Raspberry Gingerbread Mini Cupcakes with Meyer Lemon Curd Filling
These mini cupcakes combine spice, tart and sweetness. Spicy gingerbread cupcakes are filled with luscious Meyer lemon curd and topped with sweet and tart raspberry buttercream. A sprinkling of freeze dried raspberry pieces adds a festive colorful touch. These are perfect to have on hand for company over Christmas and their popable size is great for snacking ;).
“their popable size is great for snacking”
You may have some extra curd left after filling your cupcakes. Its delicious on toast or swirled in vanilla ice cream. Any extra you have can be store in the fridge for 2 weeks or can even be frozen for up to 2 months. I used Meyer lemons to make my curd. Meyer lemons are sweeter and more floral than your grocery store lemon but you can easily swap them. You can think of them as half lemon half orange. I have a potted Meyer lemon patio tree has several lemons this year. I can’t wait to use them. You might think lemons are a spring/summer flavor but winter is citrus season.
I prefer my cupcakes mini sized, the frosting to cake ratio is better in my option. Ad they are great 2 bite treats. Lots of frosting and less cake is the way to go for me. If you are in the more cake less frosting camp, you can also adjust the recipe to make about 2 dozen standard size cupcakes. Just use a standard cupcake pan and add 5-8 minutes to the baking time.
Raspberry Gingerbread Mini Cupcakes with Meyer Lemon Curd Filling
Ginger Spice Cake
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 eggs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tablespoon grated fresh stem ginger
1 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
a pinch of salt
1/2 cup warm water
Meyer Lemon Curd
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons finely shredded lemon peel
3 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons water
3 beaten egg yolks
1/4 cup butter cut in to pieces
Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
1/2 cup freeze dried raspberries or 1 pint fresh raspberries
5 egg whites
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
*More freeze dried raspberries for sprinkling
gingerbread cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line your mini cupcake pan with paper cups.
Using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add molasses until full combine.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg and salt.
Add eggs to the butter mixture one at a time and beat until fully combine and the volume has increased. Then, alternatively add flour mixture and warm water to butter mixture (beginning and ending with flour) and beat until just combined.
Spoon batter into mini cupcake pan and fill 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Then, move to a wire rack to cool.
meyer lemon curd filling: In a medium saucepan stir together sugar and cornstarch. Stir in lemon peel, lemon juice, and water. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Stir half of the lemon mixture into egg yolks. Return the egg yolk mixture to saucepan. Cook to gentle boil. Lower the heat and cook and stir for 2 minutes more or until thickened. Remove from heat.
Add butter pieces, stirring until melted. Cover surface of curd with plastic wrap. Chill at least 1 hour for up to 48 hours.
Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream: Add egg whites and sugar to a heat proof bowl and simmer over a pot of water, whisking constantly, until temperature reaches 160°F, or if you don't have a candy thermometer, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot.
Transfer the sugar mixture to the bowl of a stand mixture fitted with the whisk attachment, begin to whip until the meringue is thick, glossy, and the bottom of the bowl feels neutral to the touch (this can take up to 10 minutes or so).
Once your meringue has reach stiff peaks and the bowl no longer feels warm, switch to the paddle attachment and, with mixer on low speed. Begin to add butter cubes, one at a time, until incorporated, and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture. Add raspberries and salt, continuing to beat on low speed until well combined.
Assembly:
Fill a pastry bag fitted with the pastry tip of your choice with the raspberry buttercream.
Cut a small cone shape in the cupcake. Remove the cone and fill with the lemon curd. Then, top with buttercream and sprinkle with freeze dried raspberry pieces.
makes approximately 4 dozen mini cupcakes
