamy, and slowly add sugar while still beating until stiff peaks form.

Assembly
Defrost cupcakes, if frozen. Using a chopstick, poke a hole in the top of each cupcake and wiggle it around a bit to create space for the lemon curd. Fill a piping bag with lemon curd and pipe about a tablespoon of lemon curd into each cupcake. Top with a dollop of meringue.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, then turn on the broiler to brown the meringue. Let cool and serve.