Lemon Meringue Pie Cupcakes

a lemon meringue cupcake on table with graham cracker crumbs

Lemon Meringue Pie Cupcakes have a light lemon cake, graham cracker base, lemon curd filling and toasted meringue frosting.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword from scratch cake, lemon cupcakes

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 22

Total Time 1 2

Servings

Calories 413kcal

Author Julie Clark

Ingredients

For the graham cracker base:

5 ounces graham crackers 1 pack
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon honey

For the lemon curd:

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest ~1 lemon
¼ cup lemon juice ~2 lemons
4 tablespoons butter
1 large egg

For the cake:

1 tablespoon lemon zest approximately 3 lemons
2/3 cup granulated sugar
10 tablespoons salted butter room temperature
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon plain yogurt or vanilla
¼ cup lemon juice about 2 lemons

For the meringue:

1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
6 large egg whites approximately 180 grams
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Make the graham cracker crust:

Add the graham crackers to a food processor and pulse until you have a fine powder. Then add the butter and honey along with the cracker crumbs to a medium bowl and mix until it looks like wet sand. Set aside.

Make the lemon curd:

Rub the lemon zest into the sugar using the back of a spoon or your hands. This will help coat the sugar with the essential oils in the lemon zest, giving it an extra lemony flavor.
Make a double boiler by adding about ½ inch of water to a small pot and bringing it to a simmer. Combine all the ingredients for the lemon curd in a heat proof medium bowl and set it over the pot of boiling water.
Whisk for 5-7 minutes until it thickens. Set aside and let it cool.

Make the cake:

Preheat the oven to 335 °F.
Rub the lemon zest into the sugar using the back of a spoon or your hands.
Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, cream the butter for 1-2 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add the sugar and cream for 2 minutes until pale and fluffy.
Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated.
Add the dry ingredients and mix until there are no pockets of flour, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the yogurt and lemon juice and mix until fully incorporated.
Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
Add approximately 1 tablespoon of the graham cracker base to each cupcake liner. Use a flat surface the size of the mold or smaller to press on the base to pack in the crumbs.
Add the cake batter filling each mold ¾ of the way.
Bake for 20-22 minutes or until you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.
Let the cupcakes cool completely.

Make the meringue:

Make a double boiler by adding about ½ inch of water to a small pot and bringing it to a simmer. Add the sugar and egg whites to a heat proof bowl. Mix often for 6-8 minutes until sugar is dissolved.
Remove from the heat and beat at medium high speed for 6-8 minutes or until it has cooled completely and has stiff peaks.
Add the vanilla and salt and beat again.

Assemble the cupcakes:

Remove the center of each cupcake using a spoon, apple corer or the larger side of a piping nozzle and fill it with the lemon curd.
Pipe the frosting on top using a large cake decorating tip. Wilton 1M or 2D works great.
Use a torch to toast the meringue frosting. If you don’t have one, you can place the cupcakes in the over in broil for 2-3 minutes. Watch them carefully though... they burn easily.
Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

Cupcakes are best eaten the same day, but can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store any leftover lemon curd in the fridge for up to a week.

Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.

The calories shown are based on the recipe making 12 cupcakes, with 1 serving being 1 cupcake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**

Nutrition