Makes 12 cupcakes
YouTube instructional video
What you’ll need
Cake flour or all-purpose flour
Sugar
Salt
Baking powder
Baking soda
Lemon instant pudding
Unsalted butter (Room temp)
Large eggs (Room temp)
Whole milk (Room temp)
Sour cream (Room temp)
1 medium-sized lemon
Vanilla extract
Lemon extract
Butter extract
Creme of tartar
Yellow gel paste or liquid food coloring
Confectioners’ sugar
Tools you’ll need
12-mold cupcake pan
2 disposable piping bags
Coupler with Wilton #1M tip
Grater or Zester
Citrus juicer
Preparation of ingredients
Dry ingredients (Cake flour or all-purpose flour mixture)
Step 1- Sift 1 and 1/4 cups cake flour or all-purpose flour, 2 or 3 teaspoons lemon instant pudding, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into a medium-sized bowl. Stir all ingredients together and set aside.
Lemon
Step 2- Rinse 1 medium-sized lemon. Zest the entire lemon using a zester or grater. Cut the lemon in half. Juice only one half of the lemon using the citrus juicer. Pour the lemon juice into a mesh strainer with a small bowl underneath it and set aside.
Wet ingredients (Lemon milk mixture)
Step 3- Add 1/2 cup whole milk (Room temp), 1/3 cup sour cream (Room temp), 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon lemon extract, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/8 teaspoon yellow gel paste or liquid food coloring. Stir all ingredients with a whisk until combined.
Cake batter
Step 4- Add 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (Softened and at room temp), and 1 cup confectioners’ sugar into stand mixer bowl. Mix on high speed for 4 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl.
Step 5- Add 2 large eggs (Room temp) one at a time while mixing on a medium speed.
Step 6- Add the cake flour or all-purpose flour mixture and the lemon milk mixture into the batter 2 separate times. Mix on a medium low speed each time for 15 to 20 seconds or until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl.
Baking the cupcakes
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Step 7- Add cupcake liners into cupcake pan. Take a disposable piping bag with the tip cut off and place it into a large cup. Add the lemon cake batter into piping bag. From the pipe the lemon cake batter into each cupcake mold. Fill about 3/4’s to the top. Shake pan to make batter even.
Step 8- Place into a preheated 325-degree oven on the middle rack for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove cupcakes from oven and let cool for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Lemon meringue buttercream frosting
Step 9- Separate two large eggs (Room temp). Place egg whites into a medium-sized stainless-steel bowl and place the egg yolks into a separate small bowl.
Step 10- Add 1/2 cup sugar into stainless steel bowl with egg whites and stir until combined.
Tempering the egg whites
Preheat fire to medium heat.
Step 11- Bring 2 cups water in a small pot to a simmer. Place the stainless-steel bowl with the egg whites in it on top of the small pot. Stir continuously for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Quickly remove the stainless-steel bowl from the top of the small pot and set aside. Take a thermometer and measure the temperature of the egg whites. The temperature of the egg whites should be 120 degrees F.
Step 12- Add 1 teaspoon creme of tartar and stir until combined. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
Making the meringue
Step 13- Add the cooled egg whites into stand mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on high speed for 5 minutes or until mixture reaches stiff peaks. Troubleshoot- If meringue is runny, add an additional 1/2 teaspoon creme of tartar and mix on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until meringue reaches stiff peaks.
Assembling the buttercream
Step 14- Add 1 stick unsalted butter (Slightly softened and at room temp), and 1 cup confectioners’ sugar. Mix on a medium-low speed until combined.
Step 15- Add 1 stick unsalted butter (Slightly softened and at room temp), and 1 cup confectioners’ sugar. Mix on a medium-low speed until combined. Once the mixture has combined, turn mixer up to the highest setting and mix on high speed for 2 minutes.
Step 16- Add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon butter extract, 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract 1/4 teaspoon lemon instant pudding, and 1/8 teaspoon yellow gel paste or liquid food coloring. Mix on high speed for 2 minutes. Troubleshoot- If frosting is runny, place mixing bowl into fridge or freezer for 10 to 15 minutes. Place back onto your stand mixer and mix on high speed for 1 to 2 minutes.
Assembling your piping bag for decorating
Step 17- Add coupler inside the piping bag with the tip cut off. Attach the Wilton # 1M tip to the coupler and screw the Wilton # 1M tip in place using the coupler nut.
Step 18- Add the piping bag with the Wilton # 1M tip in a large cup. Add the lemon meringue buttercream frosting into the piping bag.
Decorating the cupcakes
Step 19- Pipe the lemon meringue buttercream frosting on to each individual cupcake going in a circular motion starting from the edge of the cupcake going toward the center. Once the frosting is added on top of each cupcake, they are ready to be served.
YouTube instructional video
