One of my favorite things about baking, is proving myself wrong over and over. I know, weird right? But it’s true. I love to break my own boundaries, discover new things, and realize that maybe I actually do love that flavor I’ve always said I don’t like at all…wait did I just admit to behaving like a picky toddler?
Let’s take our citrus friends lemon and lime for example, the BFF’s of fruits…they go together like, well lemon and limes duh. And at one point I actually thought I didn’t like lemon…it was clearly my love for all things chocolate standing in the way. Yea, let’s blame it on the chocolate. But then I made some lemon pudding cupcakes one day for the hubs…and absolutely loved them don’t worry I totally kept up my I worked so hard making these cupcakes just for you act. And since then I’ve pretty much been on a total lemon kick.
Anywho…so a few weeks ago a reader left a comment asking if she could add lime to a frosting to make a key-lime dessert. (I’m so sorry I can’t remember which post it was to find the awesome reader who inspired these cupcakes…please let me know below if it’s you!) Suddenly (insert minion voice) LIGHTBULB I must make lemon-lime cheesecake cupcakes STAT. Talk about impulse baking, and I don’t even like lime…or so I thought.
Yep. I was wrong. These were awesome…simple, quick, and awesome. I wanted to gobble them right up. Why oh why did I already tell people I made them…and I would share! Curse that internal need to make people happy. (I kid, I kid!) One of the reasons I love to bake my own citrus fruit desserts is because while no I still don’t like the all out bold flavor of lime…but when I make my own treats I can tone it down to a sweet lovely citrusy flavor without the BAM of a lime. Moral of the story…don’t let your toddler like instincts stop you from trying new treats out of your flavor palate, and never tell people you made cupcakes until you’re committed to sharing them…or something like that.
Here’s what you’re going to need:
LEMON-LIME CHEESECAKE CUPCAKES
1 Duncan Hines White Cake Mix
4 Tablespoons Instant Cheesecake Pudding Mix (dry)
4 Large Egg Whites
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1 Cup Milk
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
1 1/2 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
1/4 Cup Melted Butter (slightly cooled)
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
1 Cup Unsalted Butter
1 8oz. Cream Cheese
1-2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
1-2 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
8 Cups Powdered Sugar
3-4 Tablespoons Milk
TOPPINGS
1/2 Cup Crushed Graham Cracker Crumbs
Makes 24-30 Cupcakes
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners and set aside.
Step 2: In a medium mixing bowl, sift together cake mix and pudding and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl) using the paddle attachment, beat together egg whites, sour cream, milk, and juices low speed. Add the dry ingredients and beat just until combined. Beat in melted butter just until combined. Once all ingredients are incorporated, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and turn mixer up to medium – high and beat once more for 15-20 seconds.
Step 3: Spoon 3 tablespoons of batter into each cupcake liner and bake on middle oven rack, for 16-18 minutes, baking up to 24 cupcakes side by side at a time. (for best results bake cupcakes 1 pan at a time or side by side on the same rack) Once a toothpick comes out clean, remove from oven and allow cupcakes to rest in pan for 2-4 minutes before removing and transferring to a cooling rack. Prepare pan and repeat this step with any remaining batter.
Step 4: While cupcakes are cooling, prepare frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl) using the paddle attachment, cream butter at medium speed until soft and smooth. Add cream cheese and beat together until soft and smooth. Add 1 table spoon of each juice and beat until combined. Slowly add in powdered sugar beating slightly between each addition. Test taste, if a more bold is desired add more lemon or lime juice. Add in milk 1 tablespoon at a time beating in between additions until desired consistency. Turn mixer up to medium-high and beat for 1-2 minutes.
Step 5: Once cupcakes have completely cooled frost cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Then sprinkle with crushed graham cracker crumbs. Store in the refrigerator until severed.
Mix it up: Crank these cupcakes into a full blown citrus party by filling with a lemon or key lime pie filling!
Want some more citrusy goodness?
Ingredients
- 1 Duncan Hines White Cake Mix
- 4 Tablespoons Instant Cheesecake Pudding Mix (dry)
- 4 Large Egg Whites
- 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
- 1 Cup Milk
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
- 1/4 Cup Melted Butter (slightly cooled)
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter
- 1 8oz. Cream Cheese
- 1-2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1-2 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
- 8 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 3-4 Tablespoons Milk
- 1/2 Cup Crushed Graham Crackers
- Makes 24-30 Cupcakes
Instructions
- Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners and set aside.
- Step 2: In a medium mixing bowl, sift together cake mix and pudding and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl) using the paddle attachment, beat together egg whites, sour cream, milk, and juices low speed. Add the dry ingredients and beat just until combined. Beat in melted butter just until combined. Once all ingredients are incorporated, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and turn mixer up to medium – high and beat once more for 15-20 seconds.
- Step 3: Spoon 3 tablespoons of batter into each cupcake liner and bake on middle oven rack, for 16-18 minutes, baking up to 24 cupcakes side by side at a time. (for best results bake cupcakes 1 pan at a time or side by side on the same rack) Once a toothpick comes out clean, remove from oven and allow cupcakes to rest in pan for 2-4 minutes before removing and transferring to a cooling rack. Prepare pan and repeat this step with any remaining batter.
- Step 4: While cupcakes are cooling, prepare frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl) using the paddle attachment, cream butter at medium speed until soft and smooth. Add cream cheese and beat together until soft and smooth. Add 1 table spoon of each juice and beat until combined. Slowly add in powdered sugar beating slightly between each addition. Test taste, if a more bold is desired add more lemon or lime juice. Add in milk 1 tablespoon at a time beating in between additions until desired consistency. Turn mixer up to medium-high and beat for 1-2 minutes.
- Step 5: Once cupcakes have completely cooled frost cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Then sprinkle with crushed graham cracker crumbs. Store in the refrigerator until severed.
Hi Toni
I love reading your posts, they really make me chuckle. The annoying part is, i live in Spain and can’t get half your ingredients.
What on earth is a Duncan Hines White Cake Mix and an Instant Cheesecake Pudding Mix (dry) ????? So very frustrating!!!
I have to make everything from basic ingredients, so any idea what is in both of those??
Keep up the good work though.
Janet
Hi Janet! I’m so glad you are enjoying MBC – it’s great to hear a little laughter has been spread! As you may have already noticed, I try to post a variety of treats on MBC from super simple with quick ready made products to simple yet totally scratch recipes – I feel there’s a place and time for every type of treat! On the downside, I have found some of these products that are available on every corner in the US are not available in certain part of the world. BUMMER. Duncan Hines white cake mix is just a brand (my fav) of white cake mix. Do you guys have a brand of cake mixes in Spain? If not you can also swap it out for your favorite cake mix. If cake mixes don’t exist there…you can certainly swap it out for your favorite white cake recipe, it will still result in a great cupcake! I also have a white cupcake recipe here if needed. For the cheesecake pudding mix, this is another product that is available EVERYWHERE in the US but not so much around the world. It’s simply a powdered mix that creates pudding once milk is added. I find when added to cake mixes it not only give it a more fluffily moist texture, but it’s an easy way to add a subtle hint of flavor! You can certainly skip this step or even add a cheesecake extract (if possible) to bring in that flavor. Another option is to, if possible, order these items off Amazon.com…maybe they will become an American favorite for you! I hope that helps a little, happy baking!
Thanks Toni
I have noticed a lot of American recipes use the box mix, wonderful idea!!! Never seen an equivalent here
I will try your basic white mix and perhaps swap the vanilla for the lemon and lime and see how that goes and will look on line for the cheesecake extract, never heard of that either!! We are very backward here lol.
Keep us all laughing
Janet
Good to hear, have fun!