Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

If you love lemon meringue pie, don't hesitate to bake a batch of these fabulous filled cupcakes.

Prep: 55 min | Total: 1 hr 55 min | Yield: 24 servings

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 2 1/3 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 (10 to 12 ounce) jar lemon curd

Meringue

• 4 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular size muffin cups; spray paper cups with baking spray with flour.

Cupcakes

1. In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
2. In large bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds.
3. Gradually add 1 1/4 cups sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping bowl occasionally. Beat 2 minutes longer.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Beat in lemon peel and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
6. On low speed, alternately add flour mixture, about one-third at a time, and milk, about half at a time, beating just until blended.
7. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each with about 3 tablespoons batter or until about two-thirds full.
8. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes.
9. Remove cupcakes from pans; place on cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
10. By slowly spinning end of round handle of wooden spoon back and forth, make deep, 3/4-inch-wide indentation in center of top of each cupcake, not quite to bottom. (Wiggle end of spoon in cupcake to make opening large enough.)
11. Spoon lemon curd into small resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag. Cut 3/8-inch tip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Insert tip of bag into opening in each cupcake; squeeze bag to fill opening.
12. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F.

Meringue

1. In medium bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form.
2. Gradually add 2/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating continuously until stiff peaks form and mixture is glossy.
3. Frost cupcakes with meringue; place on cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned.

Nutrition

Per 1 cupcake: Calories 230 (Calories from Fat 80), Total Fat 9g (Saturated Fat 6g, Trans Fat 0g), Cholesterol 60mg; Sodium 210mg;Total Carbohydrate 34g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 24g), Protein 3g
Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 6.00%; Vitamin C 0.00%; Calcium 4.00%; Iron 4.00%
Exchanges: 1 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 1 1/2 Fat
Carbohydrate Choices: 2
% Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Attribution

Recipe and photo used with permission from: Betty Crocker Kitchens