Saturday, October 19, 2013

Lemon Brulee Cupcakes

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I LOVE Creme Brulee and I also love anything to do with lemon.

I have to be totally honest about this recipe......They started out as Lemon Meringue cupcakes, lol  then they took a left turn into Brulee and it was the happiest accident I've ever had!

I was making lemon cupcakes for my daughter's birthday and decided to try my hand a making meringue for the frosting.  And wouldn't it be totally great if I got out that kitchen torch I've had for 4,209,003 years and never even used?!

So I thought, in my infinite wisdom, that marshmallow creme is kinda like meringue so it would be perfect to add to my frosting and it would get all toasty like a marshmallow, right???   WRONG!

But....They came out beautifully and tasted amazing, so I'm going to just pretend that they are exactly what I set out to make in the first place!

And.... in my defense I don't actually EAT meringue so I really did think it was like toasted marshmallows, lol!

I am definitely going to be making these babies again and again and you will too!


Here's what you need for the cupcakes:

1 - 16.5 oz. box Lemon Cake Mix
1 3.4 oz box lemon pudding
3 eggs, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups whole milk, at room temperature, you can also use 2%
1/2 cup oil

For the frosting

3 cups powdered sugar
1 jar marshmallow creme
2 oz. butter, at room temperature
1-4 Tbs. cream or half & half

Preheat oven to 325 for dark pans and 350 for light silver pans.  Place cupcake liners in a 12 cup muffin tin and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or medium bowl place all the ingredients for the cupcakes.
 
Mix for 2-3 minutes on medium until smooth and fluffy.
Fill each liner 3/4 full and bake for 15 - 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
 
Remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting place the whole jar of marshmallow creme and the room temperature butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until creamy and smooth.
Next add the powdered sugar and cream or half & half (1 Tbs. at a time) until the frosting is the right consistency.  The cream can be from 2 Tbs. - several Tbs. depending on the consistency you're looking for. I made this similar to a traditional buttercream.
 
Frost the cupcakes with the tip of your choice.  I used a large star tip (not that it mattered, lol)
Using a kitchen torch we went back and forth over the frosting trying to get it to brown and it started to melt then miraculously it turned brown and bubbly and turned hard like the topping of a Creme Brulee - Voila' magic in the kitchen.
  

 
This was so fun to make and you will think the frosting is going to slide right off the cupcake when all of a sudden it hardens up and stays put.  It was amazing to watch.

Serves 20-24 cupcakes, I made mine two different sizes

Enjoy!
 

Here's the handy printable - Lemon Brulee Cupcakes

**Please keep in mind that I sometimes don't remember to take all the photos of a process so the items in a post might not always look like they do in the end picture :)

5 comments:

  1. I love happy mistakes. As opposed to tragic and frustrating kitchen mistakes! haha

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    Replies
    1. Me too Mallory! I've had a few tragic baking failures too but the happy ones are the best :)

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  2. I can't get the frosting to stay when I torch it...it ends up just running off of the sides :( any suggestions?

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