Soft, spongy, buttery, Lemon Curd Cupcakes are a perfect way to use up a bit of leftover lemon curd.
What to do with lemon curd? After you have finished making lemon meringue pie, constructed a beautiful layer cake, topped it on your pancakes and oatmeal and sundaes, added to your fruit trifles, and licked it off a spoon. If there is still a tiny bit left and you feel you can’t eat anymore, put the last bit of it in a basic butter cake recipe and eat it as a cupcake. The best part of it is that, in this form it a subdued, subtle version of itself rather that a big, bold hit of tangy, lemony which is the main reason I personally cannot eat it off a spoon. It feels like a punch in my mouth that I don’t care for. But I do enjoy the lemony brightness when complimented with other balancing flavors.
This post has started off as a SEO exercise and I promise I did not mean to do that. What to do with a small amount of leftover lemon curd was what I was searching for when I had 3tbsp of lemon curd sitting in front of me and had me baffled as to what I can do with it. Steve is not a big fan of anything citrus-y in dessert (so strange!) so it was upto me to come up with an idea, bake it and eat it all by myself (oh poor me!!).
So, while I searched, I got all the most common suggestions that I have listed in the first two lines and also excellent ideas like, dainty little lava cakes, lemon curd bars, and lemon curd ice-cream, and lemon curd brioche buns which are all so exciting but also need much more lemon curd than I actually had. I think at this point it was clear in my mind that I wanted to make cupcakes with a tsp of curd on each, swirled around for just a gentle lemon flavor. And, since strangely, I still don’t have a go to vanilla cupcake recipe (can’t believe I have to make this public), it is lucky that I stumbled on this passionfruit curd cake post on Cook Republic. And so, you have lemon curd cupcakes!! I had to share these with Steve because he actually liked them since they are not too too lemony (sigh!)
So, you must think, what is that pink streak in some of the cupcakes. Well, I also had a few teaspoons of strawberry syrup from that roasted strawberry semifreddo in the fridge, so I couldn’t help myself and swirled some of that in too. Cheers to double flavors from a single recipe!!
Lemon Curd Cupcakes
Ingredients – Makes 4 regular sized cupcakes
1/3 + 2 tbsp flour
½ tsp baking pwd
salt
1/3 cup sugar
3tbsp (42g) butter – melted
1 large egg
3 tsp milk
zest from half a lemon
3 – 4 tbsp lemon curd (substitute grapefruit juice for lemon juice. Subtract the addition of ginger)
½ cup whipping cream
1tbsp icing sugar
2 tsp lime / lemon zest – grated
Directions
Preheat oven to 355F. Line regular sized muffin tins with cupcake liners. Set aside.
Whisk flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a medium bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk the melted butter, egg, milk and lemon zest lightly to combine.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula till combined. This batter is quite thick and you will need to spoon the mixture equally into a muffin tray for 8 cupcakes.
Top each with 1 – 2 tsps of lemon curd. Swirl with a toothpick.
Bake for 15 – 20 mins. Test with a toothpick at 15mins. The cupcakes should be pale in color.
Remove from oven. Let cool for 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack, let cool completely.
Whip cold whipping cream in a cool, clean bowl till soft peaks form. Add icing sugar and continue to beat till stiff peaks form. Pipe onto the cooled cupcakes, sprinkle with some zest and enjoy when you need a mood elevator!
Cupcake recipe adapted from Cook Republic
24 Comments
Thanks Kim!
Looks so good and perfect summer-time cupcakes for all! 🙂
Easy, quick and delicious cupcakes, Jenny! Yummy!
Yup! You have exactly the same dilemma that I had. Do let me know if it turns out ok if you try it. Always good to get another opinion 🙂 Thanks a lot for stopping by Jolina.
When I saw this come in I thought how perfect the timing was because I was just wondering what I was going to to do with the lemon curd sitting in my fridge! Love that this doesn’t need a lot, just almost exactly what I have that I didn’t want to continue eating out of the jar lol. The cupcakes look amazing. Can’t wait to try them!
Awww that is so nice to hear Cindy! I feel pressure to keep you in top position 🙂
I am in love. Truly, my mouth is watering. I am going to make these for my mom for Mother’s Day and reclaim favorite daughter position. I am afraid my sister’s and I all love to bake and my mom loves everything lemon. This one is sure to keep me in top position! Hee hee.
Wow! These look so light and fluffy! Beautiful pictures. We used to get lemon Curd in massive 30 pound buckets at my coffee shop, (no time to make everything from scratch unfortunately) so as much as I love lemon curd I haven’t wanted to look at it again since selling the shop! This makes me want to whip up a batch to make these cupcakes though! Perfect for spring!
Well if you Lemon Curd, I think it is the best thing to make with all those saved up yolks! Thanks for stopping by Lynn 🙂
PS – if only SEO was a formula! Instead it is a pain.. grrrr
Thank you Jess! I hope you do give it a try when you get the chance.
I know right! I wish my husband enjoyed it as much as I do and I could make it more often. Now I have to eat it by myself. I hope you do try it 🙂 Thank you!
I’ve been on a meringue rampage as of late & I have been finding myself with loads of egg yolks. Funny thing is, Jenny, it didn’t dawn on me to use them for lemon curd until now. Doh!!!!! These cuppies look absolutely scrumptious. P.S. Way to use up all the leftovers in the fridge. P.S.S when you figure out SEO let me know. 😉
I love love love lemon curd so these have my name written all over them! Gorgeous Jenny!!
Lemon curd is so good probably one of the best things about winter is the lemons! I love that instead of just scooping it out with a spoon you turned it into stunning cupcakes! Will have to try this with my leftover curd jars 🙂
Thanks Maria!
Thanks Fatimah! I have my eye on those brioche buns..
Thanks Kelsie! Your version would have extra lemon curd instead of whipping cream on top of these cupcakes 🙂
Thanks Heather! Its funny, I have never eaten a lemon cake at a cafe or cake shop actually.. lemon buttercream sounds yumm
Love the lemon curd swirl and the cupcakes look incredibly moist:)
I love to make stuff with it! Thanks Dawn 🙂
So yummy!! I baked a cake to use the rest of mine too but I’ll have to try these next time around. Thanks for the mention xx
Oh my word these look perfect! I love lemon and while I could totally have eaten that leftover lemon curd off of a spoon it’s nice to have another option. I never would have thought of actually baking it into a cupcake :).
wouldn’t have thought to bake the lemon curd into the cake, but i don’t see why not! my favorite cupcake is a super lemony version with lemon cake, lemon curd and lemon buttercream (kara’s if you’re ever in the bay area!), and this sounds just as tasty (:
I LOVE lemon curd! Well, I love lemon, especially in dessert and could quite possibly just eat it straight up (and have), lol 😀 You made good use of lemon curd here and it was too bad that it was all for yourself 😉 These look so moist too!