These Key Lime Cupcakes are made with a creamy key lime buttercream frosting and garnished with graham crackers and key lime zest.

Key Lime Cupcakes

These cupcakes have key lime zest and key lime juice. If you don’t have key limes available you can just use limes. The only huge difference between the two is that the key limes are smaller and seedier than limes. The taste is very similar.

To make the zest, use a grater to remove the peel from the limes. Be careful to only grate the green and leave the white peel. The white peel will result in a more bitter taste!

RELATED: Lemon Vanilla Cupcakes

Key Lime Buttercream Frosting

I absolutely love using my recipe for buttercream frosting when creating new flavors of frosting! It's my go to because it is not only simple but it's a no-fail frosting! In this recipe, the only liquid is the key lime juice and I have found that it makes the frosting just right for piping.

*Tip - If you want a creamier frosting, add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time to the frosting after beating all of the ingredients together.

Key lime cupcakes in a green wrapper with key lime buttercream frosting garnished with graham cracker crumbs and lime zest.

Frosting the Cupcakes

When making piped cupcakes, you will need a couple of items to succeed - A piping bag and tip. I used a Wilton 1M piping tip for these cupcakes – it’s my go-to piping tip when making cupcakes! As stated above, you can add a tablespoon of milk at a time to make a creamier frosting if you want, but the trick to piping frosting is having the buttercream to be a little more on the stiffer side.

Top view of cupcakes in green wrapper topped with white buttercream and garnished with graham cracker crumbs and lime zest.

📖 Recipe

Yield: 22 cupcakes

Key Lime Cupcakes (Key Lime Buttercream Frosting)

Name: Key Lime Cupcakes (Key Lime Buttercream Frosting)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 22
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 ⅔ cup granulated sugar; ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened; 3 eggs; 1 cup milk; 2 teaspoon vanilla; ¼ cup key lime juice*; 2 teaspoon key lime zest*; 2 ¾ cups flour, spooned and leveled; 1 tablespoon baking powder; ¾ teaspoon salt; 6 cups powdered sugar; 1 cup unsalted butter, softened; 2 tablespoon key lime zest*; 2 tablespoon key lime juice*

These Key Lime Cupcakes are made with a creamy key lime buttercream frosting and garnished with graham crackers and key lime zest.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

1 ⅔ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs
1 cup milk
2 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup key lime juice*
2 teaspoon key lime zest*
2 ¾ cups flour, spooned and leveled
1 tablespoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt

Key Lime Buttercream Frosting

6 cups powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoon key lime zest*
2 tablespoon key lime juice*

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°
Line muffin tins with cupcake liners or grease muffin tins and set aside.
In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
Beat in 1 egg at a time.
Add in the vanilla, lime zest, and lime juice.
Add in half of the milk and half of the flour mixture.
Repeat and beat until just combined (don't over mix!)
Fill the cupcake liners a little over half-way full and bake for about 15 minutes. Check with a toothpick in the center of a cupcake. It it comes out clean, they're done!
Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Key Lime Buttercream Frosting

In a large bowl, beat the unsalted butter until creamy.
Add the lime zest and the lime juice and add the powdered sugar a little at a time.
Beat until creamy and desired consistency. You can add a tablespoon of milk if you want it creamier.
Pipe cupcakes and enjoy!

Notes

*You can substitute limes for key limes in this recipe.

Key Lime Cupcakes (Key Lime Buttercream Frosting)