key lime cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for Steve’s birthday. One of his favorite flavors is key lime, so I thought it would be fitting. I did some research and found a recipe that sounded like it would work really well with what I had in mind.

And they turned out really well! They had a somewhat subtle, yet delicious lime flavor and a very soft crumb. The recipe originally didn’t call for any lime flavoring in the frosting, but since the cake didn’t have a strong lime presence, I added some juice to the frosting to give it more of a kick. The recipe is definitely a keeper. Steve took the cupcakes into work and this is one response he got:

“I never like key-lime stuff, but I love these cupcakes. They’re the best cupcakes I’ve ever had.”

Wow. Maybe this person was just very hungry, or maybe they really are that good. I’ll have to go home and eat another four more and let you know.

get the recipe

Key Lime Cupcakes

Servings: 12 cups
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 50 mins
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Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

  • 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • Dash of salt
  • 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted butter , at room temperature
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon lime zest
  • ¾ cup buttermilk

For the frosting:

  • 8 oz cream cheese , softened
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 2 ½ - 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lime zest
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

To make the cupcakes:

  • paddle, beat butter until smooth. Add sugar and beat till light and fluffy. Add the eggs, mixing after each. Then add the lime juice and zest. The batter may look somewhat curdly and that's okay. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk, ending with the flour mixture.
  • Line a cupcake tin with liners and fill ⅔ full with batter. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes until inserted tester comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack.

To make the frosting:

  • Beat cream cheese and butter together till smooth. Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth and creamy. Frost cupcakes and garnish with crushed graham crackers and lime wedge.

Nutrition

Calories: 584kcal, Carbohydrates: 92g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 90mg, Sodium: 91mg, Potassium: 80mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 76g, Vitamin A: 791IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 48mg, Iron: 1mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Annalise
Have you tried this recipe?I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review below or take a photo and tag it on Instagram @completelydelicious with #completelydelicious.