Lemon Diva Cupcakes Recipes

SUGAR FREE LEMON CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 325 and prep your cupcake tin for nonstick or liners.
• In a medium mixing bowl, use a fork or a whisk to mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and lemon zest. Set this bowl aside.
• Next, in a large mixing bowl, beat together the oil and the sugar alternative until creamy. Mix in the eggs, half and half, and the extract.
• For the next step, we will add the flour mixture from the first bowl to the mixing bowl, taking care to not over-mix. I suggest using a whisk or mixing by had and adding half of the dry mixture at a time, gently mixing between additions .
• Fill your prepared cups 3/4 of the way and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool on a rack before frosting or storing.

LEMON CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line 30 cupcake pan cups with paper liners.
• Sift the self-rising flour and salt together in a bowl. In another bowl, beat the unsalted butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating each egg until incorporated before adding the next. Mix in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.
• Gently beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture, one third at a time, alternating with half the milk and half the lemon juice after each of the first 2 additions of flour. Beat until just combined; do not over mix.
• Fill the prepared cupcake liners with batter 3/4 full, and bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before removing them to finish cooling on a rack.
• To make the icing, beat the cream in a chilled bowl with an electric mixer set on Low until the cream begins to thicken. Add the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice, a little at a time, beating after each addition, until fully incorporated. Increase the mixer speed to High, and beat until the icing forms soft peaks, about 5 minutes. Spread on the cooled cupcakes. Refrigerate leftovers.

LEMON MERINGUE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Combine lemon juice, eggs, sugar, and lemon zest for lemon curd in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of a spatula or spoon, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain through a sieve into a bowl. Stir in butter until melted; set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
• Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt for cupcakes into a large bowl. Pour milk, oil, vanilla extract, and egg onto the dry mixture. Mix thoroughly with an electric mixer of by hand. Pour in hot water and mix to combine; batter will be thin. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin liners, filling about 3/4 full.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool, about 20 minutes.
• Core each cupcake using either a corer or a knife. Spoon in lemon curd.
• Pour sugar and egg whites into a large bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan or pot of simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and egg whites are warm, to between 120 and 140 degrees F (49 to 60 degrees C) on a thermometer, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Mix in lemon juice and whip at high speed until stiff peaks form. Pipe meringue onto the cupcakes.
• Set an oven rack about 10 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
• Place cupcakes under the preheated broiler until meringue has browned, about 2 minutes.