We’ve been pretty lucky weather-wise in Philadelphia recently, but are back to it feeling like actual winter. Blah.
I’ve been dreaming of warmer weather (and warmer weather recipes)! I must not be the only one, because the Florida Keys & Key West are hosting an awesome event tomorrow night to help the Philadelphia area dream of the sun and sand.
Tomorrow, 24 of Philadelphia’s top food writers and influencers are getting behind the stove to face off “Iron Chef style” at Walnut Hill College. The influencer who creates the best Keys-inspired dishes within the time limit will win a trip to the Florida Keys and be named an honorary Keys Chef. Guest judges from the Keys will include Chef Bobby Stoky and Philadelphia’s favorite son Pat Croce. The sold out event includes an evening of food, cocktails, fun and friendly competition.
How awesome would it be to win a trip to the Keys? The Florida Keys are a string of tropical islands off the southern tip of Florida and are known for their awesome fishing, snorkeling and scuba diving. In fact, the Keys have the only living coral barrier reef in the U.S., not to mention awesome food and drink. The most well known dish from the Florida Keys is Key Lime Pie.
I was bummed that I wouldn’t be able to attend, but still wanted to get in on the fun, so I decided to make a spin on Key Lime Pie — Key Lime Pie Cupcakes!
Key Limes are smaller than “normal” limes and are a bit more tart. These little guys don’t give off a lot of juice though, so it takes quite a bit to make this recipe. Key Lime Pie is made with key lime juice, egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk to make a smooth, tangy pie filling with a graham cracker crust.
Ingredients:
Crust:
- 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Cupcakes:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk (or regular milk)
- 1/4 cup key lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon key lime zest
Key Lime Curd:
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup key lime juice
- 1/4 tsp grated key lime zest
- 1/8 tsp salt
Frosting:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- key lime curd
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
Zest and juice all of your key limes. You’ll need probably about 3 pounds of key limes to make enough juice. You can substitute in normal limes, but the flavor will be different. Be sure to save some extra zest to be used for topping the cupcakes.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a small bowl until combined.
Press 1-2 teaspoons into each cupcake tin, reserving about 1 tablespoon of the mixture for garnish.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In a separate bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy.
Gradually add the sugar, mixing until fully combined. Add in the eggs, followed by the vanilla, beating to combine.
Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Follow with the milk, and then the remaining flour mixture. Mix in the lime juice and zest.
Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tin.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the tin about halfway through. They are done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove and let cool completely on a rack.
While waiting for the cupcakes to bake, add a heavy bottomed saucepan to the stove over medium heat. Whisk in the egg yolks, sugar, lime juice, lime zest, and salt. Whisk constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
Remove the curd from heat and strain through a fine sieve into a medium bowl. Refrigerate until you’re ready to make the frosting. (If leaving in there for a while, cover with plastic wrap.)
To make the frosting, beat together the butter, key lime curd, and vanilla extract until fluffy.
Add in three cups of powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until the frosting is light and fluffy. Add in the condensed milk and beat until smooth. If the frosting is too soft, add a bit more powdered sugar until it reaches your desired consistency.
When the cupcakes are finished cooking, top with the frosting.
Sprinkle with the reserved graham cracker crumbs and key lime zest, if desired.
These cupcakes are a pret-ty good representation of the flavors of key lime pie, if I do say so myself!
The Key Lime flavor shines through the sweetness of the cupcakes and frosting. So yummy!
The little bit of crunch from the graham cracker crust is a nice contrast to the creamy frosting and cupcake.
So even if I can’t get to the Keys right now, I can close my eyes, eat one of these cupcakes, and pretend I’m there! 🙂
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk (or regular milk)
- 1/4 cup key lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon key lime zest
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup key lime juice
- 1/4 tsp grated key lime zest
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- key lime curd
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Zest and juice all of your key limes. You’ll need probably about 3 pounds of key limes to make enough juice. You can substitute in normal limes, but the flavor will be different. Be sure to save some extra zest to be used for topping the cupcakes.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a small bowl until combined.
- Press 1-2 teaspoons into each cupcake tin, reserving about 1 tablespoon of the mixture for garnish.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- In a separate bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy.
- Gradually add the sugar, mixing until fully combined. Add in the eggs, followed by the vanilla, beating to combine.
- Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Follow with the milk, and then the remaining flour mixture. Mix in the lime juice and zest.
- Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tin.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the tin about halfway through. They are done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove and let cool completely on a rack.
- While waiting for the cupcakes to bake, add a heavy bottomed saucepan to the stove over medium heat. Whisk in the egg yolks, sugar, lime juice, lime zest, and salt. Whisk constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
- Remove the curd from heat and strain through a fine sieve into a medium bowl. Refrigerate until you’re ready to make the frosting. (If leaving in there for a while, cover with plastic wrap.)
- To make the frosting, beat together the butter, key lime curd, and vanilla extract until fluffy.
- Add in three cups of powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until the frosting is light and fluffy. Add in the condensed milk and beat until smooth. If the frosting is too soft, add a bit more powdered sugar until it reaches your desired consistency.
- When the cupcakes are finished cooking, top with the frosting.
- Sprinkle with the reserved graham cracker crumbs and key lime zest, if desired.
