Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

I think you'll find these lemon meringue cupcakes a little tart, a little sweet, and very creamy. Like a lemon meringue pie soaked into a cupcake.

lemon meringue cupcakes

Items Needed:
Lemon cake mix
1 recipe Lemon Custard
1 recipe Meringue

Directions:

Make cupcakes as directed on box. Mix up lemon custard while cupcakes bake and cool.
When cupcakes are cool use a knife to cut a cone shape out of each cupcake. Then fill with custard, about 2 Tbsp. for each cupcake, and place cut out cone back on top. Trust me on this. The custard will be absorbed into the cupcake giving it a nice juicy cake texture. I don't know how else to describe it.
Top each cupcake with meringue and bake at 400˚ for 3-5 minutes.
Serve warm or cool and watch the smiles appear.

Tips:

To make full cupcakes, instead of flat ones, either use a Duncan Hines cake mix or fill the cups more full and make 18-22 cupcakes instead of 24.
The custard will be partially set when put into the cupcake. You can let it set completely before putting into the cupcakes, but it will make it more difficult to put the tops of the cupcakes back on and the meringue on top.
When baking the cupcakes with meringue, put them on a cookie sheet for easier removal.

Lemon Custard
1 pkg. (3 oz.) lemon Jell-o 1 cup boiling water	4 oz. cream cheese
Sprinkle the Jell-o over the boiling water and stir until dissolved. While still warm add cream cheese and mix and whip and beat until well combined. Refrigerate about 30 minutes before putting in the cupcakes.

Meringue
2 egg whites � tsp. cream of tartar	� cup sugar
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Continue beating and add sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time. Beat until stiff peaks form. You may not need all of the meringue for the cupcakes.