Name: Lemon meringue cupcakes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Bake
Ingredients: 380 g cake flour; 300 g sugar; 7,5 ml bicarbonate of soda; 2,5 ml salt; 3 eggs; 300 ml sunflower oil; lemon zest from one large lemon; 375 ml amasi; 30 ml fresh lemon juice; 3 eggs; 3 egg yolks; 250 ml castor sugar; lemon zest from one lemon; 180 ml fresh lemon juice; 160 g butter cubed; 2 egg whites; 125 ml castor sugar; 1 ml cream of tartar; 1 pinch salt; 2,5 ml vanilla extract

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Ingredients (20)

For the cupcakes

380 g	cake flour
300 g	sugar
7,5 ml	bicarbonate of soda
2,5 ml	salt
3	eggs
300 ml	sunflower oil
	lemon zest — from one large lemon
375 ml	amasi
30 ml	fresh lemon juice

For the lemon curd

3	eggs
3	egg yolks
250 ml	castor sugar
	lemon zest — from one lemon
180 ml	fresh lemon juice
160 g	butter — cubed

For meringue

2	egg whites
125 ml	castor sugar
1 ml	cream of tartar
1 pinch	salt
2,5 ml	vanilla extract

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Method:

For the cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line 2 cupcake pans with papers.

Sieve together the cake flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda and the salt.

In another bowl – mix together the eggs, oil, amasi, lemon juice and the zest.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix it very well to make the batter

Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake pans and bake for ±20 minutes until cooked.

Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

When the cupcakes are cool, cut out a small cone in the center of each one and fill with 15 ml lemon curd.

Pipe or top generously with the meringue and scorch with a blowtorch.

Homemade lemon curd

Beat together the eggs, yolks, castor sugar, zest and lemon juice in a saucepan.

Place the saucepan on the stove on low heat, add half of the butter and whisk all the time until the curd thickens and reach boiling point.

Remove from the heat and add the rest of the butter. Whisk gently until the butter has melted.

Pour the curd into a glass bowl and cover the surface with cling film. Allow to come to room temperature then store in the fridge to firm up.

Meringue

Combine the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, salt and vanilla in a bowl and place on a saucepan with simmering water. The bottom of the bowl must NOT touch the water.

Use an electric hand mixer and whisk the mixture for 7 minutes on high speed over the simmering water until the sugar has dissolved, the mixture is hot to the touch and you have stiff, glossy peaks of meringue.

Spread on cake or spoon into a pipping bag and use immediately.

Variation

Use a lemon buttercream instead of the meringue to pipe on top of the lemon curd filled cupcakes.

This recipe was published with permission by Christine Capendale, follow along on Instagram for more. Images photographed by Ed O’Riley.