Cherry Lime Cupcakes

Cupcake love.  Its all around.  Shops devoted to cupcakes, Fancy cupcake papers.  Cupcake decorations, edible and not.  Blogs devoted to cupcakes. I like cupcakes but I don't love cupcakes.  That is until now.  And no, it is not these cupcakes.  Though they are good, they do not compare to the lovely Cherry Lime Chocolate Cupcake I ate at La Tea Dah from Sugar Mountain Bake Shoppe. 

Honestly, this was the closest I could find.  I know it's not chocolate but I had to give these a try.  They were good but they weren't wow.  I just checked the Sugar Mountain Bake Shoppe site and could not find that cupcake.  I need to call them.  Maybe I dreamt it.  Oh, that would mean I did not really consume any calories if I dreamt it.  

You know I could even find a recipe close to what I had...  I think I may have to buy another, if its even available.

For now, if you would like to give these a go, here is the recipe.


Cherry Lime Cupcakes

2 1/4 cup cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup whole milk or buttermilk
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cup sugar
zest of 3 limes
1 stick (8 Tbs or 4 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake tins with liners. Makes 24 normal size cupcakes.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.

Put the sugar and lime zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter and working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light.

Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Finally, give the batter a good 2- minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated. Divide the batter between 18-24 cupcakes. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the cupcakes are well risen and springy to the touch. Transfer the cupcakes cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes. Frost and decorate after fully cooled.

Cherry Frosting

3 3/4 cups confectioner’s’ sugar, sifted
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 teaspoons cherry extract
1/4 cup half and half
red food coloring (optional)

To make the frosting, combine the confectioner’s’ sugar, butter and half in half in a bowl.  Mix on low speed until sugar is incorporated, then increase to medium-high speed and beat until smooth. Add half and half as needed to achieve texture. Add more cherry extract if needed to achieve desired taste. Add red food coloring if you want a more festive cherry look. Frost cooled cupcakes. Garnish with lime slices and maraschino cherries.