Miniature Spicy Key Lime Cupcakes Recipes

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.

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.

KEY LIME CUPCAKES WITH KEY LIME CURD

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line cupcake or muffin pans with 24 cupcake liners.
• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside in a bowl.
• In the bowl of electric stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar together for about 2 minutes. Then scrape down the bowl and add the eggs one at a time. After adding all the eggs, scrape down bowl and add the milk and dry ingredients. Mix on low until well incorporated. Scrape down the bowl again and hike up from low speed to medium speed for about 20 seconds, and then scrape down the bowl for the last time.
• Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full with batter. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, rotating the cupcakes after 12 minutes, and bake until the cupcakes are baked through. Cool the cupcakes completely.
• For the frosting: Sift the powdered sugar and set aside in a bowl.
• In the bowl of electric stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese on low speed. Scrape down the bowl and add the sifted powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Slowly add the key lime juice and zest until well incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and mix on low speed. Then hike up to medium to high speed for about 2 minutes until creamy and fluffy.
• For the curd: Whisk the eggs, sugar and key lime juice in a steel bowl and set aside while you prepare a double boiler.
• Put a small pot half full with water on the stove over medium to high heat. Place the steel bowl with the whisked eggs on top of the pot and mix with a spatula until your mixture has become creamy like sour cream, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the mixture and strain, getting rid of excess egg particles. Grab a second steel bowl and dump your egg mixture inside, adding your zest and cold butter. Mix until well incorporated and place in the fridge until it slightly thickens, 10 to 15 minutes (or until desired consistency is achieved).
• Hollow out the middle of the cooled cupcakes with an apple corer or melon ball scooper and set aside. Fill the cupcakes with the curd. Put the frosting into a pastry bag and cut 1/2-inch off the tip. Swirl on the frosting, and then edge the sides in pop rock candies.

KEY LIME CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. In large bowl, beat cupcake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
• Bake 19 to 24 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling rack. With toothpick or wooden skewer, pierce tops of cupcakes in several places.
• In small bowl, mix 1 cup powdered sugar and enough of the 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice until glaze is smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle and spread glaze over cupcakes. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• In large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. On low speed, beat in vanilla and 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar until mixed; beat on medium speed until fluffy. Frost cupcakes, mounding and swirling frosting in center. Garnish with lime peel. Store covered in refrigerator.

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.

MINI KEY LIME CUPCAKES

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat pudding mix and whipping cream with wire 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 375°F (350°F for dark or nonstick pans).
• Place paper baking cup 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 1/3 full.).
• Refrigerate remaining batter.
• Bake 12 to 16 minutes 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 cupcakes from baking cups.
• 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 topping into 1-quart resealable food-storage plastic bag.
• Cut 1/2-inch opening across 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 GINGER MINI CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 24 cup minimuffin pan with spray or butter lightly. Open the bag of crystallized ginger and pop a few in your mouth for "cooking inspiration".
• Combine the first seven ingredients in a large bowl. Next cream the butter and sugar, next adding eggs one at a time. Eat some more crystallized ginger (mmnnnn). Add the lime juice, peel and vanilla extract and blend. The mix will appear curdled. Better eat just a few more pieces of the ginger to fuel your energy stores for the last steps. Then add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk in alternating batches, starting with the flour mix.
• Spoon batter to the top of the cups of the pan and bake 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Restrain yourself from "taste testing" half the batch (try to limit to just 4 or 5:), and place them to cool on a rack.
• In the meantime, cream the cream cheese, butter, lime juice and peel, and vanilla until smooth and whisk in the powdered sugar, beating until the frosting is smooth. Lick the whisk clean and use a clean spatula to spread frosting across the tops of the remaining cooled cupcakes. Take the time to dip a clean finger in the frosting every once in awhile, just to make sure it hasn't changed for some unlikely reason. When done frosting, sprinkle what's left of the crystallized ginger on what's left of the cupcakes that actually have frosting and hide until time to serve.
• Makes 72, unless recipe is followed exactly including tasting notes.

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.