Lemon Meringue Pie Cupcakes

5 from 1 vote

Buttery lemon shortbread crust, lemon cupcake, filled with a lemon curd, and topped with a meringue frosting!

Prep Time3 30

Cook Time22

Total Time3 52

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: cupcakes

Calories: 231kcal

Preheat the oven to 400 F . Prepare your cupcake pans with cupcake liners and set aside.
Put the bowl and paddle attachment of a stand mixer in the refrigerator. Slice each stick of butter lengthwise and then across into 8 pieces, and refrigerate the butter. Put the cold water in a small cup, add the 1 ½ teaspoons sugar and salt, stir to dissolve, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
Remove the bowl, paddle, butter, and water mixture from the refrigerator. Sift the flour into the bowl, and position the bowl in the stand. Add the cold butter pieces and mix at the slowest speed until they are the size of peas. Slowly add the water mixture and mix just until it is incorporated and the dough just starts to come together. If the dough won’t hold together, add a little more cold water, 1 teaspoon at a time. Be careful not to overmix.
Form the dough into two flattened discs, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Remove the chilled dough discs from the refrigerator. Roll out one disc on a lightly floured surface until no more than ¼-inch (6-mm) thick. Use a 2–inch (5-cm) round cookie cutter to cut out about 30 pieces of dough (for the bottom crusts of the cupcakes). Place in the bottom of your cupcake liners. Bake for 8 minutes.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together and set aside.
Add the butter to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until light and creamy in color. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for one more minute.
Add the sugar to the butter mixture, ¼ cup at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition. Mix in the eggs one at a time until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Combine the buttermilk and the vanilla extract in a liquid measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for 15 seconds longer.
Divide the batter between the prepared paper liners, filling each about 2/3 of the way full (you will likely have batter left over after filling 24 wells .I managed to make a full 3 dozen cupcakes). Bake 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Once cooled, cut out the center of your cupcake and fill with lemon curd.

Combine the egg whites, sugar, water, and corn syrup in a large stainless steel bowl or any other heatproof bowl. Use an electric handheld mixer to beat the ingredients together until well combined. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Continue to beat on medium-low speed for 3 minutes. Turn the speed up to high and beat for 3-4 minutes or until soft peaks begin to form.
Remove from heat, add the vanilla extract, and continue beating on high until the frosting is thick and spreadable, about 1-2 minutes. Cool to room temperature and use immediately. Pipe onto your cupcakes with a piping bag and pastry tip (I used a French star tip, but any tip will do.) Then lightly torch the frosting with a kitchen torch. Alternately, you could place them in your oven (put them on a cookie sheet, and no closer than middle rack) and set to broil but keep a really close eye one them otherwise they will burn!

Make Ahead: You can make the pie crust 2 days ahead of time and keep in the fridge. You can make the cupcakes, unfrosted, 2 days ahead of time and keep covered on the counter.
Freezing: I would not freeze the cupcakes if they are frosted. The frosting will not hold up well. But you can freeze baked unfrosted cupcakes, wrapped well for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and frost as directed.