Ginger Lime Cupcakes

mmmm.... cupcakes!   delectable little morsels in their own little paper case with icing on top. They look so pretty and taste so good, with a lovely light texture that makes you want just one more.  So, for my Sunday Baking for something to take to school for my lunches during the week, I made Ginger Lime cupcakes.  Limes are in season at the moment, and are only $6 a kilo at the Mangere Markets (as opposed to $25 a kilo in the supermarket!). So, armed with a bag of limes and a packet of crystallised ginger (which I had to hide from my flatmate to make sure I had some  left for my cupcakes) I took over the kitchen for a few hours (I am not a very fast cook.  I enjoy it, and I enjoy doing things the old fashioned way - using a Crown Lynn beehive mixing bowl, a wooden spoon, and my arm, rather than an electric mixer.  I also don't have a microwave.  Or a TV.)

Ginger and Lime Cupcakes


3 eggs
200g butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk (I didn't have this, so I just used milk)
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup crystallised ginger, finely chopped
juice of 1 lime
zest of 1 lime

Preheat oven to 160 degrees C.  Line a cupcake pan with cupcake papers.  This mix made about 16 normal sized cupcakes and 9 mini cupcakes.

Lightly beat the eggs, add butter and sugar, then mix until light and fluffy.

Add milk and flour, and stir to combine.  Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, until light and creamy.  (At this point I did actually use an electric mixer, because my arm was getting sore and the butter wasn't very soft).

Add crystallised ginger, lime juice, and zest, and mix through until combined.

lime zest... mmmm smells so good!

 This is a wonderful little tool for squeezing limes... you open it up... 

put in half a lime face down...

 Then you close it and press down...

... and it squeezes all the lime juice out!  

Divide the mixture between your cupcake papers.  

Bake for 18-20 minutes until risen and firm to touch.  Allow to cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.

ice when cooled.

lime and ginger icing

I just mix up a suitable amount of icing for how many cupcakes I have (well, that is my aim anyway), so I don't really measure my ingredients.  I just estimate how much I think I need.

1 spoon butter

1 cup icing sugar, sifted

juice of 1 lime

zest of 1 lime 

a little hot water
finely chopped crystallized ginger

mix first 5 ingredients all together until smooth; add the crystallized ginger; spread on your cupcakes.

Cupcake toppers are a very easy and cute way to decorate your cupcakes and make them look really pretty if you are having friends around for afternoon tea.  They are expensive to buy in the shop, but are fun and easy to make at home.  I will post instructions on how to make them on my next blog... watch this space!