Isabella’s Lemon Meringue Cup Cakes, Junior Master Chef

Watching Junior Master Chef was the best thing because I was strongly inspired by the talented little kids to make something I’ve never done. This time I have hand pick Isabella’s Lemon Meringue Cupcakes to try my dessert skills. I am not a big fan of sweet things and cup cakes but somehow I was so attracted to this recipe. Maybe because it is lemon flavour and I love all things citrus. When the new issue of Master Chef magazine arrived my mail box I quickly went to Woolworth and bought a cup cake tray.

Good thing about this recipe is that it contains no butter which sounds a lot more healthier! It took me whole day to bake these things and I wonder how can the 12 yrs old Isabelle make it in 45 mins?! Lucky I got guidance from Cooking for my love and my first attempt was very successful!

Ingredients (for the Cupcakes):

1 cup thickened cream
1 cup caster sugar 
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups self raising flour  
1 lemon, finely grated and retain juice  

Ingredients (for the Lemon curd):

1/2 cup lemon juice
100g unsalted butter 
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg and 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten (leave the 3 egg whites for the Meringue)   

Ingredients (for Meringue):

3 egg whites
1/2 cup caster sugar 

Directions: (For the cupcakes)

1) Preheat oven to 180C. Please 12 cupcakes liners in a 12 hole 1/2 cup capacity muffin tray.

2) Place cream, sugar and eggs in a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Gradually add flour with a sieve, then add lemon juice and  zest and continue whisking until mixture is thick and smooth.

3) Divide mixture between prepared liners and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cakes spring back to touch. Cool in muffin pan.

Directions: (For the Lemon curd)

1) Heat 1/2 cup Lemon Juice and 100g Butter in a small saucepan, simmer until butter is melted.

2) Add 1/2 cup Caster Sugar, 1 Egg and 3 Egg Yolks a little bit at a time and whisk continuously until the curd becomes thick and glossy. Take the saucepan away from heat if egg yolk starts to cooked and put it back on after 1 min and repeat the process until achieve desire result.

3) Pour into a bowl and leave aside until completely cool.

Directions: (For the Meringue)

1) Put 3 Egg Whites in a dry cleaning mixing bowl, use an electric beater to whisk at high speed until fluffy. 

2) Gradually add 1/2 cup Caster Sugar and continue to whisk into a stiff peak meringue.

3) Spoon meringue mixture into a piping bag.

Directions: (To assemble the final product)

1) Dig some small holes on top of the cooled cupcakes with a sharp knife, fill the holes with Lemon Curd and pipe a swirl of Meringue Mixture on top of each cupcake.

2) Place the cupcakes in a preheated grill for 1 minute until golden brown at 150 to 180C. Watch it closely and don’t let it burnt.

Grated the lemon rind finely and leave in a bowl. Add few drop of lemon juice to keep it from drying

Best way to juiced a lemon is with a steel spoon if you don’t have a juicer

Best to pass the juice through a sieve before using, See I drop some seeds oops

Separate the Eggs and ready to be use for the Lemon Curd

I actually made the lemon curd first because it takes longer for it to cool than the cupcakes

For the cupcake – Place cream, sugar and eggs in a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth

Slowly sieve the flour in

Look at the smooth batter weee

My result allow me to make 13 cupcakes instead of 12,if you have more just bake for 2nd batches

Super sharp knife to dig some holes, reserve those little babies in a separate container as snack

Spoon in the lemon curd

Last step is to make the Meringue, the key is to whisk to soft peak before adding sugar in

Woo hoo ready to be bake

Like my blog? Feel free to leave a comment or subscribe to receive email notifications for update !

or Add me in Facebook