Cherry Limeade Cupcakes

I never even saw a Sonic in my life until I hung out with my AZ cousins one summer. Sure, I'd seen commercials, but I never went to one.

But, Rachel and Sarah were convinced that Cherry Limeade is the absolutely best drink in the world and you can only get it from Sonic. So of course we made a pit stop there one night.

They were right, Cherry Limeade is pretty good, but I wanted a stronger lime flavor and maybe in more of a desserty combination. Oh, yeah, it's cupcake time!

I love the flecks of neon red chopped maraschino cherries in the cupcakes and frosting. And the lime curd flavored filling really packs a refreshing punch!

Aren't cherries and lime a great summer combination?

Cherry Limeade Cupcakes [click to print]
Makes about 2 dozen


For the cupcakes

• 2 c. flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• zest from 1 lime (about 1-1/2 T.)
• 1/2 c. whole milk
• 1-1/2 tsp. lime juice
• 1/4 c. maraschino cherry juice
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1-1/2 c. sugar 
• 1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 c. maraschino cherries, chopped

For the filling

• 1 c. heavy cream
• 1/2 to 3/4 c. Lime Zested Curd

For the buttercream

• 4 c. vanilla buttercream (French Buttercream is a great choice))
• remaining maraschino juice and cherries, chopped (from 16 oz. jar; about 1/2 c. juice and 1/3 c. chopped cherries)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line cupcake tin or coat generously with nonstick cooking spray; the kind with flour in it would be great for these.

Whisk together flour, powder, salt, soda and zest; set aside. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, cherry juice and vanilla and set aside. 

Cream sugar and butter in mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg whites, one at a time, incorporating well between each addition. Alternately add flour and buttermilk mixture, begging and ending with flour and beating between each addition until just combined. Stir in chopped cherries. 

Scoop batter into prepared cupcake tin, filling each liner about 2/3 full. Bake 15-18 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. When cool enough to handle, transfer cupcakes to wire rack to cool completely.

For the filling, beat cream on medium high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in curd until evenly combined. Scoop filling into pastry bag fitted with large plain decorating tip. To fill cupcakes, poke tip into top of cupcake, about 1/2 inch deep, and squeeze small amount of filling. You'll see the top of the cupcake rise slightly.

For buttercream, whip vanilla buttercream and chopped cherries/juice in mixing bowl until fluffy and cherries are well distributed. Generously frost each cupcake and dig in!

Source: Cupcakes adapted from Gimme Some Oven

Lime Zested Curd

I think I'm about over my fear of the dreaded curd. While I still think curd is kind of a gross word, this stuff is so good! I love how this stuff really enhances and delici-fies the tangy flavor of citrus fruit. 

The first thing you're gonna do, is cream the butter and sugar. Then beat in the eggs. I know it's a little nontraditional as far as curd-making goes, but trust me. This is by the far the easiest way to make sure your little eggies don't cook in nasty clumps when you start heating the mixture. Then you'll add the lime juice...and it's okay if it looks kind of curdled after you beat in the eggs---take a breath and don't worry so much!

Then you're gonna whisk the mixture continuously in your makeshift double boiler until it turns fabulously smooth. No straining required!

Stir in the zest and you have some of the best stuff on the planet just waiting for you to eat up! Need some ideas besides consuming curd by the spoonful? How about these tasty treats: 

• Serve on scones
• Sandwich a dollop between two butter cookies
• Swap out buttercream for curd between cake layers
• Swirl some into cheesecake
• Save a cup for Coconut Lime Semifreddo (recipe coming soon, I promise!)

Lime Zested Curd [click to print]
Makes about 2 cups

• 6 T. unsalted butter
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 c. lime juice
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 T. lime zest

In medium size, heat proof mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, incorporating well between each addition. Beat in lime juice, eggs and salt until well combined; don't worry if it looks kind of curdled right now, it will smooth out as it cooks.

Place bowl over simmering pot of water, but don't let the water touch the bottom of the bowl. Whisk mixture over low heat until the butter melts and the texture smooths out. Increase heat to medium, whisking constantly to prevent scorching. The mixture will begin to thicken and you may see a few slow, fat bubbles appearing; that's okay, but if there are a lot, it's boiling and you should immediately reduce heat. 

The curd is done when it coats the back of a spoon and your finger leaves a clear path when drawn through. Pour into clean bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap against surface of curd. Store in the refrigerator for 7-10 days or in the freezer for a couple months. 

Source: Adapted from One Perfect Bite

Lemon Ombre Cake with Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream

So we're doing some major renovations at work and I am currently homeless...aka my desk got tossed and I'm now relegated to one of the overly cramped nursing stations or a single bookshelf. No, not a single bookshelf, but a single shelf on a bookshelf! But even though this sounds pretty much awful, at least I get to hang out by windows now! Can I just say, I love sunshine!

And then, last week, it was warm enough that I sat outside beneath my favorite tree while being berated by an angry squirrel for a solid three minutes (that's practically an eternity in squirrel time), enjoying some fresh, mulch-scented air. Ah, Spring!

This has got to be the best way to celebrate the very first third day (yeah, I didn't get my act together that early) of my absolute favorite season of all (besides Fall...and now that I think about it, I do quite enjoy Summer, too...and Winter, in moderation, of course). Nothing like a slice of light lemon cake smothered in a fluffy Swiss Meringue Buttercream!

The really fun part about this cake is that it's an ombre, which means with each additional layer, the color intensifies. The yellow gradation, although it's apparently a little harder to distinguish than something dark like purple, made this little guy look like it was bursting with sunshine the second I cut into it!

Lemon Ombre Cake [click to print]
Makes four 6" layers

• 2 c. plus 2 T. flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 c. buttermilk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. lemon extract
• 1-1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
• 3 large eggs
• 2 T. lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
• yellow food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line cake pans with parchment paper or coat generously with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk together dry ingredients and set aside. In separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk and extracts; set aside.

Cream butter and sugar in mixing bowl until well blended, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, incorporating well between each addition. Alternately add flour and buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir in zest.

Pour 1/4 batter into one pan. Add a few drops of food coloring to batter and stir to distribute evenly. Pour about 1/3 of remaining batter in second pan. Add a few more drops of food coloring and stir to distribute. Pour half in next pan. Add another squirt of food coloring and stir. Pour remaining batter in last pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until center springs back when lightly touched. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream 
Makes about 8 cups

• 10 egg whites (about 1 cup)
• 2 c. sugar, granulated not powdered!
• 2 c. unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 T. vanilla extract

You're going to need a double boiler for this recipe, but if you don't have one, don't worry! I don't either. We'll use our makeshift double boilers together. All you need is a pot filled with about 2 or 3 cups of water, and a heat safe bowl (like ceramic, glass or metal) that sits comfortably on top of your pot. You don't want the bowl to sit too deep and touch the water or you'll cook your eggs and that's just nasty in meringue. Ew. 

So, now that you have your set up ready...

In bowl (not on the heat yet), whisk together egg whites and sugar until well combined. And before you have a cow from the fact that we're using egg whites here, yes, I mean you, Dad and Mama, use a candy thermometer to make sure your mixture reaches 160 F and you'll be fine. 

Anyway, when water is simmering, place bowl on pot/double boiler and heat, whisking continuously, until the sugar melts completely. Test this by rubbing a little bit of the mixture between your fingers and feeling for any grittiness. If it's still gritty, keep heating. 

Once smooth, remove from double boiler and whisk in salt. Pour mixture into bowl of stand mixer and mix on high speed with whisk attachment. If you don't have a stand mixer, a handheld is no problem. I just get bored standing around holding a mixer. Once the mixture comes to room temperature, about 10-15 minutes, you'll have a beautiful meringue that you can eat just as is, but we're making this into a buttercream, so press on!

Change to paddle attachment, if you have one, and add butter to the meringue, about 2 Tablespoons at a time. Make sure each chunk is fully incorporated before adding the next bit. Continue adding butter until all chunks are fully incorporated and mixture is smooth and creamy. 

At this point, you may be getting nervous because your buttercream is looking a little strange, but don't give up! If it's runny or soupy...stick the whole bowl in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes to firm up and then continue whipping. If it's curdled and sick...just keep mixing! It will smooth out and look delicious again. 

Once the buttercream is nice and smooth, add extract and mix to combine. 

Source: Cake adapted from Serious Eats; Swiss Meringue Buttercream adapted from Whisk-Kid

To Assemble

Center the yellowest layer on your cake plate and frost top with a thin layer of buttercream. Continue adding layers and buttercream until fully stacked. Frost sides of cake. Add copious amounts of sprinkles on top, adding extra as necessary. 

White Pepper and Ginger Lemon Cake

A year or so ago I made a mango cake with cayenne pepper and loved the little kick. Then when I went home for a visit, my little bro's wife Zaikea whipped up a batch of zippy white pepper Amish cookies. Of the ten or so cookies that I inhaled, I'd say they were delicious.

So when I found this recipe for Maida Heater (a fancy pants pastry chef)'s White Pepper and Ginger Lemon Cake, I knew I had to give it a try. Plus, lemons are the perfect summer fruit! Just look at that ooey, gooey glaze...oh my goodness, I think I'm making myself drool. Trust me, if you like a little heat (sorry, Stacie), you're gonna love it!

White Pepper and Ginger Lemon Cake with Ginger Glaze [click to print]
Makes one 12-cup bundt cake

For the cake

• Few tablespoons coarse sugar
• 3 c. flour
• 2 tsp. white pepper
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 T. lemon juice
• 5 T. lemon zest (about 3 small lemons)
• 1-1/2 T. (4-1/2 tsp.) ginger paste (or grated fresh ginger)
• 1/2 tsp. lemon extract
• 1 c. unsalted butter, softened
• 1-1/2 c. sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 c. buttermilk

For the Glaze: 

• 2 c. powdered sugar
• 1 T. unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp. ginger paste (or fresh ground ginger)
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 3-4 T. milk

Using nonstick cooking spray with flour included, generously coat bundt pan. Sprinkle coarse sugar in pan to lightly coat; set aside. Preheat oven to 350.

Whisk together flour, pepper, powder, soda and salt; set aside. In small bowl, whisk together juice, zest, ginger and extract; set aside.

In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar on low speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, incorporating well between each addition. Alternately add dry ingredients (about 3 additions) and buttermilk (about 2 additions). Stir in lemon mixture. Pour batter in bundt pan. Firmly tap pan on counter about 3 times to tap out any large air bubbles that may have been trapped when batter was poured into pan.

Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes. Allow cake to cool in pan on wire rack for about 15 minutes. To remove from bundt pan, place wire rack over top of pan and invert, tapping gently on the sides to release, if necessary. Allow to cool completely on wire rack.

For the glaze, combine sugar, butter, zest, ginger and salt in mixing bowl. With mixer on low, add 3 Tablespoons milk. Slowly add additional milk, one teaspoon at a time until you reach desired consistency. Pour over cake and allow to set.

Source: Cake adapted from Sauce and Sensibility; Glaze is all Sugar Rush!