So I searched around trying to find a recipe that I liked... which always takes me a little while being that I am pretty picky when it comes to recipes! Making Meringue Buttercream is definitely more difficult than your typical buttercreams... and this one did turn out good but I wish I had made a little more because I was only able to do about 24 cupcakes and it made about 36 cupcakes.
Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Meringue Buttercream
3 dozen cupcakes
Ingredients
3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 extra-large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
Buttercream: (probably need to make about 1.5 of this in order to have enough)
1 1/4 cups sugar
5 large egg yolks
3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch fine salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into small pieces
3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 extra-large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
Buttercream: (probably need to make about 1.5 of this in order to have enough)
1 1/4 cups sugar
5 large egg yolks
3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch fine salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into small pieces
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put your cupcake liners in your pan.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put your cupcake liners in your pan.
In the bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter and sugar for 3 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the lemon juice and zest and mix well.
I put my lemon zest in the food processor so it was very finely grated!
In another large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Alternately beat in the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in 3 parts, with dry ingredients at the beginning and the end. Mix until just combined.
Scope batter evenly into your cupcake pans. Bake for around 20 minutes, until the tops are slightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before icing.
Buttercream: Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold an electric mixer bowl above the water. Whisk the sugar, the yolks, lemon juice, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl by hand. Set the bowl above the boiling water and continue whisking until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar dissolves, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the bowl to a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat the yolks at medium-high speed until light in texture and cool, about 10 minutes. Beat in the butter, a little at a time, until the icing is smooth and spreadable.
Decorate as desired!.
In another large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Alternately beat in the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in 3 parts, with dry ingredients at the beginning and the end. Mix until just combined.
Scope batter evenly into your cupcake pans. Bake for around 20 minutes, until the tops are slightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before icing.
Buttercream: Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold an electric mixer bowl above the water. Whisk the sugar, the yolks, lemon juice, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl by hand. Set the bowl above the boiling water and continue whisking until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar dissolves, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the bowl to a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat the yolks at medium-high speed until light in texture and cool, about 10 minutes. Beat in the butter, a little at a time, until the icing is smooth and spreadable.
Decorate as desired!.
Recipe adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/lemon-cake-with-lemon-meringue-buttercream-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback
