Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

Yield: 24 cupcakes | 8 cups frosting

Ingredients:

For the Cake

2 1/4 cups cake flour (I used Swan’s Down brand)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk, room temperature
4 large egg whites, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
lemon zest from two lemons (finely grated)
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Filling

1 cup lemon curd

7-Minute Frosting

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
6 large egg whites, room temperature

Directions:

For the cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake tins with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg whites.
4. Place the sugar and lemon zest in the bowl of your mixer or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter and, working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs, beating until the batter is thoroughly combined. Add the last of the dry ingredients. Finally, give the batter a good 2-minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated.
5. Using a large scoop (about 3 tablespoons), distribute the batter between 24 muffin wells, filling each well 2/3 full.
6. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the cupcakes are springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the centers come out clean. Cool on wire rack.
7. Once cupcakes have cooled, hollow out a small circle in the center of each cupcake; I use an apple corer because I am little OCD and obsessed with symmetry. Spoon or pipe in a dollop of lemon curd.

For the frosting

1. In a small saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups sugar with the water and corn syrup; clip a candy thermometer to side of pan. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Continue boiling, without stirring, until syrup reaches 230 degrees.
2. Meawhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. With mixer running, add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, beating to combine.
3. As soon as sugar syrup reaches 230 degrees, remove from heat. With mixer on medium-low speed, pour syrup down side of bowl in a slow, steady stream. Raise speed to medium-high; whisk until mixture is completely cool (test by touching the bottom of the bowl) and stiff (but not dry) peaks form, about 7 minutes. Use immediately.
4. Frost cooled cupcakes. Use a kitchen torch to lightly brown the meringue frosting.

Notes:

- Cake recipe from Dorie Greenspan
- 7-Minute Frosting from Martha Stewart
- Cupcake liners from Bake It Pretty
- Cupcake tip used to pipe these cupcakes is the Giant French Tip from Bake It Pretty