Vanilla Cupcakes Topped with Glossy Meringue Swirls

These light vanilla cupcakes get a dramatic finish from a billowy, sweet meringue frosting that pipes beautifully.

Info

• Cook time: 45 minutes
• Total time: 2 hours 15 minutes
• Yield: 12

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large egg whites, at room temperature

For the Meringue Frosting

• 4 large egg whites
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Pinch of cream of tartar
• Pinch of fine salt
• 2 to 3 drops liquid food coloring

Instructions

1. Set the oven to 350 degrees F and line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, stir the milk and vanilla together. Set both aside.
3. Using an electric mixer on low speed, beat the butter in a large bowl until smooth, about 1 minute. Slowly beat in 1/2 cup of the sugar. Raise the speed to high and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.
4. Lower the mixer speed to low. Add about one-third of the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated. Add half of the milk mixture and beat until smooth. Repeat with the remaining flour, then the rest of the milk, and finally the last of the flour, scraping the bowl as you go. Increase the speed to medium and beat briefly until the batter is smooth; set aside.
5. In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites with an electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until the whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks, about 10 minutes. Fold one-third of the whites into the batter to lighten it, then fold in the rest. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.
6. Bake, turning the tin halfway through, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the tin on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove them from the tin and cool completely on the rack.
7. Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan. In a medium heat-safe bowl, whisk together the egg whites, sugar, lemon juice, cream of tartar, and salt. Place the bowl over the saucepan, making sure the bottom doesn’t touch the water. Whisk constantly until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and whip with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the meringue is cool and holds a soft peak, about 5 minutes. Add a few drops of food coloring to tint the frosting, then continue beating until it holds stiff peaks.
8. Spoon or pipe the frosting generously and decoratively onto the cupcakes.
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Notes

To measure flour, spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the top. (Scooping directly from the bag packs the flour and can make baked goods dry.)