Sunday, April 25, 2010

Key Lime Cupcakes

I finally had time to bake again! I haven't had a day off from the hospital in 3 weeks - and was looking forward to getting back into the kitchen. With the beautiful, sunny weather we had this weekend, my hubby requested some lime cupcakes. I've made coconut lime before, but I wanted to try something a little different. Plus, my grandparents 50th Wedding Anniversary is coming up in 2 months, and I've volunteered to make dozens of cupcakes to serve all of the guests. (I hope that my husband & I can make it to 50 years!) I want to serve a variety of flavors, so I need to start trying more new recipes. Over the next week or two, you'll also be seeing some of the cupcakes I've made in the past year, prior to starting the blog.

To start, I have to share a picture of the zest. I realize it may be a boring topic, but I love the picture - the green is so vibrant that I can smell the fresh, tart scent of the lime zest, and the beautiful flowering trees in the background. I wish it could stay spring forever!



KEY LIME CUPCAKES (Adapted from Bon Appetit - recipe originally from Bittersweet Bakery)
Makes 12 Cupcakes



CUPCAKES

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (1 med/lg lime's worth)
1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel (approx 1 lime)
1/4 teaspoon neon-green food coloring
3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin pan with 12 paper liners.

Whisk both flours in medium bowl. Beat butter & sugar in large bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then next 3 ingredients (batter may look curdled). Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions.

Spoon scant 1/3 cup batter into each liner.

Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool.



FROSTING

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
2+ cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice.

Beat all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth. Spread over cupcakes.

Note: I made a double batch of both the cupcakes & the frosting, and, although I never thought I would say this, I have WAY too much frosting! The cream cheese frosting is very rich, so I put much less frosting on than I usually do (and swirled from the inside out, making more of a "rose" like design). I definitely have enough frosting for another 18-24 cupcakes.



ENJOY!!

10 comments:

  1. I just purchased a large bag of limes at Costco this past weekend and am looking for wonderful recipes to bake with them. I posted a lime bread recipe on my blog a few minutes ago and then I came across your beautiful green cupcakes. Oh yeah! Maybe tomorrow I will make these. Thanks for sharing

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  2. What a lovely, lovely cake! Wow. I am going to bookmark this recipe. I'm glad you shared the photo of the zest; it is truly nice-looking. I also like the beautiful flowers in the background. Fantastic photos.

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  3. wow, these looks great:) I am gonna try this out:)

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  4. Looks gorgeous and the whole green theme is so nicely done. I love citrus desserts and using key lime is such a great idea.

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  5. Those are fantastic! Lime is my favorite flavor. Never though about putting it in a cupcake.

    bittersweetsugarandsarcasm.blogspot.com

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  6. Mmmmmm, these look so good. Makes me want to make these, I just might go to the store to buy limes!

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  7. I love lime deserts! Can't wait to try these!

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  8. these look great for any time of the year!

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  9. I love your attitude! The photo of the lime zest had my mouth watering before I read through the rest of your post. They look awesome for St. Patrick's day festivities. Also, my congratulations on the cream cheese frosting. It looks stiff enough to pipe and keep the beautiful details. No doubt a structural contribution from the butter. The touch of zest really garnishes well.

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  10. I tried your recipe. The frosting is amazing!The cupcakes tasted good, but mine turned out dense, and chewy, instead of light and fluffy. Any tips or suggestions for trying again and getting a better result? Thanks.

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