Key Lime Cupcakes
These Key Lime Cupcakes are the perfect tart and tangy combo. I love this Summer cupcake!
**This post was originally published on March 31, 2013. I have updated the photos and tweaked the recipe slightly. These are some of my absolute favorite cupcakes I’ve ever made!!
I finally decided that I was ready to try to lose the last of my pregnancy weight.
I’ve been using one of those calorie counting apps on my phone, and it’s basically the dumbest thing ever.
EVER!!!
That dumb app makes me question every tiny thing I could possibly eat.
Did you KNOW how many calories is in stuff? A LOT, that’s what. PLUS, it’s a lot of math, so I spend my day doing math and NOT eating.
FAIL.
The other day, Jon David was all, “Mom, these Nilla Wafers are stale,” and I was like, “they’re not stale, son…they’re Reduced Fat.”
Then he looked at them with pure contempt and replied, “Well…I feel sorry for YOU”.
Exactly.
I made these cupcakes the other day, so of course I had to eat one for quality control and all that.
OMG — stinking delicious. I am not even kidding, it’s all I thought about for hours. Finally, I ended up in the kitchen, harfing another cupcake down my face over the sink. Then I hated myself a little, but it was so good, I really didn’t hate myself THAT much.
I wish you could write blog calories off like you can ingredients for taxes.
I don’t know if you’re on a diet or whatever, but if you are, you need to make the darn cupcakes anyways. They are so perfectly tangy and limey with a graham cracker base and creamy cream cheese frosting with a hint of lime added. Seriously perfect.
Ingredients
- 1 box (18.25 oz) classic white cake mix
- 1 small box (3 oz) Lime Jell-O
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup limeade concentrate, thawed
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- Frosting:
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, slightly softened
- 8 oz block cream cheese, slightly softened
- 3 TBS freshly squeezed Key Lime juice
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Key Lime zest
- Graham cracker crumbs and lime slices for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Line 24 muffin tins with liners and set aside.
- Sprinkle a spoonful of graham cracker crumbs in the bottom of each liner. In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, Jell-O, eggs, vegetable oil, and limeade concentrate. Beat on low for 30 seconds. Scrape sides of bowl, increase speed to medium high, and beat for two minutes. Fill tins 2/3 full. Bake for about 15 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire racks.
- Prepare frosting: In the bowl of a mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, and Key Lime juice on medium low speed until combined. With the mixer set on LOW, slowly add powdered sugar and Key Lime zest. Beat until just combined. Increase speed to high and beat for one minute. Frost cupcakes, then garnish with additional graham cracker crumbs and lime slices.
These are so great for any cookout or Spring get together. Enjoy and have a happy Monday!!
These look amazing!! I might have to make them soon, verrry soon. Although I am also trying to loose weight lol. And I use myfitnesspal and it is rediculous to have to type in everything that you eat. They fail for me because ain’t nobody got time for that. The only upside is that I am so lazy to type it in that I just say screw it and just don’t eat it lol (even though sometimes it could be healthy!). I really love your blog :)
*lose weight lol
this is too crazy! I just got back from Key West on Friday and have been craving more key lime pie-flavored things since!!
These are way too cute! I love those cupcake wrappers, and the way it looks with the dark green one on the inside and the light green polka dot one on the outside!
Ohhh! These sound fantastic. I’ve always wondered about lime cupcakes. Your recipe makes total sense to me. Plus if it comes recommended from you it must be THAT good!
I have so much laundry to do today, but I’m thinking about ignoring it to make these delicious looking cupcakes! Thanks for sharing!
I’m such a sucker for anything key lime. I want these!
I have a majorly love/hate relationship with my calorie counting app. Love that it makes me think about what I’m eating. HATE that it makes me think about what I’m eating. I just eat a cupcake, count the calories, and then walk the dog till I break even. Rinse. Repeat.
Mmmm, I bet that lime concentrate really makes these pop!
Are you still nursing? My baby weight stuck around till I quit nursing. As soon as I quit, it was like magic, and i lost most of it about two weeks after I quit!
Ha! That’s what everyone told me, too. I only gained 16 pounds when pregnant. Since I was nursing, I figured I could eat anything, everything and get away with it. No such luck. I gained 18 pounds in 8 months — more than I’d gained in 40 weeks of being pregnant — and it took me THREE years to lose it. Oy.
Beautiful cupcakes!!! Love key lime!!
Eating right is over rated. Eating these cupcakes is so much better! Ill take them all :D
If I can give you any piece of advise with the calorie counting and writing it down (or plugging it in in your case), is keep it at a two week MAX rule. Learn your habits after the first few days (go through and actually look at what you typed in for a three day span, and find any patterns or habits that you did well with or need to change). And after the two weeks is up, take what you’ve learned and keep making good choices without the apps. Just be mindful of the habits you learned! And if a couple months down the road, things head in the wrong direction, write it down for another 3 days just to see if you’re doing anything mindlessly that can be easily changed.
Hope that helps. Because its easy to get carried away, and make your life one giant no-fun math problem just to make everything fit in just right (I’m speaking from personal experience).
PS eat another cupcake. These look amazing!!
baaahaaahahaa Jon David cracks me up
This looks fabulous! Awesome idea!
Riesling grapes make wines of their wines. Serving an incredible dessert wine can make one’s trip more memorable. When I jokingly asked Mr. Brown, tongue in cheek, about the challenges of the economy.
Least from my little knowledge, I’d like to call white “zin”, the kool-aid of wine.
hotels recently posted..hotels
Love these! They look so delicious and summery!
Yeah, I don’t do those calorie counting things either. Too much work and too depressing! I love these, girl!
Calorie counting is SO hard!!! And I feel it isn’t really accurate cause not everything in the app has the ingredients or whatever I consume. I tried doing it a few times, lost like 6 pounds but then gained it right back after I stopped counting. I just need to learn portion control ;) it’s hard though when you put these key lime cupcakes in front of me. Key lime is one of my all time FAVORITE flavors ever. These look mouth-watering good!!
I don’t why but this post cracked me up!I tried counter calories once and went “over” before 3 pm. Aye-ye-ye. I would definitely break any diet for one of these gorgeous cupcakes!
Um yeah. That story you just told? EVERY SINGLE DAY OF MY LIFE! And the app? Like a naggy little voice telling all my friends that I did not meet my calorie goals for that day.
I tried one of those apps on my computer, totally hated it in five seconds. The cupcakes though, I love those!
Key Lime Pie is one of my most favorite things in the world! This look absolutely phenomenal.
And I totally agree with your son about the ‘stale’ ‘Nilla Wafers ;)
It’s so funny.. I think I’ve had key lime pie (or anything for that matter) once or twice in my life. I really need to get my hands on some to try my hand at this gorgeous cupcake.
Counting off blogging calories like ingredients for taxes would be awesome! But maybe you will come over to the dark side (the low carb side) where you don’t have to eat fat free and you don’t go hungry! :) Beautiful cupcakes, though!
Made these last night!!! Oh my gosh, they are awesome!! Thank you so much!!
Beautiful Key Lime Cupcakes, Kristan! Saw them over at Pinterest and just had to stop by and let you know how pretty they are. LOVE Key Lime anything! Hey, I’m an 80/20 girl…stay strict with carb counts and glycemic index (sugars, because I must as once being diagnosed a pre-diabetic) and allow myself a splurge now and then without hating myself. (Margarita? Yes, please!) This really does work for me. So, don’t get ticked off at yourself and just eat the diet that best suits you and your health. I’m all about freedom and despise when people dictate diets to others. Love your blog! xo
these look FANTASTIC!
omg, writing off blog calories like ingredients,.. my life would be perfect.
Love key lime anything, you know that. these look amazing.
I’m assuming you’re probably talking about MyFitnessPal and I hear you… I have it too. lol I lost 80 pounds years ago (I’ve put most of it back on since… BOO!) and it was because of calorie counting and not letting myself go above a set amount of low calories per day. It was super duper difficult, but I felt great when I had lost the weight. That being said once I started letting myself eat again it all came back on, so I’m trying to learn how to eat better instead of cutting all of my calories out of the day. Your blog doesn’t help… haha I love your stuff though, so I keep coming back. Something that helps me understand my portioning better is caloriecount.com. You can put all of your information in (all of the ingredients) and it will give you every single nutritional bit of info you need, plus all of the goods and bads to the recipe (so you know where to try to tweak it to make it healthier). Maybe it’ll help you out too!
Yes! Blog calories are part of the job, we should certainly be able to write them off.
Oh man, I hate knowing how many calories are in things. It ruins everything. Here, I’ll eat the cupcakes for you
These flavors just scream warmer weather to me. Which I need! I want a one of these little cupcakes to brighten my day.
“I wish you could write blog calories off like you can ingredients for taxes.”
Genius.
delicious! the frosting is my favorite part, so creamy and such a great surprise of lime flavor! thanks for the great post!
First Shelly’s truffles and now your cupcakes! I see key lime on the horizon:)
Hi, just getting ready to make these and just noticed 1 1/3 cups of oil? Is that right? Sounds really high for cupcakes. I know you probably won’t get back with me in time so I’m going to go for it!
Yes, it is the right amount!!!
Ah! I can’t get myself to put that much oil in! Waiting to hear from you!!
I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard reading a post! This cracked me up. Especially the part where you stood over the sink scarfing down another cupcake. That’s so me!
OMG, As soon as I found this recipe, I made them. The batter tasted like a dream and the cake part tasted great, but mine sunk in the middle… any ideas why? I only filled cups just under 2/3rds full My classic cake mix called for 3 eggs and less oil and water. I will try this again but add the jello and limeade to the cake according to box directions… but if anyone thinks it could be something else, let me know.
Mine sunk in the middle too… Haven’t tasted them yet, but the batter was delish????
I’m curious why too!
Hi, I think now I have a strong hold over the topic after going through the post. The subject that you have discussed in the post is really amazing; I will surely come back for more information.
These really are the perfect summer cupcake! Love!!
OH these sound heavenly!! YUMMMY!!
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Gorgeous little cupcake! I love the pictures!
Even on a diet, you have to treat yourself :) . These cupcakes look yummy!
I love Key Lime so these are definitely going on the list of cupcakes to try.
I loved your post :D Being on a diet is the saddest thing one can do… Everything has calories, but it’s all about quality and quantity of food, and type of fats and…. Just eat as organic products as possible and enjoy every bit :)