Lemon Meringue Cupcakes with Pie Crumb Bottoms
Classic lemon meringue pie, cupcake style! These beauties have a buttery pie crumb crust, tangy lemon curd filling, and swirls of toasted vanilla bean meringue. Light, citrusy, and bakery-beautiful!
Equipment
- metal cupcakes pan
Ingredients
For the Lemon Curd Filling
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Pie Crust Bottoms
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 5 1/2 tablespoons salted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon water
For the Lemon Cake
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour *See notes below for measuring*
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 6 tablespoons cubed unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup sour cream room temperature
- 1/2 cup whole milk room temperature
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
For the Meringue Frosting
- 1 1/8 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 3-4 large egg whites
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
Instructions
Make the Lemon Curd Filling
- Rub the lemon zest into the sugar until it resembles wet sand. Then add it to a pot and whisk in the eggs and cornstarch.
- Whisk in the lemon juice and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the lemon curd temperature reaches 170°F/78°C and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Pour the curd through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl, then stir in the cold butter and vanilla extract until combined. Chill until ready to use.
Make the Pie Crumb
- Combine the flour, sugar, melted butter, and water until crumbly.
- Line a metal cupcake pan with liners and press one tablespoon of the pie crumb into the bottom of each liner. Doesn’t have to be perfect! You will have enough crumb/batter to make 14 cupcakes.
Make the Cupcake Batter
- Preheat the oven to 350°F F/180 °C.
- In a stand mixer bowl, rub the lemon zest into the sugar. Then whisk in the flour, lemon sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix in the butter on low speed until it resembles coarse sand, about 2-3 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, sour cream, milk, eggs, and lemon juice.
- Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients for a few seconds, then scrape down the bowl and continue mixing until just combined.
- Scoop the batter into the liners. Each liner should be roughly 3/4 full. Set any batter and pie crumb aside if baking in two batches.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out covered in a few moist crumbs. Set aside to cool on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes, then carefully remove each one from the pan and let them finish cooling on the rack.
Make the Meringue Frosting
- Into a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Place it over medium heat.
- Meanwhile, add the egg whites and cream of tartar into a stand mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment. Begin whisking on a medium-low speed.
- Once the water and sugar mixture has started to boil, cook it until it reaches a temperature of 244°F/118°C on a digital thermometer. At this point, the egg whites should look bubbly and frothy.
- Immediately remove the sugar syrup from the heat, increase the stand mixer speed to medium-high, and slowly drizzle the syrup in, aiming to pour it in between the whisk and the bowl. Try not to pour it directly on the whisk, or it will splatter the syrup against the sides of the bowl!
- Continue to whisk until the bowl is cool to the touch and the meringue forms stiff peaks. Then, mix in the vanilla paste until combined.
Assembly
- Put the cupcakes back into the cupcake pan and core out the centers with an apple corer or a knife. Then transfer the cupcakes to a sheet pan.
- Fill the centers with the lemon curd.
- Pipe the meringue frosting on top of the cupcakes, then toast with a kitchen torch until golden brown.
Notes
*Measure your dry ingredients properly. This is my #1 baking tip! Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour, as this always leads to using too much flour. Instead, use the spoon-level method. This means fluffing the flour first, then spooning it into your measuring cup/spoon. For the BEST results, use a kitchen scale!*
Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. They are best enjoyed the day they are made, but the meringue holds up well in the fridge!
Freezing: If you want to freeze them, I recommend waiting until serving to top them with the meringue because it does not freeze well.
