Lemon and Lime Cupcakes with a Fresh Lemon Frosting
These super cute lemon and lime cupcakes have been beautifully finished off with a tangy fresh lemon buttercream frosting.
Again, the sunny, warmer weather is responsible for my baking choices, and has inspired these lemon and lime cupcakes.
Can you believe that this was only my second ever time piping frosting on cakes? My goodness, I was impressed with myself. I have to say that I don’t think I will pipe my frosting on cupcakes ever again. I much prefer just to slather it all over, like with my over the top, overload chocolate cupcakes, and considering that they have been shared over 24,000 times on Pinterest, I think other people like things done easy, too.
The benefits of using citrus fruit in cakes
I absolutely love using citrus fruit in my cakes and bread. I have made pineapple cakes and used lime to make sweet lime bread, lime and white chocolate dessert, and a lime and elderflower drizzle cake. Once, I even made a grapefruit cake. Citrus fruit offers such an amazing tang that complements the sweetness of cakes so beautifully, but adding lemon to cakes is nothing new. Although it’s hard to pinpoint when bakers first realised the magnificence of lemon in cakes, it seems that lemon has been matched with baked goods since as far back as 1700s.
Chemistry is at play when adding lemon and lime to cakes, as the citrus juice reacts with the baking powder (or soda) and helps activate a rise. Be careful, though, as too much juice can produce a less desired effect, resulting in a denser cake.
For these cupcakes, I decided to make the sponges lime and the frosting lemon. What a combo! They have a rather delicate pound cake-like sponge and a rich lemon buttercream frosting, leading to a total citrus explosion on the taste-buds.
The measurements are enough to make, and frost, eight cupcakes. I was a little generous with my frosting, and only managed to decorate six; however, if you went a little easier, you would easily have adequate for all eight.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Can you use spelt flour to make these cupcakes?
Yes, you can. As my blog is primarily about spelt flour, I use it for all of my cupcake and cake recipes. Well, all of my recipes, actually. Spelt flour works amazingly well in cakes. You do not need to amend the measurements, either, as it is literally a straight swap with regular flour. You could even make these with a gluten free flour blend.
- How long can you store the cupcakes?
They will last a couple of days in an airtight container. I often find that cakes with lemon actually stay fresher longer. This is because lemon acts as a natural preserve.
Lemon and Lime Cupcakes with a Fresh Lemon Frosting
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 75g (⅓ cup) butter (softened)
- 75g (⅓ cup) sugar
- 1 egg
- 95g (¾ cup) spelt flour (see note 1)
- 1½ tbs fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tbs milk
Frosting:
- 56g (¼ cup) butter (softened)
- 1 tbs fresh lemon juice
- icing / confectioners’ / powdered sugar
- sprinkles or decoration (optional)
Instructions
Cakes:
- Pre-heat the oven to 160°C (320°F).
- Cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg.
- Sift the flour and baking powder, and fold into the batter. Add the lime juice, followed by the milk, stirring until well combined.
- Fill eight cupcake cases about half way.
- Place in the lower part of the oven, and bake for around 15-17 minutes. They areready when an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- Leave on a wire rack to cool.
Frosting:
- Beat the butter until soft and smooth.
- Sift the icing sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy.
- Add the lemon juice and combine well.
- Add as much icing / confectioners’ / powdered sugar as needed. Start off with 140g (1½ cups), and gradually add more until a thick piping consistency has been achieved.
- Prepare a piping bag and frost the cakes to your requirements. Or, alternatively, just spread the icing over the tops. Decorate with sprinkles if you fancy it. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can substitute the regular flour for spelt flour, without altering the measurements.