Lime Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Lime Frosting from: Topped Cheff
From the author: Henri Stentzel made these for the wedding challenge portion of the reality TV competition. This was adapted from a Buttersweet Bakery recipe in Bon Appetit but Hayley tweaked it to be less sweet, with fewer ingredients, and no food coloring. They are so light and delicious and they freeze beautifully! (As I found out when I had the date wrong for a potluck party and arrived two weeks early....)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2½ Tbsp fresh lime juice (2 or 3 limes, depending on size)
- 1 Tbsp finely grated lime peel
- ¾ cup buttermilk
Cream Cheese Lime Frosting
- 1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp finely grated lime peel (zest of about 2 limes, depending on size)
- ⅓ tsp vanilla
Instructions
- To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line a cupcake or muffin pan with paper liners. Or use silicone baking cups
- Sift the first four ingredients together in a medium bowl.
- In another large bowl, beat the butter with a mixer until smooth.
- Add sugar and beat well.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
- Beat in the lime juice and lime peel.
- *Note about squeezing limes or lemons: Did you know that the jaw is one of the strongest parts of the body? If you are willing to taste the tartness of the lime and lemon skins, the most effective way to squeeze juice out of a fruit is to cut it in half and chomp down-juice will release into a bowl.
- Add dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately to the butter/sugar/egg mixture in three stages.
- Divide the batter between twelve cupcake liners.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. (Mine took 22 minutes-check with a toothpick to see if they are done. And don't overcook or they will come out dry!)
- Cool for ten minutes and then remove from the pan and cool completely.
Frosting
- Beat all the ingredients together until soft.
- Then frost the cupcakes-this is a very generous helping of rich icing. If you like less frosting, you can reduce the amount of cream cheese and butter, or freeze the excess for another use. Refrigerate the frosted cupcakes if not serving immediately, but then serve at room temperature.