LEMON MERINGUE CUPCAKES

As it looks like summer has finally arrived, I thought I'd make some delicious Lemon Meringue Cupcakes which are just perfect for this time of year. Even with their elegant appearance, these cupcakes are really easy to make, so do give them a go!

What you’ll need:

For the cupcakes:

100g butter

100g caster sugar

100g self-raising flour

2 eggs

2 tbsp lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon

Vanilla extract

Lemon curd

For the meringue:

2 egg whites

100g caster sugar

50ml water

Let’s get started:

STEP 1: Preheat oven to gas 5 and line a cupcake tray with paper cases.

STEP 2: In a bowl, cream together the butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Add a splash of vanilla extract and beat in the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Gently fold in the flour, lemon zest and lemon juice.

STEP 3: Evenly distribute the batter between each paper case and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. When they’re done, they should spring back when pressed gently.

STEP 4: Once cooled, core the cupcakes (about half-deep), retaining the crust. Place a teaspoon of lemon curd in the centre and place the retained crust on top.

STEP 5: To make the meringue topping we first have to make a sugar syrup by dissolving the sugar in the water over a low heat. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until doubled in volume and soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar syrup to the whites, whisking continuously until the meringue is thick, glossy and cooled.

STEP 6: Spoon the meringue into a piping bag and create a swirl atop each cupcake. Lightly brown the meringue topping using a blowtorch. (If you don’t have a blowtorch, you can achieve a similar result under a grill, but be careful not to burn the meringue.)

STEP 7: Devour!