Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
In a mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
Add in milk, egg, sour cream, vegetable oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Whisk until the wet and dry ingredients are fully combined and the batter is smooth. Do not overmix the batter.
Fill cupcake liners ¾ full. Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes bounce back slightly when touched.
Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool completely.

Add egg yolks, granulated sugar, and lemon juice to a medium saucepan. Whisk until combined.
Place over low heat on the stovetop. Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally for approximately 10 to 15 minutes until the mixture thickens. Once the mixture thickens, add in lemon zest and stir until combined.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the cubed unsalted butter, one piece at a time, whisking in between each addition until combined and smooth.
Pour the lemon curd through a fine mesh strainer into a heat-proof container to remove any lumps.
Cool the lemon curd to room temperature and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours.

Combine egg whites, granulated sugar, and cream of tartar in a heat-safe bowl. (You can use the metal bowl of your stand mixer). Whisk to combine. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water on the stovetop.
Continue to whisk, gently heating the egg white mixture. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Test this out by rubbing a small amount of the egg white mixture between two fingers. If it is smooth and not grainy, it is ready.
Transfer the bowl or mixture to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. You can also use an electric hand mixer.
Whip the egg whites on low speed for 2 minutes until frothy. Increase the speed to medium and whip until the meringue thickens.
Add vanilla extract. Continue to whip until the meringue forms medium/stiff peaks. The meringue will appear glossy and maintain shape. Be careful not to over whip the meringue or it will break.

Use an apple corer to remove the center of the cupcake. Insert the apple corer approximately ⅔ of the way through the cupcake.
Spoon or pipe the lemon curd filling into the center of the cupcake.
Use a piping bag and open star piping tip to pipe a large swirl of the meringue frosting onto the cupcake.
Use a kitchen torch to carefully and gently toast the meringue frosting.

Lemon meringue cupcakes should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.