Lemon Cupcakes
Makes 12
Ingredients
- 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup whole milk
- Lemon Curd (recipe follows)
- Toasted Marshmallow Frosting (recipe follows)
- Garnish: toasted mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°. Line wells of a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined after each addition and stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Beat in vanilla.
- With the mixer on a low speed, add milk alternately with the flour mixture, beginning and ending with the flour, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Beat until just combined. Divide batter evenly into prepared liners, filling each three-fourths full.
- Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 to 23 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Move to a wire rack to let cool completely.
- Whisk Lemon Curd until smooth. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip.
- Using an apple corer, remove the center of each cupcake. Fill each cupcake with about 1 tablespoon Lemon Curd.
- Spoon Toasted Marshmallow Frosting on top of each cupcake, spreading frosting as desired. Garnish with toasted mini marshmallows, if desired. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Lemon Curd
Makes 1½ cups
Ingredients
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 egg yolks, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup water
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cubed
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar and cornstarch. Add egg yolks and egg, and whisk vigorously to combine. Whisk in lemon juice, ¼ cup water, lemon zest, and salt until completely combined and no clumps remain.
- Reduce heat to medium-low heat, and bring lemon mixture to a gentle boil, whisking frequently. Boil, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to thicken and becomes slightly translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl. Add butter, and mix until butter is completely incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap so the plastic is touching the surface of the curd. Refrigerate until chilled. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Toasted Marshmallow Frosting
Makes 2 cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2¾ cups confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and confectioners’ sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in salt and vanilla.
- Line a small baking sheet with foil. Spread marshmallows on foil in a single layer. Using a kitchen torch, carefully brown marshmallows until lightly browned. (Alternately, brown marshmallows under a broiler until lightly browned.) Scrape toasted marshmallows into mixer, and beat at medium-high speed until smooth and combined, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl. Use immediately.
