Key Lime Cupcakes

Let’s talk about key lime – such an amazing flavor! I love key lime pie. It’s deliciously sweet and tart all at the same time! I’ve been trying to come up with a cupcake that is just as flavorful – that will make your mouth pucker – just a little! A lot of the recipes I’ve found are not nearly “key lime” enough! I don’t want a subtle hint of lime – I want to pucker up and feel like I’ve just tasted a key lime pie! I was looking for both texture and flavor. So I settled on my old reliable vanilla cake box mix from King Arthur Flour. It’s really the best in my opinion. I came up with a Key Lime cupcake, based on this basic cake mix. Then I added a lime curd filling (can’t go wrong there), and finally topped it with 2 types of frosting. One was a blueberry version of my cream cheese buttercream frosting, and the other was more like a creamy pie topping. Both came out magnificent!

I started with the King Arthur Flour Golden vanilla cake mix (available online at www.kingarthurflour.com).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 2 cupcake pans with paper liners. This recipe will make 21 – 24 cupcakes.

Recipe:

4 c vanilla/white cake mix
1/3 c vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1/2 c Noosa Key Lime full fat yogurt (this is amazing yogurt!)
1/4 c Key Lime juice
3-4 Tbsp Key Lime zest
1 c milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat together 2 c of cake mix, with yogurt and oil. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition. Add lime juice and vanilla, and mix to combine. Blend in milk, alternating with remaining cake mix. Mix til well-incorporated. Stir in lime zest.

Using a large icecream scoop, fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.

Bake for 17 – 20 min til toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven,, and cool completely.

When cool, remove center from each cupcake. You can use a cupcake corer, but I like using a sharp knife just as well. I like to save the center pieces, to replace once the cupcakes are filled.

Key lime curd (either homemade, or store bought). I made my own, super easy. You can purchase key lime curd in the grocery store, but I find it a bit “stiff” for filling cupcakes. I like the homemade version.

Key lime curd:

3 eggs
3/4 c sugar
1/4 c key lime juice
1 Tbsp key lime zest
1/4 tsp salt
4 Tbsp unsalted butter

In med saucepan, whisk first 5 ingredients over med-low. Stir constantly til thickened. Add butter 1 Tbsp at a time, til melted and smooth. The curd will coat the back of a spoon when done. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Pour into a bowl, and refrigerate covered.

When curd is completely cooled, fill cupcake centers with small amt of curd, using a piping bag/tip, or a spoon. Cut a thin slice of the remaining cupcake center, and place over each hole.

Frosting for Key Lime Pie cupcakes:

2 c heavy whipping cream
1/2 c confectioner’s sugar
1/3 c instant vanilla pudding mix
1/4 c key lime juice
zest of 4 key limes

Whip together until stiff peaks form. Pipe onto cupcakes. Top with a small slice of key lime.

Frosting for Blueberry cream cheese frosting:

8 oz cream cheese (room temp)
1 stick unsalted butter (room temp)
4 c confectioner’s sugar
2 Tbsp blueberry syrup (made by cooking down 1 c blueberries, 1/2 c sugar, and 1 tsp lime juice til thickened, cool completely)

Pipe onto cupcakes. Drizzle with leftover blueberry syrup. Top with fresh blueberry.