Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

These moist vanilla cupcakes are filled with lemon curd and topped with a toasted marshmallow meringue!

Prep Time 35 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Servings 18 cupcakes

Author The Cupcake Chronicles

Start by making the lemon curd as it needs to chill in the refrigerator.
Fill a medium saucepan with about an inch of water. Place a heat proof bowl on top making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
Remove the bowl from the pot once you know it is the right size and mix together all lemon curd ingredients until smooth and combined.
Bring the water in the saucepan to a simmer.
Place bowl of ingredients on top of simmering water and stir constantly until the mixture has thickened. About 10 minutes. You will know it is thick enough when it coats the back of a spoon. You should be able to coat a spoon, run your finger across the spoon, with the curd staying in place and not filling into the line you just made with your finger.
Once thickened, run the mixture through a mesh sieve to get out any egg bits.
Place plastic wrap over the lemon curd and press the plastic wrap so it is touching the top of the curd. This will prevent a skin from forming. Let the curd chill in the fridge until completey cool and thick. About 1.5-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350F.
Line a cupcake pan with liners and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachement beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time beating well between each addition.
Beat in the vanilla, lemon extract, sour cream and vegetable oil. Mix until combined and smooth.
Add in the flour slowly alternating with the milk (flour, Milk, flour, milk, flour). Mix until smooth
Divide batter evenly between cupcake liners filling each one 2/3 of the way full. A 2 inch cookie scoop gives the perfect batter amount for each cupcake.
Bake for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean
Let cool completely.

Add egg whites and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer
Place bowl over pot of simmering water (about an inch, make sure bowl doesnt touch the water). Bring water to a simmer and whisk mixture constantly until sugar is completely dissolved - 5-10 minutes
To tell if sugar is dissolved, run some of the mixture in between your fingers. If you still feel granules, keep whisking. If not, take the mixture off the pot and transfer to your stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
Whip on high speed. Once white and opaque, add in the vanilla and cream of tartar. Keep whisking until thick, glossy and stiff peaks. To tell if you have stiff peaks, lift the whisk attachment out of the mixture and stick right side up. If the peak bends, you need to keep whisking.

Take a small knife and cut a small hole in the center of each cupcake.
Place your lemon curd in a piping bag and pipe lemon curd into the hole of each cupcake.
Place your marshmallow meringue in a piping bag and pipe on top of the cupcakes. You do not need to place the cake piece you cut out of the cupcakes back on top of the lemon curd but you can if you would like to cover the curd before piping the marshmallow.
Take a kitchen torch and toast the top of the marshmallow lightly