These lemon meringue cupcakes are made with my vanilla cupcake recipe, but I’ve also mixed in some fresh lemon zest for a bright citrus boost. Once cooled, the cupcakes get hallowed out and filled with homemade lemon curd, then finished with a luxurious Italian meringue. It’s everything you love about lemon meringue pie, but in cupcake form!
These adorable lemon meringue pie cupcakes deliver all the classic flavors of a traditional lemon meringue pie in a fresh new form, much like these mini lemon meringue tarts and deconstructed lemon meringue pie dessert. Even better, you can reduce assembly time by preparing the vanilla cupcakes and lemon curd ahead of time.
Fresh lemon zest in the cupcake batter creates the perfect pairing with the lemon curd filling. And, of course, no lemon meringue dessert is complete without the Italian meringue topping; piped in delicate rosettes and lightly torched for a spectacular effect. They’re almost too pretty to eat!
This recipe calls for three main components: vanilla cupcakes, lemon curd, and Italian meringue. The real fun comes with putting it all together.
What sets this lemon meringue cupcakes recipe apart, beyond the three main recipe components, are the right tools: an apple corer for clean, hollowed out centers, piping bags for the curd and meringue, and a kitchen torch for perfectly golden edges.
It all starts by making the cupcakes, lemon curd, and Italian meringue according to the recipes for these three main components. Once the cupcakes have cooled, use an apple corer to hallow out the centers. If you like, you can snack on those delicious pieces of cake or use them to make a smaller batch of cake balls, like these red velvet cake balls.
With the lemon curd and Italian meringue ready, add them to separate piping bags. I found that a Wilton tip 1M was ideal for piping open rosettes on each cupcake, keeping the hallowed center uncovered. For a special touch, use a kitchen torch to gently brown the edges of the meringue.
Lastly, fill each cupcake with lemon curd. You now have 12 beautiful lemon meringue cupcakes that will impress anyone you serve them to!
Once assembled, these lemon meringue cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container or cake box at room temperature for 2-3 days, although the meringue will start to soften. I don’t recommend storing these lemon meringue cupcakes in the fridge as they tend to dry out.
Don’t freeze these lemon cupcakes once assembled as the meringue won’t hold up to the freezing and thawing. You can freeze the cupcakes and lemon curd separately as a way to make these elements ahead of time or if you have more than you need.
If properly stored, lemon curd can last for up to a year in the freezer. You can learn everything about how to store and freeze cupcakes here.
Elevate your cupcakes with a touch of creativity and a whole lot of deliciousness!
Absolutely! You can use a basic vanilla buttercream using flour, like my ermine frosting, a more silky smooth Swiss meringue buttercream, mascarpone cream, a flavored buttercream frosting, or something as simple and light as freshly whipped cream.
The cupcakes and lemon curd can be made 1-2 days in advance, but I suggest only filling the cupcakes with lemon curd and topping them with the piped meringue just before serving for best results.
Leftover lemon curd is great as a spread for other baked treats. Use the remaining meringue to make delicious classic meringue cookies, mini lemon meringue tarts, and more.
It’s important to only insert the apple corer about two-thirds of the way into each cupcake when removing the centers. That way, the lemon curd will not leak out through the bottom.
If you don’t have a kitchen torch to create beautiful golden edges to the meringue topping, simply place the lemon cupcakes under the broiler for a short time, keeping a close watch that the meringue doesn’t burn.
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