Key lime cupcakes are the perfect blend of both sweet and sour flavors. The cupcakes are moist, easy to make and bursting with flavor! Topped with these adorable free printable rainbow cupcake toppers they are the perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick’s’ Day.
FACT – I’ve never met a cupcake I didn’t like. Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes, Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes, Lemon Cupcakes, etc. It’s hard to pick a favorite because they are all so different and SO good! These lime cupcakes are a new flavor I recently added to my cupcake repertoire. They are simple to make and the lime flavor is perfection!
Easy Key Lime Cupcakes
Last year a friend of mine brought a delicious Lime Cake to a church gathering and I about died and went to heaven! It was fluffy, delicious, moist, and somehow strangely refreshing! The frosting on top was also AMAZING, and so I did what any friend would do in this instance and I BEGGED her for the recipe. Lucky for me, my friend likes to share, and so the very next day she sent me her recipe.
I was excited to make these for my family party that same weekend, but I wanted to make them into cupcakes since they are more convenient when it comes to feeding a crowd. I looked at the ingredient list for this recipe and I made a shopping list of all the things I would have to buy at the grocery store. The list was quite extensive, so even though I knew she had achieved cake perfection with this recipe, the wheels in my head started turning on how I could replicate this recipe but make it even easier.
So I did just that.
And you guys.
This lime cupcake recipe is amazing!
What’s The Difference Between Key Limes and Regular Limes
Key limes (which are also called West Indian or Mexican limes) get their name because they were previously only grown domestically in the Florida Keys. Now regular limes (also called Tahitian or Persian limes) are predominately grown in the U.S. Key limes have a slightly yellow color while regular limes are green in color. Key limes also smaller, have more seeds and have a more tart flavor than traditional limes.
How to Make Key Lime Cupcakes
One of the things I love most about this recipe is that it doesn’t call for any strange ingredients, and you might have everything at home right now!
- Make your cake mix according to the box EXCEPT substitute half of the required water with lime juice. For example, if the box require one cup of water, use 1/2 of water and 1/2 cup lime juice. You’ll also add in the one box of lime jello to the cake mix.
- Spray your cupcake pan with cooking spray or use colorful cupcake liners
- Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full with batter
- Cook according to the time and temperature on the cake box
- Frost the cupcakes once the cupcakes have completely cooled
Tips for Making Key Lime Cupcakes
- Whenever I make cupcakes, I always use my large scoop to put the batter into the cupcake liners. Not only is this a more mess-free option, it also ensures your cupcakes come out the same size.
- When I pull my cupcakes out of the oven, I leave them in the cupcake pans for an additional 5 minutes so they completely finish baking. Then, I let them cool completely on a cooking rack before I frost them.
Can Your Freeze Lime Cupcakes
- You can store an unfrosted lime cupcakes in an airtight container and they should stay fresh on the counter at room temperature for about a week. I typically use a large Ziploc storage bag because they’re easy for my kids to open and close.
- If you don’t plan on eating the cupcakes cake within a week, then you’ll want to store them in the freezer. Make sure you use a Ziploc freezer bag and then write the date on the outside of the bag so you can remember when you put them in the freezer. You can keep the cupcakes frozen for about 2 months.
More Recipes That Use Lime
- Key Lime Cake
- Key Lime Pie Sundae
- Honey Lime Fruit Salad
- Honey Lime Chicken Tostadas
- Chili Lime Sauce Recipe
St. Patrick’s Day Cupcake Topper
With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner, I thought today would be the perfect time to share this one with you, and as a little added bonus, I’ve included a free printable topper at the end of this blog post that you can print from home and use to make your lime cupcakes a bit more festive. (You’re welcome.) 😉
Shamrocks, gold coins, rainbows, and leprechauns are the classic ways to celebrate March 17th. Add these rainbow cupcake toppers to your lime cupcakes to make them even more fun and festive!
Simply download the file to your computer and print them onto regular paper or card stock. Cut out the rainbows and stick them directly into your frosting.
Easy Key Lime Cupcakes Recipe
We like to use our favorite Cream Cheese Frosting to top these yummy lime cupcakes, but if you’re looking for an even easier method, store-bought frosting works perfectly fine! Leave us a comment below or tag us on social media and show us how you celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with this yummy dessert.
Lime Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 box lemon cake mix
- 1 box lime jello, 3 oz size
- oil amount according to cake mix directions
- eggs amount according to cake mix directions
- water half of the amount in cake mix directions
- lime juice to replace the other half of water amount in cake mix directions
- Cream cheese frosting, homemade or store bought
Instructions
- Mix the lemon cake mix according to package directions, EXCEPT substitute half of the water with lime juice, (i.e. if you need 1 1/2 cups of water, use 3/4 cup water and 3/4 cup lime juice) and add the box of lime jello.
- Prepare your cupcake pan with cooking spray or cupcake liners.
- Fill each cupcake liner with batter, about ⅔ full.
- Cook according to package directions.
- Once the cake has cooled, frost and enjoy!
Nutrition
Other Notes
Let me know when your lime cupcakes are ready and I’ll be over as soon as my kids go to bed. 😉
This looks delicious! Would you be willing to share your friend’s original recipe for the key lime cake? Thanks!
Unfortunately, I didn’t end of saving her recipe because I found a lime cake recipe that was so much easier to make and was equally as good. Just search “lime cake” on the site and it’ll come right up.
My kids are super excited to make these, thank you so much for the recipe!
You’re welcome, let me know how they like them!
So fun! These cupcakes make you smile! And they look so delicious too!
Thanks Becky!
these are the perfect little cupcakes for st patricks day!!
I’m going to make these!
Love key lime flavor. It’s so refreshing. I love the rainbow toppers! It’s so bright & fun!
Thanks!
These are adorable. Classy and festive.
These are perfect for St. Patty’s Day!! So cute! The cupcakes look delicious too-yum!!
Such a cute idea!