Key Lime Cupcakes

 OK.....so I'm kinda passionate about food. When I find something that I really like I then have to learn how to make it. A while ago, I had a Key Lime Cupcake in Cherry Creek at Big Fat Cupcake, and I fell in love with it and I've been trying to make a decent one ever since. This is not their recipe but a pretty close version of it. I have to warn you, I'm one of those "semi-homemade" gals, so "sorry" to you purists out there that have to do everything from scratch. This does involve a box for the cake part...but it does add other ingredients to it so it really doesn't taste like it's from a box. They're slightly labor intensive, with the cake, filling, frosting and crumbs on top, but SO worth it. Let me know if you make them and how they turn out!

Ultimate Key Lime Cupcakes

Cupcakes

1          box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® lemon cake mix

1          box (4-serving size) lime-flavored gelatin

3/4          cup water

1/3          cup key lime juice

1/3          cup vegetable oil

3      eggs

Key Lime Pudding Filling

1     tablespoon grated lime zest

1     cup key lime juice

1     (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1     (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

Frosting

2          package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1         stick butter , softened

2          teaspoon vanilla

2      cups powdered sugar

2      tablespoons key lime juice

Crust Topping

8      Honey Graham Crackers

2      tablespoons brown sugar

1/4   cup melted butter

1^st Make The Cupcakes:

Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups (or paper liners in 12 Large muffin cups. If you make in large muffin cups I would double the cupcake part but not everything else) In large bowl, beat cake mix and gelatin with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Add remaining cupcake ingredients. Beat with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds; beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl as necessary. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each just over 1/2 full. If you fill them too much they will collapse when baking.

Bake 18 to 23 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling rack. While the cupcakes bake…

2^nd Make The Pudding Filling:

In a large bowl, mix together lime zest, lime juice, and condensed milk. Whisk in pudding mix and allow to set up 5 minutes in the fridge. Then…

3^rd Make The Frosting:

In large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. On low speed, beat in vanilla and 2 cups powdered sugar until mixed; beat on medium speed until fluffy and set aside. Then…

4^th Make The Crust Topping:

In a medium sized bowl, combine graham crackers, brown sugar, and melted butter in a food processor until well combined. If you don’t have a food processor, just crush the graham crackers and mix the melted butter and sugar together with a fork and set aside. (note: this makes a lot more than you need) Then…

5^th Fill The Cupcakes With Filling:

Cut a small cone shaped piece of cake out of each cupcake. Fill the cavity with the key lime pudding filling mixture. Cut the body of the cone off leaving just the cap of the cupcake. Replace it back on top of the cupcake. Then…

6^th Frost The Cupcakes:

Scoop the frosting into a large ziplock bag and cut the tip off one corner of the bag. Frost the cupcakes by swirling the frosting back and forth over the entire top of the cupcake. (There should be a lot of frosting) Place them in the fridge for at least 10 minutes to let the frosting harden slightly. Then…

7^th Top It With Crust

Take each cupcake and roll the frosted edges around in the bowl of crust mixture. Just the edges should be coated.

Store the cupcakes covered in the refrigerator.