Lemon-Lime Cupcakes

Lemon-Lime Cupcakes

Recently I purchased some lemon-lime whoopie pies from Cranberry Island Kitchen in Portland, Maine.  Surprisingly the lemon-lime flavor of whoopie pies was our favorite one of the three kinds of whoopie pies I purchased.  Ever since, I've had that memory of the delicious lemon-lime flavor in my head.  That's why I jumped at making these lemon-lime cupcakes when I saw the Lemon Lime Cupcakes Baking Banter blog post this week.

I made some changes to the recipe.  The original Baking Banter recipe includes lemon and lime powders, products you can buy from King Arthur Flour, but I didn't have any.  I also didn't have any King Arthur Unbleached Cake Flour Blend.  I'm resourceful though and once I decided I want to make a recipe nothing will get in my way.  Nothing, I tell you!

I also made a different frosting than the glaze that was recommended in the Baking Banter recipe.  I thought a cream cheese butter cream frosting would be lovely with these cupcakes.  I jazzed up my standard cream cheese butter cream frosting with lemon and lime zest and a bit of lemon and lime juice. It was perfect.

Let's make these cupcakes, shall we?

Lemon Lime Cupcakes

Lemon-Lime Cupcake Ingredients

Makes one dozen cupcakes

• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• zest of one lemon
• zest of one lime
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk, at room temperature

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Line the muffin pan with cupcake liners.

In the bowl of your mixer add the vegetable oil, sugar, salt and lemon and lime zests.  Mix about 2 minutes on medium high speed.  Beat in the lemon and lime juices, and the eggs, one at a time.  Beat for about two more minutes. 

Add the Eggs One at a Time

In a separate bowl whisk together the flours and the baking powder.  Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture alternating the flour and milk, ending with the flour.  Mix until blended, about 30 seconds.

The Cupcake Batter

Using a scoop, scoop the batter into the prepared pan.  Your batter will be thin. You'll fill each cup about 2/3 full.

Use a Scoop

Bake for 16-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.  This took 16 minutes in my oven.  These cupcakes will not brown, so don't use sight as a measure of doneness.

The Baked Lemon-Lime Cupcakes

Cool completely and top with your favorite frosting.  I used a lemon-lime cream cheese frosting.

Lemon-Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

Frosting Ingredients

• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 package of cream cheese
• 3/4 pound confectioners sugar (3 1/2 cups)
• the zest of one lemon
• the zest of one lime
• 1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lime juice

Blend the butter and cream cheese together until well blended.  Add the lemon and lime zest.  Add the confectioners sugar and the lemon and lime juice.  Mix together until smooth and well blended.

Fill a pastry bag with a large decorative tip 2/3 full with frosting.  I use a large glass to stabilize the pastry bag as I fill it. 

Using a Pastry Bag Makes Frosting Easy

Pipe the frosting on the cupcakes.  If you find the frosting to be a little soft, pop the cupcakes into the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes.

You can get my printable recipe for these Lemon-Lime Cupcakes by clicking the link.

You might like these other lemon recipes:
Lemon Yogurt Cake
Oh, Lemon Curd!
Lemon Pudding Cakes

Enjoy!