Meyer Lemon Cupcakes

So before our cruise, my in laws were so gracious enough to watch our sweet fur-children.  My father-in-law loves lemon merengue pie, so I thought I'd try to make some lemon cupcakes for them as a sort of "thank you."  The recipe comes from Tyler Florence.  Shocker, I know.  While shopping for ingredients I could not fine lemon curd if my life depended on it!  I looked up a recipe real quick for lemon curd, and it seemed simple enough.  First time making lemon curd and it turned out amazing.  So here is the recipe!

Meyer Lemon Candied Cupcakes

 

To make the Lemon Curd:

Ingredients

 3 lemons

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature

4 extra-large eggs

1/2 cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

1.     Using a carrot peeler, remove the zest of 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.

 

2.     Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.

3.     Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.

Super yummy to eat on it's own!

 

Lemon Frosting:

12 oz cream cheese at room temperature

1 cup homemade or store bought lemon curd

Mix ingredients together and beat until light and fluffy J

Cupcakes:

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¾ cups unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

3 oz cream cheese at room temperature

3 large eggs at room temperature

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups homemade or store bought lemon curd

Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Candied Meyer Lemon Wheels

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.

2.     Whisk together the four, lemon zest, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl. 

3.     With an electric mixer on medium high speed, cream the butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. 

4.     Beat in cream cheese and reduce the speed to low.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

5.     Beat in the lemon juice and vanilla.  Add the flour mixture to the butter and cream cheese mixture in three batches, beating until just combined.

6.     Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each three-quarters full.

7.     Bake until a cake tester (for me it is a toothpick) inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean (25-30 minutes).

8.     Set the tin on a wire rack to cool completely before removing the cupcakes.

9.     Spoon the 2 cups of lemon curd into a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip. 

Yay!  I got to use my cake decorating tools again.  Check out those state of the art cake testers in the back :)

10. Dust the cupcakes lightly with confectioner’s sugar.

11. Insert the tip of the pastry bag into the top of each cupcake and fill with a bit of lemon curd.

12. Frost the cupcakes and top with candied lemon wheel.

 

Candied Meyer Lemon Wheels

1.     Slice two large lemons into 1/8 inch slices.

2.     Make a simple syrup of 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan.  Bring water to a boil.

3.     When the liquid is clear and bubbling, reduce the heat to low.

4.     Add the lemon slices and simmer until the rinds are translucent (30 to 35 minutes).  Transfer the wheels to baking sheets lined with parchment paper and let cool completely.