Fluffy Lime Cupcakes

It has been HOT around here. Quite so. So much so, that I thought it called for a nice cool, refreshing cupcake. (When CAN'T a cupcake fix a problem really?!) After picking up a bag of limes at the store, I knew just what to do! ;)

Fluffy Lime Cupcakes

Ingredients:
Cupcake Batter
2 ¼ Cups Cake Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 ¼ Cups Buttermilk (at room temp)
4 Large Egg Whites (at room temp)
1½ Cups Sugar
1½ Tablespoons Fresh Lime Zest
½ Cup Unsalted Butter (at room temp)
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
1 Teaspoon Key Lime Extract

Lime Swiss Meringue Buttercream
5 Large Egg Whites
1 Cup plus 2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
1 lb (4 sticks) Unsalted Butter, Softened, Cut into Cubes
2 Tsp Key Lime Extract
Pinch of Salt

Garnish
Lime slices (if desired)

Preheat oven to 350˚ F.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together the milk and egg whites in another bowl. Put the sugar and lime zest in a mixer bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter and with the paddle attachment beat at medium speed with a stand mixer until ingredients are light and fluffy. Beat in the extract and lime juice, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Mix in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs, mixing until the batter is well mixed, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Continue beating the mixture for another few minutes to ensure that the batter is thoroughly mixed and well aerated. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared liners, filling each about ¾ full. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the cupcakes are well risen and springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pans for a few minutes, and then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

While cupcakes are cooling, prepare the swiss meringue. Add egg whites and sugar to standing mixer bowl, and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), whisking constantly, until temperature reaches 160 degrees F, or if you don’t have a candy thermometer, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot. With whisk attachment of mixer, begin to whip until the mixture is thick, glossy, and cool. Switch over to paddle attachment and, while mixing on medium speed continously, add softened butter in chunks until incorporated, and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture (if curdles, keep mixing and it will come back to smooth). Add key lime flavoring and salt, mix well.

Fill a piping bag with a fitted tip. Pipe on the buttercream on top of cooled cupcakes. Garnish with lime slices and enjoy! :)