Lemon Meringue Pie Cupcakes

I love these cupcakes. They're from the wonderful Martha Stewart and seeing as how it is springtime once again, these cupcakes are quite fitting. I made a recipe very similar to this last week. The Lemon Drop Cake I made was from the book Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, and I honestly cannot decide which version I like better. This version has a slightly denser cake, a nice buttery lemon curd spread on top, and a 7-minute frosting while the Baked version had a spongier cake, tangier lemon curd, and a lemon scented buttercream frosting. I think these cupcakes are perfect for an easter brunch while the Baked cake is perfect for an easter dinner dessert. My boyfriend, who doesn't like cake, actually ate and enjoyed one of these cupcakes. I really made them for him since his favorite dessert is lemon meringue pie. If you have a blowtorch, you will have better luck with browning this frosting. A broiler just isn't compatable with cupcake wrappers and cake.

Lemon Buttermilk Cupcakes

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

Finely grated zest of 3 lemons (about 3 tablespoons), plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 12 standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour and baking powder.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in zest and vanilla. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk and lemon juice, and beating until just combined after each.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.

Lemon Curd

8 large egg yolks

Finely grated zest of 2 lemons

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

1 cup sugar

1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) salted butter cold, cut into pieces

Combine yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar in a heavy-bottom saucepan; whisk to combine. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon (be sure to scrape the sides of the pan), until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, 8 to 10 minutes, and registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.

Remove saucepan from heat. Add salt and butter, one piece at a time, stirring until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled and set, at least 1 hour or up to 1 day. Spread the top of each cooled cupcake with 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

Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar with the water and corn syrup in a small saucepan; clip a candy thermometer to side of pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Continue boiling, without stirring, until syrup reaches 230 degrees.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of a standing electric 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.

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. Immediately frost lemon curd topped cupcakes. Garnish with a slice of lemon if desired.

Taken from Martha Stewart Cupcakes