Today, we made a video on Lemon Meringue Cupcakes with lemon cream filling-- SO good! Don't be intimidated by meringue--you'll see that there's nothing to it! Here's a little tutorial in pictures....
My cupcakes have baked and are sitting to the side. We chose vanilla cupcakes, but if you LOVE lemon, make lemon cupcakes! I may try that next time. Either way, deliciousness is in your future! Now, let's talk filling....
You'll need a chilled bowl and beaters, and then your ingredients: heavy whipping cream and Lemon instant pudding. This is a favorite filling short cut of mine--- I used a small box of instant lemon pudding, and added 2 cups, plus 2 T heavy whipping cream. All you are doing is substituting heavy whipping cream for the milk in the pudding, plus a little bit more.
Combine and whip with your mixer until it looks like this.......
Yum. But I want to make it a little more lemony. So, add about 1 T lemon zest (or whatever amount gives you the lemoniness you are looking for!)
Now, it's meringue time! I love Martha Stewart's Swiss Meringue--it is delicious, light, and just the right amount of sweet. We need:
4 egg whites
¼ teaspoon Cream of Tartar
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
Thermometer (I used a candy thermometer)
Heat resistant bowl (I used my Kitchen Aid mixing bowl)
Combine above ingredients in your heat resistant bowl and place on top of a pot of simmering water. Whisk constantly until mixture has reached 140 degrees.
Move back to the mixer and beat, using the whisk attachment. Start on low speed, and then gradually increase to high as the mixture thickens. Beat for approximately 10 minutes--feel the bottom of the bowl....when Meringue is cool, it's ready. Think stiff, glossy, slightly curled peaks.
Like this...
Now, let's inject our cupcakes with delicious lemon cream! Actually, even better, do this while the meringue is mixing and mixing and mixing for 10 minutes.
Now, frost your cupcakes as usual--make them swirly, spikey, whatever you like. Meringue is fun. And here's the part where I show off.....with my torch...
I LOVE the toasty effect. The cupcakes are suddenly 100 times more fancy. Because of the lemon cream, you'll want to refrigerate these in an airtight container. If you are not using a perishable filling, they are fine at room temperature. Now, let's look at the inside! I ate this one. (and a few others after this one).
Now for a group shot--Don't they look pretty? Put these on your "to-bake" list-- Everyone will love you for it! (That is, if you share!)
Happy Caking!
OMG....they look so tasty! I definitely might try this recipe for my bf who is obsessed with lemon desserts :)!
Making these this weekend for my husband's birthday! They look so yummy and he loves lemon! Do you think a long tipped lighter (like for lighting candles or bbq) would work for browning the tops instead of a torch?
I am new to the site and loving it!!! =0)
Hi Kim, I have never tried it but I don't think the lighter would work. You can also toast the meringue in your oven. Put your oven on the Broil setting and put the cupcakes in for about 1 minute. DO NOT take your eyes off them because they burn easily. The toasting is a nice effect but they are also good without toasting. Hope you enjoy them.
So the swiss or italian meringues don't need refridgerated?
I don’t understand how to inject the cupcakes. It looks like you have to create a hole first. Can you provide a little more detail on this?
Hi Nancy- I actually don't create a hole when I inject my cupcakes. I just push the piping bag/tip directly into the cupcake about halfway down and give it a squeeze for a second or two. You can either put the filling into a disposable piping bag and snip the tip away, or you can fit the piping bag with a tip 10 or 12. (You may find it helpful before you begin to count the seconds as you pipe onto a piece of wax paper to get an idea of how much filling you will be injecting).