Gluten Free Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

Hi friends,

This recipe was created for my little lemon lover. My kids don’t think small when requesting special meals or treats. I think I’ve set the bar high and now I’ve trained them all that ANYTHING they desire can be gluten free. (So on busy weeks, I regret a few of my life choices. ) But truly, I believe that’s true. I believe it for you also, I mean that is why I share all of these recipes tips, and tricks with you here.

In any case, it’s been a busy spring, my work has been hopping (yay!) my kids have been competitive swimming, playing baseball, and taekwondo, there have been band concerts, meetings, work trips etc, etc. So, my son’s birthday rolled around and I may have been secretly hoping he’d ask for something pretty simple. My sunshine loving lemon eating kid asked for gluten free lemon meringue cupcakes. Well, I’ll make it simple then. I already own a little kitchen torch, so why not?

I already have a beautiful lemon cake recipe - similar to many vanilla cakes I make it starts with a reverse creaming method of mixing the butter into the dry ingredients that gives it a lovely texture. I filled them with lemon curd - I have a recipe for you here but really if you’re in a rush you can use the stuff in a jar.

The frosting is much simpler than you’d think - a classic “7-minute frosting” that’s been a staple of grandmas for generations. That simple frosting is a stable meringue and is quick and perfect here! If you own a little blow torch, this is your moment. Give that billowy marshmallow top a little torch, that pushes this over the top! (If you don’t own one maybe it’s your sign?) I’d torch right before eating them though friends, that probably won’t keep as well in the fridge!

Happy Baking,

Rachel

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Gluten Free Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

yield: 12

For the Cake:
1 1/3 cup (175 g) gluten free one to one flour blend (ex. King Arthur Measure for Measure, Cup for Cup, Gluten Free Jules, etc)
¾ tsp (3g) baking powder
¼ tsp (2g) salt
¼ tsp (2g) baking soda
12 Tb (175g) butter or dairy-free stick butter
¾ cup plus 2 Tb (175g) granulated sugar
3 large eggs
zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp lemon juice

For the Curd (you can also use store-bought)
2 lemons (zest and juice)
2 large eggs
8 Tb (110g) butter or dairy-free stick butter
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar

For the frosting/meringue
5 large egg whites
1/2 tsp (2g) cream of tartar (or you can use 1 tsp of lemon juice if you don’t have cream of tartar)
1 2/3 cup (333g) granulated sugar
1 tsp (4g) vanilla extract

If you are making the lemon curd do that first so it has time to cool down! (Store-bought is fine too, find that in the jam aisle at the grocery store). Mix the eggs and sugar in a small saucepan.  Add the zest, juice, and butter and place over medium-low heat stirring constantly.  The butter will melt, cook for 8-10 minutes more over low/medium heat until the curd thickens.  It should coat the back of a spoon easily and not run.  Remove this from the heat, place it in another container, and cool it completely. 

For the cupcakes

Preheat your oven to 350F and place cupcake papers into your cupcake baking tin.  Add all of your dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and beat together until combined.  Add the butter and mix well.  Add the eggs, zest, and juice.  Mix for 10 minutes. 

Scoop the batter into the cupcake papers about 2/3rds full. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a thermometer reads 200-205F in the middle of a cupcake.  Allow them to cool on a cooling rack completely.

For the frosting, Place egg whites, cream of tartar, and sugar into a very clean metal bowl or the very clean bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk until combined.  Place the bowl over a pot with 1-2" of simmering water and stir constantly with a whisk or electric hand mixer until the mixture is hot, no longer grainy to the touch, and reads 160F on a thermometer (2-3 mins).

Transfer the bowl to your stand mixer or bring out your electric hand mixer and whip on med-high until the meringue is stiff (about 5-7 minutes). Add the vanilla towards the end.

Once the cupcakes and lemon curd are cool, make little holes in your cupcakes to fill with the lemon curd with a spoon.  Just make sure you don't go too deep.  Spoon some lemon curd into the hole you've made in each cupcake.

Spoon your meringue into a piping bag with a large nozzle, or in a large ziplock bag and cut off the corner.  Pipe the meringue on top (or spoon it if you don’t have a bag that would work). I like to use a blow torch to get a little color onto the meringue. (Here’s your excuse to buy one!)