Why lemon meringue cupcakes? Well, it was a challenge! I'm not a fan of cupcakes in general, I often find the base too dry and the topping too greasy. The only ones that appeal to me are the Oreo cupcakes from Rachel's cake (which are absolutely killer). Despite this, I love challenges and when I saw that the blogging community was launching a cupcake competition, I jumped at the chance and got to work!
I wanted to change things up from what's traditionally done while paying special attention to aesthetics (which isn't my strong suit in general). It didn't take me long to decide on lemon meringue cupcakes.
The trick for flat lemon meringue cupcakes
I went in somewhat blind but I was looking for a fairly simple and moist base, so I opted for a lemon-flavored victoria cake base (a recipe that is very commonly used in wedding cakes for its simplicity and stability). I tried a trick from a recognized cupcake creator (whose name I've forgotten) of baking my base at 160° to keep the cake as flat as possible and I think it's a trick worth keeping!
A runny lemon center
For the inside, since I wanted a somewhat runny center, I decided to enhance the lemon flavor with a bit of lemon curd. It was the first time I filled cupcakes but I think it's the real great idea of this recipe. It's quite simple, you just put the lemon curd in a piping bag with a not-too-large piping tip and fill them from the top until the cake's surface rises slightly. However, be sure to fill them right out of the oven when they're still hot and moist.
The meringue topping
For the topping, I chose to make an Italian meringue torched with a kitchen torch to capture the airy side of lemon pie (and also because I love using a kitchen torch ^^).
I rarely deviate from recipes created by others, but I'm quite happy with my creation because these little lemon meringue cupcakes were very well received, and I feel like I'm finally starting to let loose a bit more creatively.
Italian meringue
Meringue can be a little intimidating but if you have a stand mixer, it's fairly easy. Just start beating the egg whites slowly once the sugar syrup exceeds 110°C. When the syrup reaches 118°C, remove the syrup from the heat and pour it over the egg whites (with the mixer whisk continuing to turn). Continue beating until the meringue cools. A small tip: for the syrup to mix well with the eggs, you have to let it slide down the side of the mixer bowl (which is quite counterintuitive). You can find the step-by-step for Italian meringue in my article on lemon macarons.
Finishing the lemon meringue cupcakes
Once the meringue is made, simply pipe it onto the well-cooled cupcakes and give them a quick torch to give them a nice color.
Apart from the equipment needed (a thermometer for the meringue, a piping bag and tip, and a kitchen torch), I find these cupcakes quite simple for a result that's impressive. The taste is quite amazing, the moist center brings a touch of acidity that really contrasts with the sweetness of the meringue. It's
Regarding the competition itself, it is organized by https://www.cadeauxfolies.fr/ which offers really cool gifts. And since to participate, I had to make a birthday gift wishlist, here's my top 3 (and for those who might be interested, my birthday is in March... :p)
