Key Lime Cupcakes

Key Lime Cupcakes                                                                         Bryan Clark

Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

5 eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon key lime zest

For the Key Lime Custard:

3 eggs

¾ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup key lime juice (about 4 limes)

1 tablespoon key lime zest

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

Lime Zest Vanilla Frosting:

¾ cup vegetable shortening

5 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons key lime juice

1 tablespoon key lime zest

2 tablespoons milk (add more for thinner consistency)

Directions

For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line cupcake or muffin pans with 24 cupcake liners.

In a medium bowl sift the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

In the bowl of electric stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar together for about 2 minutes. Then scrape down the bowl and add the eggs one at a time. After adding all the eggs, scrape down bowl and add the buttermilk, vanilla, lime zest and dry ingredients. Mix on low until well incorporated. Scrape down the bowl again and hike up from low speed to medium speed for about 20 seconds, and then scrape down the bowl for the last time.

Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full with batter. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until middle comes out clean when tested with a toothpick.  Cool the cupcakes completely.

For the custard: Whisk the eggs, sugar and key lime juice in a steel bowl and set aside while you prepare a double boiler.

Put a small pot half full with water on the stove over medium to high heat. Place the steel bowl with the whisked eggs on top of the pot and mix with a spatula until your mixture has become creamy like sour cream, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the mixture and strain, getting rid of excess egg particles. Grab a second steel bowl and dump your egg mixture inside, adding your zest and cold butter. Mix until well incorporated and place in the fridge until it slightly thickens, 10 to 15 minutes (or until desired consistency is achieved).

For the frosting: Sift the powdered sugar and set aside in a bowl.

In the bowl of electric stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the shortening on low speed. Scrape down the bowl and add the sifted powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Slowly add the key lime juice, vanilla, milk and zest until well incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and mix on low speed. Then hike up to medium to high speed for about 2 minutes until creamy and fluffy. Add more milk if needed until desired consistency.


Hollow out the middle of the cooled cupcakes with an apple corer or melon ball scooper and set aside. Fill the cupcakes with the curd. Put the frosting into a pastry bag and cut 1/2-inch off the tip. Swirl on the frosting, and then top each cupcake with a slice of lime.