Key Lime Cupcakes

♥ Beginner

I made these the same night that I made the Pina Colada Cupcakes, and to be perfectly honest, I'm going to sleep with numb taste buds.  I might have licked the spatula a few to many times...

I'm not sure how you feel about key lime pie, but it's one of my favorites, so these cupcakes are a real treat.  The batter didn't taste right to me, but once they were cooked and frosted they tasted perfect.  (So if you lick the spoon, just know the flavors emerge when baking!)

What you'll need:

• 1 Box of White Cake Mix
• 3 Eggs
• 3/4 C. Buttermilk
• 1/2 C. Water
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons of Lime Juice
• 1 Tablespoon of finely shredded Lime peel
• 1/4 Teaspoon of neon green food coloring (I used a little more!)
• 1 Container of Cream Cheese Frosting (I use the premade frosting instead of making my own, because it's easier than having to refrigerate my cupcakes - which I would have to do with homemade cream cheese frosting)
• 1/2 Teaspoon vanilla extract
• Lime Curls to top!

How it's done:

1. Preheat oven to desired temperature on box mix.  Mine was 350 degrees.  Line your cupcake pans with liners.

2. Combine cake mix, eggs, buttermilk, water, lime juice, lime peel, and food coloring. Mix on medium speed until combined (about 90 seconds). Don't over mix or your cakes wont rise!!!

3. Bake for time suggested on box mix. Mine were baked 15 minutes.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, and remove to wire rack.

4.  While cupcakes cool, mix frosting and vanilla extract together in medium size mixing bowl.  If piping onto cupcakes, add a little sifted powdered sugar to stiffen the frosting. 

5.  Assemble!  Pipe frosting onto cupcake, and top with a lime curl!

**Suggestion!!! Wait until the cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting!  I didn't, and in effect, my cupcakes ended up with landslides of frosting.... it was lame. I knew better.

These cupcakes really taste amazingly similar to key lime pie - I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!  I really like the idea of even topping the frosting with crushed Graham cracker too.  Get creative and let me know how yours turn out.  The greatest thing about these cupcakes is that the flavors are completely up to you, it's all about the extract you add!  Enjoy!