Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

These lemon meringue cupcakes are everything you love about lemon meringue pie, in cupcake form! They are made with a soft, lemony vanilla cake base, filled to the brim with homemade lemon curd and topped with a lightly toasted meringue frosting. Lemon lovers rejoice, these cupcakes are just for you!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• The lemon curd cupcakes are soft and moist, bursting with delicious lemon flavour and topped with toasted meringue.
• The perfect balance of sweet and tangy.
• Perfect for afternoon tea, entertaining, parties or any time you feel like a refreshing sweet treat.
• Quick and easy to make.
• Made with basic pantry ingredients.
• Fun to decorate.
• The lemon curd can be made ahead for easy assembly.

Ingredients you will need

** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. The photo above is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!

• Butter, softened first at room temperature. Real butter is required, for both texture and flavour, rather than spreads or margarine.
• Vanilla. Pure vanilla extract or essence is used to add flavour to the cupcake base. Use a good quality vanilla for best results.
• Lemons. Fresh lemons are best, because both the zest and juice is used in this recipe. Lemon is found in both the cupcake batter and the homemade lemon curd.  I recommend Meyer lemons for their sweet-tart flavour and high juice content, but any fresh lemon will work.
• Eggs add structure and richness. Allow the eggs to reach room temperature before baking. For baking, letting the eggs reach room temperature allows them to incorporate more easily into the butter. For the meringue, room temperature eggs allow more air bubbles for a fluffier meringue.
• Self-raising flour. Use white, self-raising flour for the cupcakes. Alternatively, use plain flour with 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder instead.
• Milk adds moisture to the cupcakes. I use whole (full fat) milk, but any milk works.

Step by step guide

For the lemon curd cupcake filling;

**This step can be completed ahead of time and stored in the fridge for easy cupcake assembly later. I highly recommend doing this if you have time, as it will be the perfect consistency and temperature for filling the cupcakes.

1. Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a large, heat-proof bowl.
2. Carefully rest the bowl on top of a pot of shallow boiling water (the water should not be high enough to reach the bowl) and whisk in the lemon juice.
3. Add the butter and whisk continually over the pot of simmering water until the butter melts, the mixture becomes smooth and starts to thicken. This will take around 10-15 minutes. The lemon curd is ready when it thickens to a honey-like consistency and the whisk starts to leave marks in the curd. It will continue to thicken as it cools and sets in the fridge.

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For the meringue;

1. Place the egg whites into a clean, dry bowl. Beat them until the whites thicken and stiff peaks form. The mixture should be able to stand in peaks without falling or losing its shape.
2. While continuing to beat, gradually add the sugar until all gone. Beat for a further 1-2 minutes, until the whites are glossy.

For the cupcakes;

1. Beat the butter, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla together until creamy and pale.
2. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition until fluffy.
3. Add the milk and flour and fold until just combined.

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4. Divide the mixture into 12 paper cases. Bake the cupcakes for around 15-20 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

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To assemble;

Allow the cupcakes to cool. Then, hollow them out using a small, sharp knife. Use a small spoon to scoop out the middle, around ⅔ deep so that the lemon filling doesn’t fall out of the bottom. Leave the edges of the cupcake in place to hold the lemon curd.

Spoon in the lemon filling until level with the top of the cupcakes.

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Then, pipe with meringue and toast the top using either a hand-held blow torch (made for cooking), or a hot grill/broiler. The meringue will toast very quickly, so whichever option you choose you will need to keep a close watch!

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Full ingredient list and instructions are found in the recipe card below.

Expert tips

• It is easiest to use a hand-held blowtorch to toast the top of the meringue frosting. This is because you can ensure that the top and sides are evenly toasted. If you don’t have a mini blow torch, the cupcakes can also be placed under a hot grill/broiler until lightly browned. However, you will need to keep an eye on them as they will brown very quickly!
• If using a hand-held blowtorch, watch that the paper cupcake bases don’t catch fire!
• Make the lemon curd ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 months (if stored in properly sealed, sterlised jars). Once opened, consume within 1-2 weeks. You can also use store-bought lemon curd if you’re in a pinch.
• Wait until the cupcakes have cooled to fill them with the lemon curd. The curd should also be cooled, or it will soak into the cupcakes rather than sitting in the middle.
• Decorate the cupcakes by sprinkling with extra lemon zest over the meringue for additional lemon flavour.
• While the meringue is toasted, the egg whites may still be un-cooked depending on toasting time, so may not be suitable for those with specific food needs. Please check before consuming! Toast the tops a little longer if needed. Or if you need cooked meringue, you can use an Italian meringue recipe to pipe over the top. This recipe uses a sugar syrup to cook and stabilise the meringue.
• Storage: store the cupcakes in the fridge for around 3 days.

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Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in March 2019, but was re-published with new information and photos in August 2021.

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