Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

We borrowed the soft, light topping of a classic pie, cleaned it up and popped it onto a moist lemony cupcake for a lovely single-serving dessert!

Photo: Edward Pond

By Marianne Wren

Serves: 12
Makes: 12 cupcakes
Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
CUPCAKES

• 1 1/2 cups light spelt flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup organic evaporated cane juice
• 1/4 cup safflower oil
• 1 egg
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• Zest 1 lemon
• 3/4 cup skim milk

TOPPING

• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/3 cup organic evaporated cane juice
• Zest 1 lemon, finely grated

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Prepare cupcakes: Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. In a large mixing bowl, beat together cane juice, oil, egg, egg whites, lemon juice and zest until pale yellow in color. Add milk and stir to combine. Add dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Divide batter between 12 muffin cups and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool. Transfer cupcakes to a baking sheet.
3. Prepare topping: In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric beater until soft peaks begin to form. Slowly add cane juice and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in lemon zest with a rubber spatula.
4. Ensure that oven rack is in center position in oven and preheat broiler. Add topping mixture to a pastry bag (or, alternatively, a zip-top plastic bag with 1 corner cut off) and pipe topping onto cupcakes, dividing evenly. Place baking sheet with cupcakes under broiler until lightly browned, about 1 to 2 minutes. Garnish with additional lemon zest, if desired.

Nutrients per cupcake: Calories: 160, Total Fat: 5 g, Sat. Fat: 0 g, Carbs: 25 g, Fiber: 1 g, Sugars: 14 g, Protein: 5 g, Sodium: 129 mg, Cholesterol: 0 m
g