Ingredients
Cupcakes
3 c cake flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
¼ t salt
12 oz (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 c granulated sugar
1 T finely grated lemon zest
4 large eggs
½ t vanilla extract
3/4 c (6 fl oz) buttermilk
½ c (4 fl oz) heavy cream
¼ c (2 fl oz) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 ½ c lemon curd
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
1 c granulated sugar
4 large egg whites
12 oz (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 t finely grated lemon zest
1/3 c lemon juice
½ c vanilla extract
Directions
Cupcakes
- If using homemade lemon curd, make in advance and refrigerate to cool completely. This can be done days ahead of time.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 24 cupcake wells with paper liners.
- Sift together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add lemon zest and beat for 1 minute. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Add vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, heavy cream, and lemon juice.
- Alternately add flour and buttermilk mixtures into the batter, beginning and ending with the flour.
- Fill cupcake wells approximately 2/3 full. Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Cool completely before filling and frosting.
- While cupcakes are cooling, ensure your lemon curd is ready and prepare Swiss meringue buttercream.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Put sugar and egg whites in a double boiler, simmer, and whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is shiny – about 3 minutes. You now have meringue. Remove from heat.
- Using the whisk attachment of a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool – about 5 minutes.
- Switch to paddle attachment and add butter, one stick at a time, beating until smooth. Once all butter has been added, beat on medium-high for 10 minutes until the buttercream is thick. During the process it may separate (curdle) but it will come back together.
- Gradually mix in lemon zest and lemon juice until incorporated. Add vanilla.
Assembly
- With a paring knife, core a cone-shaped hole from each cupcake. Spoon or pipe 2-3 teaspoons of lemon curd into each cupcake.
- Remove the tip of each cone you just removed and put the “top” back in place to close the filled hole.
- Frost each cupcakes with the Swiss meringue. This is most easily done with a piping bag, but any means of getting that buttercream on the cupcake will do!
- Store in the fridge but bring to room temperature before enjoying.
If you love lemon, these cupcakes are going to be right up your alley. Lemon cupcakes, filled with lemon curd, topped with a lemon Swiss meringue buttercream. If you have never made Swiss meringue before, it’s more complicated than traditional buttercream but really not that hard!
Sweet Jumbles 