This is LOLA’s take on lemon meringue pie. It’s a delicate lemon cupcake topped with meringue and hidden inside is a pool of passionfruit curd, in honour of our South African roots. Pipe the meringue in little peaks for a very impressive finish!
muffin pan lined with 12 muffin cases
sugar thermometer
kitchen blowtorch
Makes 12
Start by making the passionfruit curd.
Mix the whole eggs and egg yolk together in a heatproof bowl.
Put the passionfruit juice and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil until the sugar has dissolved. Slowly pour the hot fruit syrup into the eggs, stirring briskly and constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
Bring a small saucepan of water to a gentle simmer and set the bowl of egg mixture on the pan. Heat, stirring gently, for 20–30 minutes or until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, a few pieces at a time. Let cool and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight if possible.
Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F/ Gas 4.
Sift together the flour and baking powder in a bowl. Stir in the almonds.
Put the butter, sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until pale and fluffy. Stop occasionally to scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the lemon zest. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add the dry ingredients and yogurt and beat on low speed until combined.
Divide the mixture between the muffin cases. Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes or until well risen and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
Mix the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a heatproof bowl. Bring a small saucepan of water to a gentle simmer and set the bowl of egg whites on the pan. Heat, whisking with a balloon whisk, until the sugar has dissolved and a sugar thermometer in the mixture reads 60˚C/140˚F.
Remove from the heat and whisk with an electric hand mixer on low speed and gradually increasing to high speed. Whisk until stiff, glossy (but not dry) peaks have formed. Whisk in the vanilla. Refrigerate for 10–15 minutes or until firm enough to pipe.
When the cupcakes are completely cold, make a hole in the middle with a teaspoon and fill with a dollop of curd. Spread the meringue over the cold cupcakes using a spatula, or spoon the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle/tip and pipe it in little peaks on top of the cupcakes.
Hold a kitchen blowtorch about 10 cm/4 inches from the meringue and scorch evenly. Pour passionfruit pips on top, if desired.