A Meyer lemon is a cross between a mandarin orange and a lemon. They are not quite as tart as a lemon but definitely not as sweet as a mandarin! Recommended for baking, I thought I would purchase some while at Costco last weekend.
I have always wanted to make lemon curd. It's like a lemon jam or pie filling; quite nice. This is what goes inside the cooked cupcake. A few extra steps involved with these but very much worth the effort.
For the lemon curd:
- 4 Meyer lemons, zested
- 1½ cups sugar
- 8 Tbsp butter
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup Meyer lemon juice
- 2 tsp cornstarch
For the cupcakes:
- 3 cups cake flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1⅔ cup sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp lemon juice
For the buttercream:
- 6 cups icing sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 6 Tbsp milk
- 2 tsps lemon juice
To make the lemon curd, in a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the lemon zest and sugar. Mix until combined.
Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar/zest mixture and beat for another minute. Add eggs, lemon juice and salt. Beat for another two minutes. Pour mixture into a saucepan. Heat over low/medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook for 5 minutes, being sure to stir continuously.
Reduce heat to low. Scoop out about two tablespoons of the mixture and mix with cornstarch in a small bowl. Once combined, pour back into pot and turn heat back up to medium-high and continue cooking for another 8-10 minutes. Continue stirring as it heats. When the mixture comes to a simmer and thickens, remove from heat. Pour into a bowl and chill for several hours.
The Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350º. Line cupcake pan with liners. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, milk, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice. Beat for another two minutes.
Scoop into muffin cups. (I filled mine just over ¾ full). Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
When completely cooled, scoop out part of the centre of the cupcake and set aside. Fill with a tablespoon of curd. Replace with top of cupcake. Frost with buttercream frosting.
