These Key Lime Lemon cupcakes are packed with citrus goodness. Zest in the cupcake and both lemon and key lime juice in the frosting are sure to make this a hit with citrus lovers!
Having been born and raised in south Florida, I am a huge fan of everything citrus. Growing up, we had grapefruit, orange, and key lime trees in the back yard, and could just wander out and pick what we needed for breakfast or cooking.
Key limes are not like your regular limes — they are small, seedy, and have a taste that is a little more sweet and tart than your standard lime. Most people only experience these little bits of citrus heaven in a pie form (and by the way, that pie should be a creamy yellow — never green!) — but you can actually use them in pretty much anything that requires a regular lime.
This recipe is adapted from a recipe that used regular limes. Key limes can sometimes be a challenge to find — I was able to get a small bag at my local Giant grocery store for $1.99.
If you can’t get them at your local grocery store get a bottle of Nellie & Joes Famous Key West Lime Juice — it is sold in a yellow bottle, and you can find it almost anywhere. And you can also just default to regular limes if all else fails. Key limes are about the size of a walnut, so it takes 3-4 Key limes to equal one regular sized lime. In this recipe, if you have to use a regular lime, just use one lime in exchange for the number of Key limes listed.
The zest in the cake batter adds just a hint of citrus to the finished cupcake. It is the juice from the Key limes and lemon in the buttercream frosting that really adds the flavor to these key lime lemon cupcakes.
Enjoy with some zest sprinkled on top or without. Either way, it is delicious!
For the cupcakes: For the Frosting:Key Lime and Lemon Cupcakes
Ingredients
Instructions