Happy National Lemon Meringue Pie Day! Yes, this is yet another food-holiday inspired recipe. Except, instead of making a pie, I decided to turn the tangy flavour into gluten-free Lemon Meringue Cupcake. I think I succeeded quite well. These cupcakes start with a moist lemon-flavoured cupcake, they are filled with a (quick and easy) lemon curd, and topped with a meringue-based frosting.
Unlike most gluten-free baking, I have found that cupcakes actually seem BEST on the second day. So, either make these cupcakes early in the day, or make them the evening before, and keep them in the fridge until ready to serve. I found they held their shape nicer and peeled easier after they had been in the fridge for a few hours.
First off, you will make the curd. It is really quick to make, as it is made in the microwave! Seriously, it took me as long to squeeze the juice out of the lemons, as it took me to cook up the curd. Although it was not as smooth as another lemon curd recipe that I have, it is super quick and simple, and really, inside the cupcake, you can’t tell that the curd isn’t silky smooth. I thought it did the job.
I think I used about 5 lemons to get the amount of juice necessary for this recipe. To get the most out of your citrus fruit, heat it in the microwave for a few seconds, and then push down on the fruit while rolling it along the counter. That will help to get the juices flowing. Also, be sure to squeeze your lemon juice through a fine sieve, so that you don’t have to pick out the little seeds later.
Gluten-free Lemon Meringue Cupcakes
Ingredients
Lemon Cupcakes
- 1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour (see Note)
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
Microwave Lemon Curd
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice
- 3 lemons, zested (do this before squeezing the juice out of them)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Meringue Frosting
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 4 teaspoons light corn syrup
- 4 large egg whites
- 4 teaspoons sugar
Instructions
Lemon Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, lemon zest and vanilla. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the granulated sugar and eggs until light in colour.
- Beat together sugar and eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed just until combined, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and add flour and milk mixtures alternately in batches, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing until just combined.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins. Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in baking pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Cool completely before filling and frosting.
Microwave Lemon Curd
- In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until smooth. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and melted butter.
- Cook in the microwave in 1 minute intervals, stirring after each minute, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon.
- Remove from the microwave and pour into clean jars. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
- Note: Make curd ahead of time, as you want it to be cool when you fill your cupcakes. You will have leftover lemon curd, which is very tasty on pancakes, toast, or in tarts.
Meringue Frosting
- In a small sauce pan, bring 1 cup sugar, water and light corn syrup to a boil while whisking constantly. Use a candy thermometer, and boil the mixture until it reaches 230 degrees F.
- Meanwhile, use a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 4 tsp sugar, and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
- Turn the mixer speed to low-medium and using a slow, steady stream, carefully pour the syrup mixture down the side of the mixing bowl. Raise speed to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes. Use immediately.
- Using a piping bag fitted with a large tip, pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes as desired. Place cupcakes on a cookie sheet, and use a small kitchen torch to lightly brown the frosting.
To assemble the Lemon Meringue Pie Cupcakes:
- Once cupcakes have cooled, use a paring knife or apple corer to carefully remove a small section, about 3/4" deep in the middle of the cupcake.
- Using a zipper seal bag with the corner removed, pipe the lemon curd into the hole you created in the middle of the cupcake.
- Pipe the Meringue Frosting onto the top of the cupcakes. Brown frosting with a kitchen butane torch (be sure to keep the flame away from the cupcake liners).
Notes
Flour blend: 4 cups superfine brown rice flour, 1 1/3 cups potato starch (not flour), 2/3 cup tapioca starch. Combine all ingredients in a large zipper seal bag. Shake until well blended.
Other lemon recipes that will make your lips pucker:
- Gluten-Free Lemon Bars (made with a THICK lemon layer)
- Gluten-Free Lemon Layered Cake with Lemon Whipped Cream Frosting
- Lemon Meringue Ice Cream (Seriously, give this a try)
- Gluten-Free Lemon Blueberry Doughnut Holes
- Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf
- Gluten-Free Lemon Custard Pudding Cake
- Gluten-Free Lemon Cornmeal Waffles
- Gluten-Free Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
- Gluten-Free Citrus and Olive Oil Pound Cake
- Gluten-Free Lemon Cupcake with a Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Gluten-Free Lemon and Blueberry Opéra Cake
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Cook It Allergy Free says
Everything about these is absolutely perfect! They look absolutely GORGEOUS!! And I am drooling at the thought of what these must taste like. I adore lemon!!! Oh, and the new look of your blog is beautiful. I love it!! 😉
Jeanine says
Thank you so much, Kim! 🙂
Ellyn Zinsmeister says
saw these on Pinterest & had to try them. Dd & I just finished putting the meringue on, not nearly as pretty as yours but man are they delicious! Going to blog about them now…
chery says
these are fran-freakin-tastic! My daughter made them for me and I could not have been more over the moon….I’ve been raving to everyone about them!!! If you haven’t made these yet…you really should!
Jeanine Friesen says
Haha, that is awesome, Chery! LOVE your comment, and so glad that you loved the cupcakes!