What better way to deal with storm Dennis than with cake.  What better way to deal with anything is with cake! I am a real sucker for lemons, I love ‘em in ice cream, sherbets, tarts,  in water and I have been known to sit there and peel them like an orange – freak factor, high!!!  Give me a lemon drizzle or curd and I am just in heaven, so these cupcakes totally hit the spot.  Italian meringue sounds complicated to make but I can honestly say with a sugar thermometer it’s easy just a bit sticky! You can even put it in the freezer if there’s leftovers.

For the cupcake recipe you will need

  • 175 g sugar
  • 175g self raising flour
  • 175 g  softened Butter
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1 tbsp Lemon zest
  • A jar of nice lemon curd for the centres

For the meringue

  • 3 Egg whites
  • 170 g sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Cream of tartar
  • 95 ml Water

To make the cakes

Preheat oven to 160 degrees centigrade

add all ingredients needed except the lemon curd as stated above for the batter.

Mix in a stand mixer until pale in colour and fluffy

Grab you cupcake cases put them in the tray and then spoon out evenly into each case the mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes until they are golden

Leave to cool.

To make the meringue

Best to use a stand mixer for this as there are a couple of things going on at once.

Separate the egg whites and start whisking them adding the cream of tartar. Keep whisking on low whilst you are completing the next step

Place the water and sugar in a pan over medium heat and grab your sugar thermometer and leave until it reaches 117 degrees centigrade.

With your mixer still on slowly add the syrup and continue beating on high for 7 minutes

Take your cupcakes and core out the centre with an apple corer until you are 2/3rds  down. Fill with lemon curd and continue until all cupcakes are filled

Place your meringue into a piping bag and pipe on the top. Then grab a blow torch to caramelise the top

Enjoy

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