Lemon Meringue Teacup Cakes are elegant lemon cakes, baked right in teacups! They are filled with raspberry sauce, and topped with lemon curd and toasted meringue. They are perfect for special occasions!
Isn’t spring the best? I know I say that about summer and fall too (winter, not so much) but right now, when all the trees on my street are exploding with white and pink blossoms, and there is sunshine that stretches past dinner time, and there are legit, verifiable TULIPS about to bloom in my front yard like a miracle (because we sure didn’t plant any tulip bulbs), it’s hard to imagine life getting any better than this.
So because I am uncharacteristically cheerful, and because I’m experiencing a real change-of-seasons for the first time, and because it seems like a crime to stare at all these budding blossoms and no celebrate, I present to you: spring in a teacup! Or, more accurately, “lemon cake filled with raspberry sauce and topped with lemon curd and toasted meringue” in a teacup. But we can call it “spring” for short.
So yes, these sweet little teacups are holding big flavors and big layers. It starts with a light and fluffy cake batter, flavored with both fresh lemon zest and lemon extract, for a double dose of tart citrus love. I baked the cakes right in the teacups, and I’m sure I don’t have to tell you this, but if you try it please make sure you’re using oven-safe cups. Now is not the time to use Great Aunt Ruth’s expensive heirloom china she bequeathed to you, may she rest in peace. I am not a fancy person and my whole house is basically filled with oven-safe, dishwasher-safe, cheap-o dishes, so hurrah! More cakes baked in teacups for me, please!
After the cakelets are baked, they’re filled with a big spoonful of homemade raspberry sauce. You can use fresh or frozen berries, or sub in store-bought jam if you want to save a few steps. Just make sure you get the zing of the raspberry flavor in there, tucked into the center of the lemon cakes.
The next step is to add even more lemon flavor, so a generous layer of lemon curd is spread on top of the cakes. Your mileage may vary depending on the size of your cups, but I managed to fit a good 3-4 spoonfuls of curd on top of each cake, so it really was a citrus lover’s dream come true. And the curd on top keeps them from drying out, so they stay wonderfully fresh and moist, when most other cupcakes dry out if you look at them funny.
Finally—FINALLY—they’re topped with big, generous, sweeping, swirling clouds of meringue. Meringue haters to the left, because I’m gonna put my foot down and say this is non-negotiable. The most gorgeous thing about these cakes is the contrast between the dark, swirling meringue on top and the dainty teacups on the bottom. Don’t bother making them unless you’re going to go all the way! Toast the meringue, get it nice and dark, and then if you’re like me, pour on a bunch more raspberry sauce because yum. If you need a no-meringue dessert, check out my Key Lime Pie, Strawberry Lemonade Ice Cream Pie or Blueberry Crumble Pie!
These would be perfect for Mother’s Day, a baby or bridal shower, or an elegant birthday party! And if the teacups don’t do anything for you, you can use ramekins or even bake them in cupcake tins. Happy spring!
🍋 More Lemon Desserts
- Lavender Lemon Bars
- Raspberry Lemon Meringue Trifle
- Lemon Mousse Cakes
- Lemon Blackberry Trifle
- Lemon Bars Recipe
- Lemon Tea Cake
- Lemon Madeleines
Toasted Coconut Lime Meringue Tart
Grapefruit Meringue Pie
Lemon Meringue Teacup Cakes
Ingredients
For the Lemon Curd:
- 6 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 14 oz granulated sugar, (2 cups)
- 2 large eggs
- 8 large egg yolks
- 1 1/3 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
For the Raspberry Sauce:
- 8 oz raspberries, fresh or frozen
- 3-4 TBSP granulated sugar
For the Lemon Cupcakes:
- 9 oz cake flour, (2 1/4 cups), sifted after measuring
- 1 TBSP baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 10 fl oz buttermilk, (1 1/4 cups), at room temperature
- 10.5 oz granulated sugar, (1 ½ cups)
- 2 TBSP lemon zest, (from approximately 2 large lemons)
- 4 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 tsp lemon extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Meringue:
- 8 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 14 oz granulated sugar, (2 cups)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
To Make the Lemon Curd:
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and the sugar with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until the mixture is light and fluffy. Slowly add the egg and yolks, and beat for 1 minute more. Add the lemon juice and mix—at this point the mixture will look curdled.
- Pour the liquid into the top of a double boiler or a bowl that fits snugly over your saucepan. (I actually like to use the metal mixing bowl that goes on my stand mixer so I’m not dirtying too many dishes.) Cook the mixture over the simmering water, whisking frequently, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. If you want to use a candy thermometer, cook the curd until it reaches 170-175 degrees F.
- Once the curd thickens, remove the pan from the heat and pour the curd through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl to remove any bits of cooked egg. Press a layer of cling wrap directly on top of the curd, and refrigerate it until it is chilled and thick.
To Make the Raspberry Sauce:
- Place the raspberries in a saucepan over medium heat until they give off juice and start to break down. Roughly mash them with a fork or potato masher until they’re mostly liquid, then add the sugar. If you want seedless jam, pour the puree into a blender, blend well, then strain through a fine mesh strainer. Taste the jam, and add more sugar if needed. Cook the jam for a few more minutes over medium heat until it is bubbly and thick. Cool before using.
To Make the Lemon Teacup Cakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Set your oven-safe teacups or ramekins on a baking sheet. If you are using 6-8 oz cups, you should get about 14-16 teacup cakes from this recipe. Please make sure that the cups you are using are oven-safe, and don’t use priceless family heirlooms! Alternately, to make cupcakes,
- line 20 cupcake tins with paper liners.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside for now. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg whites and buttermilk.
- In the bowl of a large stand mixer, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant, and has the texture of wet sand. Add the butter, and cream the butter and sugar together with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the lemon and vanilla extracts, and mix them into the batter.
- With the mixer running on low, add a third of the flour mixture, then when just a few streaks of flour remain, add half of the buttermilk mixture. When it’s incorporated, add half the remaining flour, then when that’s mixed in, add the rest of the milk, and finish with the last of the flour. Stop the mixer and finish mixing by hand, scraping the bottom and sides well.
- Divide the batter between the teacups, filling them about half full. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your cups, so it’s better to watch them carefully and rely on signs of doneness, rather than a baking time. The cakes are done when the tops spring back lightly when pressed with a finger, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow them to cool completely before assembling.
To Make the Meringue and Assemble:
- Using a paring knife, cut an inch-wide hole in the top of each cupcake, and remove a cone-shaped segment from the top. Fill the hole with a spoonful of raspberry sauce. Cut off the bottom part of each cone and discard (or eat!). Pop the top of the cupcake back on. Add a layer of lemon curd on top of each cupcake, going almost to the top of the teacup—I used about 3-4 tablespoons per cup. (If you’re making regular cupcakes, fill the cupcake hole with a mix of raspberry jam and lemon curd, then put the top back on.) At this point, the cupcakes can be finished with meringue, or they can be refrigerated for several hours, or up to several days. If refrigerating them for more than a few hours, cover each cup with a layer of plastic wrap.
- Make the meringue right before you’re ready to use it. Combine the egg whites and the granulated sugar in the bowl of a large stand mixer, and whisk them together. Choose a small saucepan that lets you fit the base of the stand mixer snugly into the top of the saucepan—this is your makeshift hot water bath. (Alternately, you can use a different bowl or an actual bain marie and then transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl once it’s heated.) Add an inch of water to the bottom of the saucepan, and bring the water to a simmer.
- Place the mixing bowl on top of the saucepan, making sure that the bottom isn’t in contact with the water, and heat the egg white mixture. Whisk frequently so that the egg whites don’t cook. Continue to heat the whites until they are hot to the touch, and when you rub a bit between your fingers, you don’t feel any grittiness from the sugar. Once the whites are hot, transfer the mixing bowl to your mixer and fit it with a whisk attachment.
- Beat the whites on medium-high speed until they are no longer warm, and they are shiny, white, voluminous, and hold stiff peaks when you remove the whisk. (About 8-10 minutes.) Add the vanilla extract and salt and whisk until well-incorporated.
- Top each cupcake with a big, tall scoop of meringue, and smooth it to the edges, so that the lemon curd is entirely covered. Use the back of a spoon to shape the meringue and add swoops or swirls, if desired. Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue to an even golden brown color. If you don’t have a torch, you can place the cups on a baking sheet and put them under a broiler briefly to toast, for about 1 minute. Watch them the whole time so that they don’t burn. These cupcakes are best enjoyed soon after they are made, so that the meringue is light and fluffy and crispy on the outside. However, they can be kept for several days in the refrigerator, and you will just have a chewier, stickier meringue layer.
Recipe Notes
Measuring Tips
Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.
Want to learn more about baking measurements and conversion?
Nutrition
Wow Elizabeth on SO many levels!!! I myself would SWEAR those dainty teacups are your Great Aunt Ruth’s! Too beautiful .. and to-die for lemon/raspberry recipe!
Hooray for tulips! Cannot grow those beauties here in SoCal (I bet you knew that) – at least not where I live, but I have fond memories of my mothers tulips in Connecticut!
Now a cooking question: Whenever I do the meringue thing – my meringue “weeps” – why is that? Thanks! And thanks for the scrumptiously yummy looking teacup dessert!
MaryO1230
San Pedro, CA
Hi Mary, I am finally experiencing a “true” spring and it is amazing! Every tree on the block is exploding with blossoms and there are tulips and daffodils everywhere! Who knew?? 🙂
Weepy meringue is sadly a very common occurrence! Do you usually make meringue by whipping egg whites and adding granulated sugar? That’s the most common way, and it’s the way that weeps the most. In this recipe (and in most of my meringue recipes) I heat the egg whites + sugar together over a water bath before whipping. It’s an extra step, but it makes the meringue MUCH more stable and truly, I never have problems with it weeping. Try the heating method next time and let me know how it works for you–I think you’ll be happy with it!
Is there a test to know if a teacup is “oven safe”……you need to talk more about the cups, I’d be scared to have cups breaking in my oven. Looks fabulous though and I’d love to try the recipe. Thanks
Best case scenario would be if your dishes were labelled “oven safe” on them–that’s really the only way to know for sure. I included so many disclaimers in my post because I am not an expert and would feel terrible if something happened to someone’s favorite dishes due to my recipe. So please keep that in mind and use cups labelled oven-safe if possible. If not labelled, my understanding is that many higher-quality ceramic and porcelain dishes can be used in the oven. (The ones I used were porcelain). I would not even attempt this with bone china or earthenware cups.
You can also try to minimize any bad results by putting the cups into a cold oven and heating it up gradually, so they’re not “shocked” by going from room temp to a hot temperature. If you do this, add a few minutes to the baking time, so put the teacups in the cold oven, set the temperature to 350 F, and bake for 22-25 minutes.
Oh wow those are too cute! Loving all that toasty meringue. The addition of raspberry sauce is a nice touch too!
Thanks June! I kind of went a little overboard with the meringue but turned out, I wasn’t mad about it. 😉
These are EPIC!!! I mean, I’ve never seen a cuter way to serve lemon curd (and I saw your party with a vat of lemon curd… that was pretty cute!!!). I love the raspberry – some in the cup, some on top for me please. Helllllllllloooo spring!!!
Haha yes, the giant bathtub of lemon curd…good times! 😀 Thanks Meggan! I assume SoCal is doing its best to pretend that spring never happened and go straight to summer?
This is such a fantastic idea and they sound so delicious; I may have to buy some cheap teacups that I can put in the oven so I can make them as all of mine are inherited from my grandparents and are so fragile that I’m scared they’ll smash if I so much as touch them…
Oh yes, definitely don’t use those! I felt like I had to put a million disclaimers in the post because I really don’t want to be responsible for someone ruining their favorite dishes. I like to haunt HomeGoods, TJ Maxx, etc, for affordable plates and cups. They often have really cute tea stuff!
These are so cute, and what lovely photos you have!
Thank you, Lucy!
We planted a whole backyard full of tulips and I can’t wait for them to bloom!! And yes, spring is the best!! Anyway, this mini lemon meringue teacup cakes though!. They’re so adorable and elegant! And I’m one of those people who think mini food tastes better! So many good things are going on here… Lemon meringue pie is my favorite, and lemon+raspberry is the best combo. I’ve never thought of combining lemon meringue pie with raspberry sauce though!! So trying it next time!
Oh, that sounds amazing! I think I have tulip envy! We have…maybe 12 flowers. hah. But we didn’t even plant them, so I’m thinking next year we go big and actually make an effort! Thanks for the sweet comment, Shinee. 🙂
Elizabeth what have you done to us??! You made it so normal to think that you actually made edible cups from scratch and painted them on yourself. LOL! It took me several minutes of staring, jaw dropping and reading through the lines to grasp the fact the they are just honest to God cups that regular humans drink from on not munch on. Hahahaaaaa 🙂 You spoiled us! Although I’m pretty sure you could make the cups yourself, I’m actually loving the elegant simplicity of this one. The flavor combination and the mile high meringue is begging to be dug in. Love it! But again that’s only normal with everything you do around here.
Haha! I wouldn’t even know where to begin with making these edible..and the thought of it makes my eye twitch. Thank you for the huge compliment, though!
Omg! You always make the most stunning desserts, and this recipe is no exception.
Thanks so much, Nicole!