Light, fluffy, and packed with key lime flavor, these key lime cupcakes are one of my summertime favorites! They’re crowned with a tangy key lime buttercream and have a delicious vanilla pudding filling– so good! Plus, they’re super quick and easy to make in under an hour. It’s not summer at my house until I’ve made a batch of these key lime pie cupcakes.
Sweet, tangy, and zesty, my key lime cupcakes have all the flavors and textures of a key lime pie! I made them super simple with white cake mix, instant vanilla pudding mix, and a simple homemade lime buttercream frosting. These key lime pie cupcakes are pure sunshine!
Ingredients?
- White Cake Mix: Makes these cupcakes super simple to put together.
- Key Limes: I used the juice and zest of key limes in the cupcakes and frosting, and I topped my cupcakes with real key lime slices to really bring the flavor! If you don’t have access to key limes, regular Persian limes work well, or you can buy bottled key lime juice!
- Vegetable Oil: Keeps the cupcakes moist and tender.
- Eggs: Binds the cupcakes to give them structure.
- Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix: Makes the filling super rich and flavorful. Other flavors that work well are cheesecake and white chocolate instant pudding.
- Milk: Hydrates the pudding mix to create a velvety pudding.
- Butter: Unsalted butter forms the creamy base of the buttercream frosting.
- Shortening: Vegetable shortening helps make the frosting fluffy and stable. If you don’t have any shortening on hand, you can replace it with an equal amount of unsalted butter.
- Powdered Sugar: Sweetens the frosting and gives it structure.
- Vanilla Wafers: A few of these crushed cookies add a delightful sandy texture to the finished cupcakes that mimics pie crust. Graham crackers also work well.
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How to Store
Store leftover key lime cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Tips for Success
- Take the garnish to the next level by candying the limes. To candy lime slices, bring 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Simmer the limes for 15-20 minutes, then let dry completely on a cooling rack, about 1 hour.
- Hosting a backyard BBQ for a crowd? Double all ingredients to make a batch of 24 cupcakes.
Key Lime Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 13.25 ounces white cake mix (1 box)
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup key lime juice (from 2-3 limes)
- 4 teaspoons key lime zest (from 2 limes)
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
For the Filling
- 3.4 ounces instant vanilla pudding mix (1 box)
- 2 cups milk
For the Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature (2 sticks)
- ¼ cup vegetable shortening
- 4½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons key lime juice (from 1 lime)
- 2 teaspoons key lime zest (from 1 lime)
For the Topping
- ¼ cup crushed vanilla wafers
- 12 key lime slices (from 1 lime)
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Cupcake Tin
- Stand Mixer
- Piping Tip Set
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake tin with liners and set aside.
- Mix the cake mix, water, lime juice, lime zest, vegetable oil, and eggs together in a large bowl.13.25 ounces white cake mix, ¾ cup water, ¼ cup key lime juice, 4 teaspoons key lime zest, ⅓ cup vegetable oil, 3 large eggs
- Fill the cupcake liners ¾ full of batter.
- Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Once baked, remove from the oven and place onto a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
- Make the vanilla pudding according to the box directions. Once the pudding has set, spoon into a piping bag and cut the tip off to make a roughly a dime-sized opening. Set aside.3.4 ounces instant vanilla pudding mix, 2 cups milk
- To make the buttercream, place all of the ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed for 4-5 minutes or until a creamy buttercream has formed. Fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip ¾ full with frosting and set aside.1 cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup vegetable shortening, 4½ cups powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons key lime juice, 2 teaspoons key lime zest
- Once the cupcakes have cooled, use a piping tip to hollow out the center of each cupcake. Press the large end of the piping tip down into the cupcake until the small end sits almost flush with the top of the cupcake. Wiggle the piping tip around and remove it from the cupcake. Run a toothpick around the inside of the piping tip to remove the cupcake piece and place into a bowl to use later.
- Once all of the cupcakes are hollowed out, pipe the vanilla pudding into the holes in the cupcakes. Replace the piece of cupcake that was removed and press down to keep the pudding in place.
- Pipe the buttercream onto the top of the cupcakes into the shape that you desire. Either roll the cupcake in the crushed vanilla wafers or, using your hands, scoop crushed vanilla wafers and press into the sides of the buttercream on the cupcake. Top each cupcake with a lime slice.¼ cup crushed vanilla wafers, 12 key lime slices
Notes
How to Make Key Lime Cupcakes Step-by-Step
Mix the Batter: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake tin with liners and set aside. Mix 13.25 ounces (1 box) of white cake mix, ¾ cup of water, ¼ cup of key lime juice, 4 teaspoons of key lime zest, ⅓ cup of vegetable oil, and 3 large eggs together in a large bowl.
Portion the Cupcakes: Fill the cupcake liners ¾ full of batter.
Bake the Cupcakes: Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Once baked, remove from the oven and place onto a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
Mix the Filling: Make the vanilla pudding according to the box directions using 3.4 ounces (1 box) of vanilla pudding and 2 cups of milk. Once the pudding has set, spoon it into a piping bag and cut the tip off to make a roughly dime-sized opening. Set aside.
Beat the Buttercream: Place 1 cup of unsalted butter, ¼ cup of vegetable shortening, 4½ cups of powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons of key lime juice, and 2 teaspoons of key lime zest into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed for 4-5 minutes or until a creamy buttercream has formed. Fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip ¾ full with frosting and set aside.
Hollow the Cupcakes: Once the cupcakes have cooled, use a piping tip to hollow out the center of each cupcake. Press the large end of the piping tip down into the cupcake until the small end sits almost flush with the top of the cupcake. Wiggle the piping tip around and remove it from the cupcake. Run a toothpick around the inside of the piping tip to remove the cupcake piece and place it into a bowl to use later.
Fill the Cupcakes: Once all of the cupcakes are hollowed out, pipe the vanilla pudding into the holes in the cupcakes. Replace the piece of cupcake that was removed and press down to keep the pudding in place.
Frost the Cupcakes: Pipe the buttercream onto the top of the cupcakes into the shape that you desire. Either roll the cupcake in ¼ cup of crushed vanilla wafers or, using your hands, scoop crushed vanilla wafers and press into the sides of the buttercream on the cupcake. Top each cupcake with a key lime slice.
Did you know that key limes are yellow and not green? These are lime cupcakes not key lime cupcakes.
You don’t have to be from the Keys to know the difference.
Hi Erin,
That’s so interesting! This recipe can easily be adapted for both key limes and Persian limes, though! Happy baking!