Cherry Limeade Cupcakes Recipe

Tart lime cake soaked with lime syrup topped with cherry buttercream and garnished with a lime wedge and cherry make these cupcakes a sweet summer treat!

As soon as I saw the recipe for Cherry Limeade cupcakes on Annie’s Eats I was certain it would make it into the rotation sometime this summer.  I put the call out to my friends that I’d be making them this week and got a couple orders for these little summer goodies.

The recipe from Annie’s Eats was a pretty basic recipe, but I wanted to kick things up a bit and really bring out the lime flavor.  In the original recipe, they noted that most of the lime flavor came from the lime syrup that was drizzed on top, but I really wanted a punch of lime to come through in the cake itself.

I zested two limes and pressed that into the sugar, bringing out the natural oils and flavors creating a lime sugar.  I also added the juice of the two limes into the batter.   I also added a bit more lime juice concentrate than the original recipe called for too. And a few other tricks.

I’m really happy with the intense lime flavor of these cupcakes.  Paired with the sweet cherry frosting, it’s a perfect summer treat! Enjoy!

Cherry Limeade Cupcakes Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours

Ingredients

•     3/4 cup all-purpose flour
•     1/8 tsp baking soda
•     1 tsp baking powder
•     3/4 cup cake flour
•     1 Tbsp lime zest
•     3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
•     1/4 tsp salt
•     1/2 cup unsalted butter , softened
•     1/2 tsp vanilla extract
•     2 large egg whites
•     1 large egg
•     1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
•     1/4 cup + 3 Tbsp buttermilk

Simple Syrup

•     1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
•     1 Tbsp granulted sugar

Frosting and topping

•     3/4 cup butter (I used 1/2 cup unsalted and 1/4 cup salted)
•     3 Tbsp maraschino cherry juice
•     Few drops red food coloring (optional)
•     2 1/2 - 2 3/4 cup powdered sugar
•     12 maraschino cherries , lime slices and sugar crystal sprinkles

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift all-purpose flour and cake flour into a mixing bowl. Add baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk 20 seconds, set aside.
2. In a food processor, pulse together 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp granulated sugar with lime zest until finely ground, about 1 minute. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together butter with lime sugar mixture until pale and fluffy (if you don't have the paddle attachment that constantly scrapes bowl, then occasionally throughout entire mixing process, stop mixer and scrape down sides and bottom of bowl). Mix in egg, then mix in egg whites one at a time, adding in vanilla with second egg white.
3. In the liquid measuring cup used to measure buttermilk, whisk together buttermilk with lime juice. Working in three separate batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture, add 1/3 of the flour mixture alternating with 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture and mixing just until combined after each addition. Divide batter among 12 paper lined muffin cups. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean, about 18 - 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool several minutes in muffin tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly while preparing simple syrup.
4. For the simple syrup:
5. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 Tbsp lime juice with 1 Tbsp granulated sugar until sugar has dissolved. Brush mixture over warm cupcakes (use all of it, I did about 2 light coats over each cupcake). Allow cupcakes to cool completely.
6. For the frosting:
7. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter until pale and fluffy. Mix in 1/4 cup powdered sugar then mix in maraschino cherry juice and optional red food coloring. With mixer set on low speed, slowly add remaining 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar (add an additional 1/4 as needed to reach desired consistency), then increase mixer to medium and whip until light and fluffy. Pipe or spread over cooled cupcakes, top with each with a maraschino cherry and a lime slice and sprinkle edges with sprinkles if desired.

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