Mini Key Lime Cupcakes Recipes

KEY LIME CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line 16 muffin cups with paper or foil liners., In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition., Fill prepared cups two-thirds full. Bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely., For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and lime zest until blended. Beat in lime juice and vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Pipe or spread onto cupcakes. Refrigerate until serving.

MINI KEY LIME CUPCAKES

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat pudding mix and whipping cream with whisk 2 minutes. Let stand 3 minutes. Beat in 1/4 cup Key lime juice and the food color; stir in powdered sugar until smooth. Cover and refrigerate.
• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place 24 of the paper baking cups in each of 24 regular size muffin cups. Make cake batter as directed on box. Spoon about 1 rounded tablespoonful batter into each muffin cup, using about half of the batter. (Muffin cups will be about one-third full.) Refrigerate remaining batter. Bake 11 to 15 minutes (14 to 20 minutes for dark or nonstick pan) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan to cooling rack. Repeat with remaining baking cups and batter. Cool cupcakes completely, about 15 minutes.
• Remove paper baking cups from cupcakes. Swirl about 2 teaspoons topping on top of each cupcake.
• Stir frosting in container 20 times. Gently stir in 1 tablespoon Key lime juice and the lime peel. Spoon frosting into 1-quart resealable food-storage plastic bag. Cut 1/2-inch opening from bottom corner of bag. Squeeze 1 rounded teaspoonful frosting from bag onto topping. Garnish with fresh lime wedge, if desired. Store in refrigerator.

KEY LIME CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners or spray with cooking spray.
• Mix cake mix, water, eggs, and vegetable oil together in a bowl using an electric mixer until batter is smooth, about 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons lime zest, lime juice, and food coloring; mix well. Pour batter into the prepared muffin cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a wire rack.
• Beat butter and cream cheese together in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add 2 tablespoons lime zest and vanilla extract to creamed butter mixture; mix well. Mix confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, into creamed butter mixture until frosting is smooth; chill in refrigerator until frosting is thickened, about 30 minutes.
• Spread frosting onto each cupcake and top with sprinkles.

KEY LIME CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two standard 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners. In a food processor, pulse together graham cracker crumbs, 5 tablespoons melted butter, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt until mixture holds together when squeezed. Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons crumb mixture into each liner and press firmly using the bottom of a lightly oiled shot glass or small bowl. Bake until set, 5 to 7 minutes; cool completely. Reduce oven to 325 degrees.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Using an electric mixer, beat together remaining 1 cup butter and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, at least 8 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly between each addition, and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla and zest. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with sour cream and beating until just incorporated.
• Divide batter among cups, filling each about three-quarters full; tap pans on countertop once to evenly distribute batter. Bake until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 26 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Frost with 2 heaping tablespoons key lime frosting; top with lime zest.

MINI KEY LIME CUPCAKES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat pudding mix and whipping cream with wire whisk 2 minutes. Let stand 3 minutes. Beat in 1/4 cup lime juice and the food coloring; stir in powdered sugar until smooth. Cover; refrigerate.
• Heat oven to 375* (350* for dark or nonstick pans). Place a paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make cake batter as directed on box. Spoon about 1 rounded tablespoon batter into each muffin cup, using about half of the batter. (Muffin cups will be about 1/3 full.) Refrigerate remaining batter. Bake 12 to 16 minutes or until toothpick is inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan to cooling rack. Repeat with remaining batter. Cool cupcakes completely, about 15 minutes.
• Remove paper baking cups from cupcakes. Swirl about 2 teaspoons topping on top of each cupcake.
• Stir frosting container 20 times. Gently stir in 1 tablespoon lime juice and the lime peel. Spoon frosting into a 1-quart Ziploc bag. Cut an 1/2-inch opening from bottom corner of bag. Squeeze 1 rounded teaspoonful frosting onto topping. Garnsih with fresh lime wedge, if desired. Store in refrigerator.

MINIATURE SPICY KEY LIME CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Line 3 miniature muffin tins with miniature paper liners.
• Make the cake mix according to the package directions. Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each about halfway full (about 2 teaspoons each). Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 12 to 15 minutes. Place the muffin tins onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and key lime juice. Pour the mixture into a small squeeze bottle.
• Put the heavy cream and confectioners' sugar in a large mixing bowl and use a hand mixer to whip to medium-stiff peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Alternatively, if you do not have a piping bag with a star tip, you can put the whipped cream into a large resealable bag and cut a corner of the bag to create your own piping bag. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• To assemble, place the tip of the squeeze bottle into the center of one cupcake. Press the tip about three-quarters of the way into the cupcake and squeeze a small amount of the key lime filling into the cupcake (the filling should just come to the top of the cupcake). Repeat this step with the remaining cupcakes.
• Pipe small mounds of the whipped cream on top of each cupcake. Garnish each cupcake with a light dusting of cayenne pepper and a sprinkle of lime zest.

KEY LIME CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Make the lime curd: Combine the granulated sugar, egg and egg yolk, lime juice and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking, until thick enough to coat a spoon, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, a little at a time, until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then stir in the lime zest and salt. Set in a larger bowl of ice and stir until the curd is completely cool. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface; refrigerate until ready to use.
• Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners. Pulse the wafer cookies in a food processor until finely ground. Melt 2 tablespoons butter; add to the processor and pulse until the mixture comes together. Press about 1 tablespoon crumbs into each muffin cup.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. Combine the remaining 10 tablespoons butter and the granulated sugar in a large bowl and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to low; beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla, lime zest and juice and beat until well combined. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Increase the speed to medium high and mix until combined.
• Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters of the way. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Remove to a rack; let cool completely.
• Make the frosting: Beat the butter in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the confectioners' sugar. Increase the speed to medium high; add the sour cream, lime juice and salt and beat until fluffy, 2 more minutes.
• Place the lime curd in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch tip. Insert the tip into the center of each cupcake and squeeze to fill. Frost the cupcakes, then pipe more lime curd on top. Top with lime slices and zest.
• Cook's Note: Key limes are smaller and more tart than regular limes. If you can't find them, look for bottled Key lime juice and use regular lime zest.