Using Meringue in these beautiful cupcakes, make the sponge as soft as clouds. These Lemon Cupcakes are a crowd pleaser for any occasion

Ingredients

180g Plain Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

110g Softened Butter (not melted)

4 Large Eggs

100g Plain Yogurt

Zest of 3 Lemons

2 tbsp Lemon Juice

180g Caster Sugar

Pinch of Salt

Method

Pre-Heat your oven to 180C/160CFan/350F/Gas 4 and line your tin with muffin cases.

Separate your eggs and divide your sugar into 2 bowls.

Clean out your mixing bowl with some lemon juice to remove any grease. Then pour in the egg white and begin whipping with the balloon whisk, on low for a minute. Turn it up to medium and once you see the egg white has become all foamy, begin adding the sugar you divided in half earlier (keep the other half for the batter). Only add the sugar slowly or it will deflate your meringue. Turn it up to medium high for this. Now turn it up too high and it will be done when the balloon whisk fills up with the meringue. Pour this into another bowl, give the mixer bowl a clean and we will begin the batter.

We will be using the reverse method, so add the flour, baking powder, salt, lemon zest, and the other half of the sugar you set aside, into the bowl along with the butter. Using a paddle attachment whip this all together starting on slow (as the flour will cover you!!) and build up. It may go just past the breadcrumb stage and begin merging together!! To this add in the yogurt and lemon juice, give it a slight mix and with the mixer on low, add in the egg yolks one at a time. When this is all combined it is time to add the meringue.

Fold in the meringue gently this may take a few minutes, once it is all combines spoon the mix into the muffin cases. You need to fill the cases just over 3/4 these don’t rise as much as regular cupcakes. They do slightly deflate a little upon cooling. I left around a cm gap from the top.

Pop them in the oven, for cupcakes I highly recommend NOT using the fan setting, you will get a much more even, and better bake. Mine took 20 mins.

Cool on a baking rack, once cool you can top them with the Lemon Buttercream HERE