Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

Citrusy lemon meringue cupcakes, made from scratch. Soft lemon cupcakes are filled to the brim with an easy homemade lemon curd and topped with fluffy toasted meringue. They are just like lemon meringue pie, in cupcake form!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Easy to make – made with fresh lemons and a handful of basic pantry ingredients.
• Make ahead – the lemon curd filling and even the cupcakes can be made ahead of time and assembled later, to save time.
• Fun to decorate.
• So delicious – every bite is soft, moist and busting with lemon flavour.
• Perfect for any occasion – impressive enough to serve at parties, showers or special occasions, but easy enough to serve to guests for a simple afternoon tea.
• A perfect balance of sweet and tart.

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!

For the lemon curd;

For the cupcakes;

• Butter – softened at room temperature. Real butter is required, for both texture and flavour, rather than spreads, margarine or butter substitutes.

• 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 are 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.

• Caster sugar – superfine caster sugar is used for the meringue topping. Fine sugar will dissolve more easily into the egg whites, making a smooth, marshmallow-like meringue. Regular white sugar is fine in the cupcake batter, but can make the meringue grainy.

• Eggs – are used in the lemon curd, cupcakes and meringue to add structure and richness. Allow the eggs to reach room temperature before baking. This allows them to incorporate more easily into the batter. For the meringue, room temperature eggs allow more air bubbles, resulting in a fluffier meringue.

• Self-raising flour – use white, self-raising flour for the cupcakes. To make your own self-raising flour, mix 2 teaspoons of baking powder to every cup (150 grams) of plain flour.

• Milk – adds moisture to the cupcakes. I use whole (full fat) milk, but any milk works.

Step by step instructions

There are three components to these cupcakes, all of which can be made ahead to assemble later;

1. The lemon curd filling; use my easy homemade recipe for lemon curd below, or use store-bought lemon curd to save time. If making it from scratch, I recommend making it the day before and letting it cool and set in the fridge overnight before assembling the cupcakes.
2. The cupcake bases.
3. The meringue topping.

For the lemon curd filling;

1. Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a large, heat-safe bowl.
2. While whisking, add the lemon juice until combined.
3. Add the cubes of butter and place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. The bowl should be able to rest over the top of the saucepan snugly, without steam escaping from the sides. The bottom of the bowl should not be touching the boiling water.
4. Whisk continually over low-medium heat until the lemon curd becomes smooth and thick. This will take around 15 minutes.

When is lemon curd ready? Once the lemon curd has thickened to a custard-like consistency and the whisk starts to leave marks in the curd, it is ready. Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool. The curd will continue to thicken in the fridge.

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. The mixture should be golden and fluffy.
3. Add the milk and flour and fold until just combined.
4. Divide the mixture between 12 paper cases in a cupcake tray. The best way to do this is by using an ice cream scoop for even distribution and nicely shaped cupcakes.

Bake until fluffy and cooked through (for full recipe instructions and cooking times, see the recipe card below).

Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before assembly.

For the meringue;

1. Beat the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until they thicken and form stiff peaks. The mixture should be able to stand on its own without falling or losing its shape.
2. While continually beating, gradually add the sugar (one teaspoon at a time). Beat for a further 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is glossy.

To assemble;

Use an apple corer, cupcake corer, the large end of a piping tip or a small, sharp knife to make a small hole in the middle of each cupcake, about ½ – ⅔ deep.

Spoon or pipe the cooled lemon curd into the middle of the cupcakes.

Pipe meringue over the top of the cupcakes and use a culinary blowtorch or grill/broiler to toast the top of the meringue. Hold the flame 2-3 cm away from the meringue and move it continually to avoid burning. The meringue will brown very quickly, so keep an eye on it and don’t leave it under the heat for too long!

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

Expert tips

• Use room temperature ingredients; make sure the butter, eggs and milk are at room temperature before baking. This ensures that they will easily incorporate into the batter and bake evenly.
• Measure the flour accurately; use a kitchen scale or fluff and level the flour before adding it to the batter. Too much flour will cause dry, dense cupcakes.
• Don’t overmix the cupcake batter. Overmixing will remove air bubbles, resulting in dense, heavy cupcakes. We want them light and fluffy!
• If you don’t want to make the lemon curd, you can use store-bought curd instead. Choose a good quality lemon curd that you know and love for best results. For convenience, the homemade version can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for around 2 months (when stored correctly in the fridge in clean, sealed sterilised jars. Once opened, consume within 1-2 weeks).
• You won’t need to use all of the lemon curd. Keep the rest in the fridge for desserts, spreading on toast or eating straight from the jar! If you don’t want leftovers, you can halve the recipe.
• While a hand-held culinary blowtorch is easiest to evenly toast the meringue without burning, a grill/broiler can also be used. But keep an eye on the meringue, as it can burn very quickly!
• If using a hand-held blowtorch, don’t get too close to the paper cases, or they can catch and burn.
• Wait until the cupcakes and curd have cooled completely before attempting to assemble the cupcakes. Warm curd will soak into the cake, rather than sitting in the middle.
• While the meringue is toasted on the outside, the egg whites may still be under-cooked (depending on toasting time). This may not be suitable for those with specific dietary needs. If you require cooked meringue, you can use an Italian meringue recipe to pipe over the top. Italian meringue uses sugar syrup to cook and stabilise the meringue.
• Storage; the cupcakes will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

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Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

Citrusy lemon meringue cupcakes, made from scratch. Soft lemon cupcakes are filled to the brim with an easy homemade lemon curd and topped with fluffy toasted meringue. They are just like lemon meringue pie, in cupcake form!

5 from 9 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: baking, Dessert

Cuisine: Australian

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 12

Calories: 401kcal

Author: Andrea Geddes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients 

Metric – US Customary

 

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For the lemon curd filling

• ▢ 6 eggs whole, at room temperature
• ▢ 1 ½ cups sugar white, granulated sugar or caster sugar
• ▢ ¾ cup lemon juice fresh
• ▢ 190 grams butter cut into cubes

For the cupcakes

• ▢ 100 grams butter softened at room temperature
• ▢ 1 cup caster sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla vanilla bean paste or essence
• ▢ 2 eggs room temperature
• ▢ 260 grams self-raising flour 1 ¾ cups
• ▢ ⅔ cup milk

For the meringue

• ▢ 4 egg whites at room temperature
• ▢ 1 cup caster sugar

Instructions

For the lemon curd filling (best made the day before and stored in the fridge)

• Place a saucepan of shallow water over low-medium heat and bring to a low simmer. You will need a glass or heat-proof bowl that will fit snugly over the top without allowing steam to escape.
• Place the eggs and sugar into the heat-proof bowl and whisk to combine.
• Carefully whisk the lemon juice into the egg mixture.
• Add the butter and carefully place the bowl over the top of the saucepan of simmering water. Whisk the mixture continually over heat until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth and thick. This will take around 15 minutes. Once thickened (to the consistency of custard), remove the lemon curd from the heat and transfer to sterilised glass jars or a bowl to cool. It will continue to thicken as it cools.

For the cupcakes

• Pre-heat oven to 180 °C/356 F and line a 12 hole cupcake tray with paper cupcake cases.
• Beat the butter, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla together in a large mixing bowl until soft, fluffy and pale.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition until the eggs are incorporated and the mixture is fluffy.
• Add half of the flour and half of the milk and using a wooden spoon or spatula, gently fold until just combined. Add the remaining flour and milk and fold until just combined. Be careful not to over-beat.
• Divide the mixture evenly into the paper cases using an ice cream scoop or spoon.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the cupcakes are completely cooked through. You can test them by gently pressing the top of one of the cupcakes. If it is spongy and firm to touch, then the cupcakes are ready.
• Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely. 

For the meringue

• Beat the egg whites in a stand mixer (or with hand-held beaters) until stiff peaks form. While continuing to beat, gradually add the sugar one teaspoon at a time until the sugar is all gone.
• Continue to beat for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is glossy.

To assemble

• Using a sharp knife, apple corer or the end of a piping tip, carefully cut the centre out of each cupcake (about ⅔ deep).
• Pipe or spoon the cooled lemon filling into the middle of the cupcakes, until the filling is level with the top of the cupcake.
• Pipe the meringue over the top of the cupcakes.
• To toast the meringue, use a hand held blowtorch or place the cupcakes on a tray under a hot grill/broiler for 30-60 seconds, or until the tops have become a light golden brown colour. If using a grill/broiler, keep a close watch on the meringue to prevent burning!
• These cupcakes are best eaten in the first day or two, but can be kept in the fridge for around 3-4 days.

Notes

1. Use room temperature ingredients; make sure the butter, eggs and milk are at room temperature before baking. This ensures that they will easily incorporate into the batter and bake evenly.
2. Measure the flour accurately; use a kitchen scale or fluff and level the flour before adding it to the batter. Too much flour will cause dry, dense cupcakes.
3. If you don’t want to make the lemon curd, you can use store-bought curd instead. Choose a good quality lemon curd that you know and love for best results. For convenience, the homemade version can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for around 2 months (when stored correctly in the fridge in clean, sealed sterilised jars. Once opened, consume within 1-2 weeks).
4. You won’t need to use all of the lemon curd. Keep the rest in the fridge for desserts, spreading on toast or eating straight from the jar! Alternatively, you can halve the recipe.
5. While a hand-held culinary blowtorch is easiest to evenly toast the meringue without burning, a grill/broiler can also be used. But keep an eye on the meringue, as it can burn very quickly!
6. If using a hand-held blowtorch, don’t get too close to the paper cases, or they can catch and burn.
7. Wait until the cupcakes and curd have cooled completely before attempting to assemble the cupcakes. Warm curd will soak into the cake, rather than sitting in the middle.
8. While the meringue is toasted on the outside, the egg whites may still be under-cooked (depending on toasting time). This may not be suitable for those with specific dietary needs. If you need cooked meringue, you can use an Italian meringue recipe to pipe over the top. Italian meringue uses sugar syrup to cook and stabilise the meringue.
9. Storage; the cupcakes will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
10. I don’t recommend freezing these cupcakes once fully assembled. However the un-filled cupcakes can be frozen for up to 3 months.
11. If you prefer not to make the lemon curd or don’t have time, you can use store-bought lemon curd instead. Just make sure it’s a good quality one that you know and love to eat. You can even replace lemon curd with passion fruit curd or lime curd.
12. While I recommend using a culinary blowtorch for perfectly browned and even toasting, if you don’t have one you can place them under a grill (broiler) for about 30-60 seconds, or until browned. Be sure to keep an eye on them the whole time, as the meringue will burn very quickly!
13. Please note that the nutrition information is based on the mixture being made into 12 cupcakes, with one cupcake being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional toppings or sides served with the cupcakes. You won’t use all of the lemon curd, there will be leftovers or the lemon curd ingredients can be halved.
14. This recipe is made using Australian cups and spoon measurements. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.

Nutrition

Calories: 401kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 146mg | Potassium: 98mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 503IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg

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Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in March 2019, but was re-published with new information and photos in October 2022.