(adapted from Javacupcakes.com)
Makes 4 dozen cupcakes
Cake
5 1/4 cups flour*
3/4 cup corn starch*
(or use 6 cups of cake flour)
1 tsp salt
2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 limes, zested and juiced
6 eggs
1 cup sour cream
20 oz. lime syrup (recipe below)
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line cupcake pan with liners.
In a medium bowl, prepare the sugar by working the lime zest into sugar by pressing the back of a spatula down into sugar, thus releasing the oils from the zest into the sugar. This process should take about five minutes, and the sugar will become very fragrant. Set aside.
In another large bowl, sift together the flour, corn starch, salt, baking powder and soda. (I did not sift)
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the lime sugar and mix on high until light and fluffy.
Add 10 oz of lime syrup. Mix until combined. Don’t worry if it appears curdled… it’s normal at this point! Add the eggs one at a time and mix until incorporated.
In three parts, add the flour mixture. Between each addition of flour, add parts of sour cream. Mix only until the flour is just combined. DO NOT OVER MIX!
Fill liners 2/3 full, or use an ice cream scoop to distribute one full scoop into each liner.
Bake for 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool in pans for 5-10 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.
Once cool, poke 7-10 holes in each cupcake with a toothpick. Use remaining lime syrup & drizzle a tablespoon of syrup over each cupcake, allowing it to soak into the cake.
Lime Syrup
Zest of 2 limes
Juice of 4 limes
2 cups of sugar
1 cup of water
Mix together in a saucepan on low. Heat only until sugar is dissolved. This part of the recipe is very much to taste- add sugar or lime as need to sweeten or to add tartness. You need 20 oz of the lime syrup total for this recipe (10 oz for the batter, 10 oz for drizzling)
Cherry Buttercream(Double this recipe to have enough to frost 4 dozen lime cupcakes)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
powdered sugar (start with 2 cups then add as you like- depends on how buttery or sweet you want it)
Cherry juice (recipe below)- Start with 2 Tbsp- then add to get desired color or flavor
3-4 tbsp heavy whipping cream
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth.
Add the sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, to the butter. Cream after each addition.
After half the sugar has been added, add the cherry juice and mix until combined. Add remaining sugar
Add enough whipping cream until you get your desired consistency, you may not need all of it, or you might want to add more.
After everything has been combined, mix on high for 30 seconds.
Pipe onto cupcakes and top with a cherry and lime for garnish.
Cherry Juice
The original recipe calls for the juice from marischino cherries which is artificial and contains red food dye. You could substitue with 100% cherry juice or cherry extract (if you're able to find it) or this:
a bag of frozen cherries
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
dash of salt
1 tsp of vanilla
Heat until sugar is dissolved and cherris begin to juice. I mashed it with a potaoe masher to get more juice out. I found this made enough juice for 2 recipes so I have some for next time (and I saved the cherries for another use)
