Key Lime Pie Cupcakes

With Florida's death heat and humidity, I have been having some INSANE cravings for key lime pie. When you think about it, key lime pie is like the refreshing beverage of the dessert world, it's sweet and tangy, cool and uplifting. The only problem is that I get tired of the same texture bite after bite, don't get me wrong, regular old key lime pie is delicious but I thought I would mix it up a little. These cupcakes are awesome because you get a cake texture with the vanilla lime cake, the trademark creamy texture of the traditional key lime pie in the filling, a graham cracker crust for the base, and a little extra zing with the key lime buttercream frosting to top it off. It's pretty much the best of both worlds.

Key Lime Pie Cupcakes

makes about 24 cupcakes, recipe adapted from Easy Home Cooking Magazine

Key Lime Pie Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (9 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
5 oz. key lime juice (more or less depending on your tart preferences, start with 3oz. and go from there)

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.Place all ingredients in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, and mix on low for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and blend for 2 minutes.

3.Refrigerate the filing while you move on to the cupcakes.

Graham Cracker Crust:
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 Tbsp. sugar
3-4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

1.Prepare 2 muffin tins with liners.

2.In a food processor, blend together graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Add 3 Tbsp melted butter and pulse a few times. If it seems like it needs more butter, add the remaining tablespoon. Distribute evenly among cupcake liners and press down to form a shell (about 1 heaping tsp in each, save the rest for the topping).

Lime Cake:
2 and 1/4 cups flour
1 TBS baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 egg whites
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream or buttermilk
1 TBS key lime zest

1.Combine flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl; set aside.

2.Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy.

3.Add egg whites, beating well after each addition.Add eggs, beating well after each addition.Beat in the lime zest until blended.

4.Combine milk, vanilla, and sour cream in a bowl, whisking until incorporated.

5.With electric mixer at low speed, add flour mixture alternately with milk mixture, beating well after each addition, starting and ending with the flour mixture.

6.Pour the batter from the lime cake evenly over the graham cracker crust-

bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

7.Cool the cupcakes in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to cool completely. Once cool, fill your cupcakes with the key lime pie filling using either a tool like the one shown below, or carefully running a small knife in a circular pattern in the center of the cake (I highly recommend getting this tool, it was only $3 at World Market).

Lime Buttercream:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 to 8 cups powdered sugar
3 TBS key lime juice, possibly more to thin out frosting
splash of vanilla

1.Beat together the butter, 3 cups of the sugar, key lime juice and vanilla on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes.

2.Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency.

3.You may not need to add all of the sugar. If too thick, thin with more key lime juice. You can also use more lime juice if you want a more tart flavor, also if you had any key lime filling left over I added it to this as well and just used less sugar.