Ingredients
1 cup cake flour
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, very soft
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon zest (from 2 large lemons)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk, room temperature
1 cup lemon curd (recipe below)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. Sift together the cake flour, flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set it aside. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and lemon zest until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg thoroughly, followed by vanilla. Alternate milk and flour in three additions, ending with flour. Evenly distribute the batter into the cupcake papers. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a tester comes out clean and the cake springs back when lightly pressed. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Makes 18 cupcakes.
After the cupcakes are cool, fill a metal-tipped pastry bag with lemon curd (recipe follows, or you may use store-bought) and pipe into cupcakes. Poke the tip of the pasty bag 1/2 to 1 inch into the top of each cupcake and squeeze about 2 teaspoons lemon curd into it. You might not use all the curd. Then top cupcakes with meringue. (Recipe below)
Instructions
Meringue
3 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Set a glass or metal bowl over a sauce pan with an inch or two of boiling water in it (or use a double boiler) and beat egg whites in it until foamy. Add in cream of tartar and beat until fluffy but not yet at soft peaks. Stream in sugar until meringue reaches fairly stiff peaks. Spread on cupcakes with a small knife or offset spatula. Brown with a blowtorch or place on a baking sheet under the broiler until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
Lighter Lemon Curd (adapted from Chocolate and the Art of Low Fat Desserts )
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 teaspoons lemon zest
5 tablespoons sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a small sauce pan, over medium heat, dissolve sugar into lemon juice. Add zest. Lightly beat egg in a small/medium bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly pour lemon/sugar syrup into the egg. Beat for two minutes (only one if you’re using a mixer), then transfer back into the saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until it just starts to bubble at the edges. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Transfer to a small container and store in the fridge. Makes 2/3 cup.
