Key Lime Cupcakes

These are my inside out Key Lime Cupcakes. Like Key Lime pie? - you'll love these!

After an onslaught of rich foods over Easter weekend, I felt like baking something light and zesty. And there came my idea for inside out Key Lime (pie) cupcakes!

I've always loved Key Lime Pie. It's an American dessert consisting of a biscuit base, a lime filling (combining condensed milk, cream, eggs and lime juice), and topped with whipped cream.

These are a light zesty lime sponge, a Key Lime Pie filling, a whipped cream frosting, and a biscuit crumb topping: an inside out pie! They're so light, and they're perfectly complimented by the biscuit crunch and the creamy whipped cream frosting.

It's all the yumminess of a Key Lime Pie without being too rich, and without having to cook the filling. They're gloriously key-lime-pie-esque! I absolutely love them.

The beautiful thing about these is that the lime zest colours the batter and the key lime filling, so you don't need to add food colouring to get that wonderful green!

I don't think it's at all necessary to like limes in order to love these, that's how moreish they are! So, have a go and let me know what you think!

Let's get Caking It!

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Recipe

180C (170C fan)

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Prep: 25 mins

Bake: 20-25 mins

Assemble: 10 mins

Ingredients

Sponge

125g unsalted butter

125g caster sugar

3 medium eggs

3 limes, zest and juice

125g gluten free self-raising flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

2 tbsp sour cream

Filling

100ml double cream

1 lime, zest

50ml condensed milk

Frosting

200ml double cream

100g icing sugar

1 lime, juice

50g gluten free digestive biscuits

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Method: Sponge

Don't forget to wait until all the ingredients are room temperature before starting.

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Fill 12 muffin holes with cases.

2. Cream the butter until pale, then add the sugar and cream together until fully incorporated.

3. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing with an electric whisk between each addition. Mix in the lime juice.

4. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, bicarb, xanthan gum and lime zest with a fork, and then add this to the mixture, mixing until fully incorporated.

5. Spoon in the sour cream and fold until combined.

6. Spoon 2 tbsp of the mixture into each muffin case until 3/4 full. Smooth over with a spoon and let the mixture sit in the cases for 20 minutes before placing in an oven for 20-25 minutes. A skewer or toothpick inserted into the cupcakes should come out clean.

7. Let cool for 5 minutes in the tin and then fully on a cooling rack.

Method: key lime filling

This filling is so simple and quick that you can whip it up in a few minutes!

1. While the sponges are cooling you can make the key lime filling. Grate the lime zest into a bowl and add the double cream. Whip until thick and it forms stiff peaks. This is most easily done with an electric whisk.

2. Gradually add the condensed milk, continuing to whisk, until fully incorporated.

3. Chill until the sponge is cool enough to fill.

Method: whipped cream frosting

Place your bowl and whisk in the fridge while your sponges are cooling.

1. When the sponges are cool, whip the double cream and sifted icing sugar in a cold bowl until it begins to thicken.

2. Add you lime juice and continue to whisk until stiff peaks form.

Assembly

1. Making sure the sponges are completely cool, scoop out the middle of the cupcake with an apple corer, taking care not to go right down to the bottom.

2. With a teaspoon, fill the middle with the key lime filling. One teaspoon will be about right.

3. Pipe on 1 tbsp of whipped cream onto each cupcake and smooth over with a knife.

4. Smash your digestive biscuits into crumbs and sprinkle over the whipped cream.

5. Enjoy!