Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

6INGREDIENTS (Makes 12)

◆ 125g unsalted butter, softened

◆ 250g caster sugar

◆ grated zest of 1 lemon

◆ 2 eggs, beaten

◆ 150g self-raising flour

◆ 2tbsp milk

◆ 3-4tbsp lemon curd

◆ 2 egg whites

1

Preheat the oven to 180°C, 160°C fan, gas 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.

2

Place the butter, 150g of the sugar and lemon zest in a bowl and cream together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, flour and milk and mix to a smooth batter.

3

Spoon the batter into the paper cases and bake for 20-22min, until springy to the touch. Leave to cool on a cooling rack. 4

Using a teaspoon, spoon out a hole about 1cm deep in the middle of each cupcake. Spoon 1tsp of the lemon curd into each hole. 5

Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then gradually whisk in the remaining sugar a little at a time, until you have thick, glossy meringue. Spoon the meringue onto the top of each cake, adding spikes with a fork or the back of the spoon. Cook the meringue either with a chef’s blowtorch, or under a hot grill – keep an eye as they can burn very quickly!

4

Spoon the mango purée over the crumb bases in the cupcake cases. Chill for a further 30-40min, until set. 5

Place the remaining cacao powder, maple syrup and the avocado and orange zest into a small blender and blend until smooth.

◆ When a recipe says “beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy” – this means really light and really fluffy, like whipped cream. It takes 4-5 minutes with an electric mixer on high speed!

◆ If you want chocolate cake to taste more chocolatey, add a dash of coffee and vanilla extract.

◆ Try to mix cake batter as little as possible once you’ve folded through the flour – this prevents the gluten forming and the cake becoming tough.