Key Lime Cupcakes

I brought this to a potluck last night and it seemed to go over well. Do what you like with regards to dyeing the cupcakes and the frosting. I thought the violent chartreuse color of the cakes was a nice foil to red velvet cakes which have become quite trendy of late. I also added a bit of dye to the frosting for a very light green. As to decor, I like my cupcakes perhaps how I like my men, clean and cute, but not excessively pretty. I use a pastry bag with a large round tip to pipe a good sized swirl of frosting and I toped them with one of those small sugared fruit slice candies, lime flavored of course. Somehow everyone at the party seemed to know they were mine...I suppose violently green cupcakes are very me. Decorate them however you like though. Enjoy!

(from Bon Appetit, September 2008)

CUPCAKES

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup self-rising flour (I had trouble finding this at the market, for each cup of self-rising flour you can substitute 1 cup minus 2 teaspoons of all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoons of salt)
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
• 1/4 teaspoon neon-green food coloring
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

FROSTING

• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

CUPCAKES

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin pan with 12 paper liners. Whisk both flours in medium bowl. Beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar; beat to blend. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then next 3 ingredients (batter may look curdled). Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions. Don't overbeat! Spoon scant 1/3 cup batter into each liner.

Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool.

FROSTING

Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth, then beat in sugar, lime peel, and vanilla. Spread over cupcakes