With a soft cupcake base, sweet-tangy lemon filling and fluffy meringue, these lemon curd cupcakes are everything you love about lemon meringue pie, in cake form! These pretty cupcakes are so easy to make and perfect for entertaining, parties, or the perfect afternoon tea.
I love experimenting with different cupcake combinations. From chocolate mint to caramel apple pie cupcakes, pink lemonade and peanut butter cupcakes, there is something so fun and playful about cakes in mini form! And out of any flavour combinations, these lemon meringue cupcakes are my absolute favourite.
Love doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel about lemon desserts and cakes. Lemony treats like these delicious little cupcakes are, hands down, my all-time favourite thing to bake (and eat!).
And when it comes to lemon curd desserts, these cupcakes are sure to satisfy those lemony cravings! Made using a simple lemon cupcake recipe, filled with homemade lemon curd and topped with a toasty, marshmallow meringue, these delicious cakes are like pure sunshine.
The soft and fluffy cupcakes are hollowed out and filled with deliciously creamy lemon curd, before being topped with peaks of sweet meringue. And for the finishing touch? The meringue is toasted to perfection!
These cupcakes are the perfect dessert for spring. Or anytime, really! Try these fun and flavourful cupcakes for your next baking adventure. You’ll love them!
What you’ll need
For this recipe, you’ll need these easy pantry staples. **Ingredient quantities and recipe instructions are found in the recipe card below.
- Butter – at room temperature. Real butter is required, rather than spreads or margarine.
- Caster sugar.
- Vanilla. I use Queen organic vanilla bean paste, but vanilla essence can also be used.
- Lemons – fresh lemons are best in this recipe! Both the rind and juice is required. Store bought lemon juice can be substituted for real lemons in the lemon curd filling, if real lemons are not available, but the taste won’t be quite the same!
- Eggs – allow the eggs to get to room temperature for baking. In the cupcakes, this allows the eggs 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. If you don’t have self raising flour, use plain flour and add 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder.
- Milk – I used dairy milk, but you can use your preferred milk of choice.
How to make lemon curd cupcakes
These cupcakes are made using three simple components.
- Cupcakes.
The cupcakes start with a simple vanilla cupcake base and grated lemon rind is added. Lemon rind adds a light lemon flavour to the cupcakes without being overwhelming.
To make the cupcakes;
- Beat the butter, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla together until creamy and pale.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition until fluffy.
- Add the milk and flour and fold until just combined.
- Bake the cupcakes for around 15-20 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Allow the cupcakes to cool. Then, hollow them out using the wide end of a large piping nozzle, an apple corer or a sharp knife. 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.
2. Lemon curd.
The bulk of the lemon flavour in this recipe comes from the lemon filling. If you’ve never made lemon curd (or lemon butter) before, don’t be intimidated! It’s super easy and can even be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge. I use this recipefor lovely, thick lemon butter that can also be used for spreading on toast, pancakes, cakes and more! You’ll end up with more than you need, so keep the rest in the fridge for any time those lemon cravings hit!
To make the lemon filling;
- Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a large, heat-proof bowl.
- Carefully place the bowl onto a pot of boiling water (the water should not be high enough to reach the bowl) and whisk in the lemon juice.
- 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 minutes. The lemon curd is ready when it has a honey-like thickness (it will continue to thicken as it cools).
Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool. The curd will continue thicken as it cools and be ready to add to the cupcakes.
3. Meringue
This is the easiest meringue recipe, perfectly smooth, sweet and marshmallow-y in the middle and toasty and browned on the outside. The perfect balance to the tangy lemon flavour!
For perfectly fluffy meringue;
This is the easiest meringue recipe, perfectly smooth and marshmallow-y in the middle and toasty and browned on the outside.
For perfectly fluffy meringue;
- 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.
- While continuing to beat, gradually add the sugar until all gone. Beat for a further 1-2 minutes, until the whites are glossy.
- Pipe the meringue over the top using any type of piping nozzle you like. Different shaped nozzles will make the meringue into different shapes.
To toast the meringue, I use a hand-held food blowtorch. It gives a lovely, caramel colour to the meringue without overcooking. However, if you don’t have a blowtorch, pop them under a hot grill for a short time until the tops are nicely toasted. Keep an eye on the meringue to avoid burning!
Handy tips
- 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 a more punchy lemon flavour.
- The lemon curd can be made ahead and chilled in the fridge, ready for use. If placed into sealed, sterilised containers, it will last for 2 months in the fridge. Once opened, consume within 1-2 weeks.
- Watch the meringue like a hawk! If using a grill/broiler to brown the tops, keep your eyes on it the whole time. The meringue will cook quickly and can easily burn. Pull the cakes out of the oven once they are a golden brown colour.
Related recipes
If you adore lemons and lemon curd desserts, then don’t miss these recipes!
- Lemon curd slice
- The best ever lemon meringue pie
- Lemon syrup cake
If you try these lemon curd cupcakes with meringue, I’d love to hear about it! Feel free to leave a comment or review below, or send me a message. For more food inspiration, tips and to share your own recipes and creations, head over to my Facebook Recipe Group.
Lemon Curd Cupcakes with Meringue
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- ⅓ cup butter softened at room temperature (about 100 grams)
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla vanilla bean paste or essence
- 2 eggs
- 1 ¾ cup self raising flour
- ⅔ cup milk
For the lemon curd filling
- 6 eggs whole, lightly beaten
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ¾ cup lemon juice
- 1 cup butter around 190 grams, cut into cubes
For the meringue
- 4 egg whites
- 1 cup caster sugar
Instructions
For the cupcakes
- Pre-heat oven to 180 °C and line 12 a hole cupcake tray with patty cases.
- Beat the butter, lemon, vanilla and sugar 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 the milk and beat. Fold in the flour until just combined.
- Spoon the mixture evenly into the patty cases.
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the cupcakes are completely cooked through. You can test this by inserting a wooden skewer into the middle of a cupcake. If it comes out clean, the cakes are cooked.
- Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
For the lemon filling
- While the cupcakes are baking, prepare a small saucepan with shallow water over low heat until gently simmering.
- In a large glass or heat-proof bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together until combined.
- Carefully place the bowl over the top of the saucepan, so that it sits over the top. The top of the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl.
- While over the heat, carefully whisk the lemon juice into the egg mixture and continue to whisk.
- Add the butter and continue to whisk the mixture until the butter melts and the mixture becomes smooth and thickens. This will take around 10 minutes. Once thickened (the consistency of honey), remove the lemon curd from the heat and transfer to sterilised glass jars to cool. The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools. For more tips and instructions for perfectly smooth lemon butter and sterilising jars, see this post here.
For the meringue
- Beat the egg whites in a mixer (or with electric or hand held beaters) until stiff peaks form. The peaks should be stiff enough to hold their shape without moving. Gradually and slowly add the sugar, beating continuously, until combined.
- Continue to beat for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is glossy.
To assemble
- Using a sharp knife or the bottom of a large piping nozzle (or an apple corer), carefully scoop out the middle of each cupcake (around ⅔ deep). **Kids are handy to help "dispose" of the cupcake middles!!
- 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. Use your creativity here! Scoop, dollop, pipe or peak your meringue over the top of the cupcakes. Piping gives a nice, finished look, or you can use a spoon to create stiff peaks.
- To toast the meringue, use a hand held blowtorch or place the cupcakes on a tray under a hot grill/broiler for 1-2 minutes, 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 three days.
Notes
- 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 a more punchy lemon flavour.
- The lemon curd can be made ahead and chilled in the fridge, ready for use. If placed into sealed, sterilised containers, it will last for 2 months in the fridge. Once opened, consume within 1-2 weeks.
- Watch the meringue like a hawk! If using a grill/broiler to brown the tops, keep your eyes on it the whole time. The meringue will cook quickly and can easily burn. Pull the cakes out of the oven once they are a golden brown colour.
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