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Lemon Curd Cupcakes

Lemon cupcakes filled with lemon curd under a swirl of lemon Swiss meringue buttercream. Three layers of lemon, each a little different.

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Lemon Curd Cupcakes

What it's made of

CupcakesLemon Cupcakes Center fillingLemon Curd FrostingLemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting
Makes 12 cupcakes Active 1 hr 42 minChill or rest 2 hr 0 minParts 3
Contains milk, egg, wheat (check labels)

Each part is a full recipe as written; the Dessert Builder scales them to fit this cupcakes and merges the shopping list. Open it with the button above to adjust servings or swap any part.

Ingredients

Lemon CupcakesCupcakes · makes 12 cupcakes

  • 1.5 cupsall-purpose flour (190.0 g)
  • 1.5 tspbaking powder (6.0 g)
  • 0.25 tspfine sea salt (1.5 g)
  • 0.75 cupgranulated sugar (150.0 g)
  • 1.0 tbspfinely grated lemon zest (6.0 g)
  • 0.5 cupunsalted butter, softened (113.0 g)
  • 2.0 large eggs (100.0 g)
  • 1.0 tsppure vanilla extract (5.0 ml)
  • 0.333 cupwhole milk (80.0 ml)
  • 3.0 tbspfresh lemon juice (45.0 ml)

Lemon CurdCenter filling · makes 12 doughnuts

  • 0.5 cupfresh lemon juice (120.0 ml)
  • 1.0 tbsplemon zest, finely grated
  • 0.75 cupgranulated sugar (150.0 g)
  • 4.0 large egg yolks (72.0 g)
  • 0.125 tspfine sea salt
  • 6.0 tbspunsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature (85.0 g)

Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream FrostingFrosting · makes 24 cupcakes

  • 4.0 large egg whites, about 1/2 cup, room temperature (132.0 g)
  • 1.0 cupgranulated sugar (200.0 g)
  • 1.5 cupsunsalted butter, 3 sticks, softened but cool (about 65°F), cut into tablespoons (340.0 g)
  • 0.25 tspfine sea salt
  • 1.0 tbsplemon zest, finely grated
  • 2.0 tspVanillaGoods pure vanilla extract (10.0 ml)

Method

1. Lemon Cupcakesfull recipe

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
  2. Rub the sugar and zest together, then beat with the butter 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
  3. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt; mix the milk and lemon juice. Add the flour in three additions alternating with the milk, mixing just until smooth.
  4. Divide the batter between the liners, about two-thirds full. Bake 18 to 21 minutes until the tops spring back and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then on a rack.

2. Lemon Curdfull recipe

  1. In a medium heatproof bowl or small saucepan, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, salt, and lemon juice and lemon zest until smooth.
  2. Set the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water (the bowl shouldn't touch the water), or cook the saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly with a silicone spatula until the curd thickens enough to coat the spatula and reaches 170°F, 8 to 12 minutes. Don't let it boil.
  3. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Stir in the butter, a few pieces at a time, until smooth.
  4. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate until cold and thick, at least 2 hours.
  5. Spoon the filling into a piping bag fitted with a long filling tip. Poke a small hole in the side of each cooled doughnut and pipe in about 2 tablespoons, until the doughnut feels heavy.

3. Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frostingfull recipe

  1. Whisk the egg whites, sugar, and salt in a heatproof stand mixer bowl set over a pan of simmering water (the bowl shouldn't touch the water). Whisk constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture reaches 160°F, 4 to 6 minutes.
  2. Move the bowl to the mixer and whip with the whisk on high until thick, glossy, stiff peaks form and the bowl feels completely cool, 8 to 10 minutes.
  3. Switch to the paddle. On medium speed, add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, letting each piece blend in. If it looks curdled, keep beating; if it looks soupy, refrigerate the bowl for 10 minutes and beat again.
  4. Beat in the vanilla and lemon zest until silky and smooth, about 1 minute.

4. Put it together

  1. Bake the Lemon Cupcakes and cool completely in the pan for 10 minutes, then on a rack.
  2. Make the Lemon Curd and chill it until thick enough to pipe.
  3. Core each cupcake: cut a cone about 3/4 inch wide and three-quarters of the way down with a paring knife or an apple corer. Trim the cones into lids.
  4. Pipe or spoon the Lemon Curd into each hole, set the lids back on and press gently.
  5. Make the Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting and pipe or spread it over each cupcake.