A Refreshing Summer Treat: Key Lime Cupcakes

Today I made my 275th recipe from Pinterest- guacamole!  My goal has been to make 300 different recipes from Pinterest by the time school starts.  Teachers first official day back is August 14 (although I return August 4).  I've got 5 weeks to make 25 recipes.  5 a week....I've got this!  

This evening I also made recipe 276 and 277.  I was asked to bake cupcakes for a combo birthday and graduation party for family.  Looking at my Pinterest recipes I narrowed down summer flavors and Key Lime Cupcakes won.  For the cupcake part I used Sweet Peas and Saffron's Key Lime Cupcakes found here.  I was planning on using their white chocolate frosting.  After reading the blog, I knew the cake wouldn't have an overwhelming flavor, BUT after smelling the batter (and of course, sampling the batter) I thought it had a really nice lime flavor.  

While the cupcakes were cooling, I did some more sampling.  The lime flavor was very faint.  I was thinking about adding some lime to the white chocolate frosting.  Then I was thinking that didn't sound too good.  I looked around for something lime frosting and decided that with this cupcake a lime buttercream would be the best.  I ended with an adapted recipe from Southern Living found at myrecipes.

Other important things to note, the original post says it made 18 cupcakes.  I doubled the recipe.  18+18=36, the last time I checked. Here's what I ended up with:

And yes, that's 48 cupcakes and an 8" square cake.

Here's my adapted recipe for the Lime Buttercream:

My only complaint about the cupcakes is that the frosting was too thin to pipe.  

• 1 C. of softened butter
• 2 tsp. of vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. of salt
• 5 C. of powdered sugar
• juice from 2 limes

I always whip the butter and then beat in the sugar.  Then I mix in the other ingredients. I always mix it for a long time. Long as in I leave the kitchen and go do something else.  It makes sure all of the flavors are well mixed and the icing is lighter.  This recipe was sweet, but the left a faint tart taste.  The frosting paired well with the cupcakes and were a HUGE hit at the party today.

Now to figure out what recipe 278 will be...