These lime cupcakes have a delicious blend of sweet honey and tangy lime. This recipe makes fora moist and fluffy cupcakes and topped with a creamy zesty frosting made from honey and lime.
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This Honey Lime Cupcake recipe captures the essence of summer with its light, refreshing flavors. The sweet honey and tangy lime blend perfectly, creating a cupcake that's not too heavy but bursting with summer flavors.
If you enjoy this fun combination of flavors, make sure you check out some of our other favorite summer cupcakes like our lemon basil cupcakes and our orange creamsicle cupcakes.
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What You'll Love About This Recipe
- Flavorful combination: The sweet honey and zesty lime create a delightful balance that's both refreshing and satisfying.
- Perfect texture: With a moist and tender crumb, these cupcakes are a joy to bite into, complemented by the smooth, creamy frosting.
- Customizable: Easily adapt the recipe to suit your taste preferences with simple substitutions and variations.
Ingredients
Butter: Choose unsalted, softened butter for a smooth, creamy base in both the cupcakes and frosting. Softening the butter at room temperature will make it easier to cream with sugar and blend with other ingredients. If using salted butter, omit the pinch of salt.
Sugar: Regular granulated sugar to sweeten the cupcakes and provide structure.
Eggs: Acts as a binding agent and helps to create a light, airy texture. Ensure they are at room temperature for better incorporation.
Cake Flour: This flour has a lower protein content and is finely milled, making the cupcakes light and fluffy. For the best results, sift the flour before use to prevent clumps.
Baking Powder & Salt: Essential for leavening and flavor enhancement.
Milk: Use whole milk for a richer taste and moist texture.
Honey: Look for pure, natural honey for its robust flavor and moisture-contributing properties.
Lime: Fresh lime juice and zest for that tangy, refreshing kick. Choose limes that are firm and bright in color, indicating freshness.
Vanilla Extract: Adds depth and aroma to the cupcakes.
Cream Cheese: For the frosting, select full-fat cream cheese, softened for easier mixing.
Powdered Sugar: Adjust the amount to achieve the desired sweetness and consistency of the frosting.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Preheat Oven: Start by heating your oven to 350 degrees, ensuring it reaches the right temperature for baking.
Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, whip the butter and sugar using a mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy, which will take about 3-5 minutes.
Add Eggs: Incorporate the eggs one at a time, fully blending each into the mixture before adding the next, to ensure a smooth, well-combined batter.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
Mix Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together the honey, milk, lime juice, zest, and vanilla until well blended.
Merge Dry and Wet Mixes: Alternately add the flour mixture and the milk/honey mixture to the creamed butter, starting and ending with the flour, to achieve a uniform batter.
Fill and Bake: Line the cupcake pan with liners, fill each about two-thirds full with batter, and bake for 18 minutes. Check doneness with a toothpick—it should come out clean.
Cool and Frost: Allow the cupcakes to cool before frosting. For the frosting, beat the cream cheese, butter, and honey until creamy.
Add in the powdered sugar in increments to determine how much you’ll need to achieve desired consistency.
Once the frosting is thick enough to pipe, place in a frosting bag with a tip of choice and frost each cupcake.
Frost the cupcakes using a piping bag.
Top Tip
Ensure all ingredients, especially butter, eggs, and cream cheese, are at room temperature before beginning to ensure they combine smoothly and evenly.
Substitutions
- Lemon for Lime: If you're out of limes, lemons work as a great substitute, offering a similarly citrusy tang.
- Sour Cream for Milk: In the cupcakes, sour cream can replace milk for a richer texture and added tanginess.
Variations
- Orange Honey Cupcakes: Substitute lime with orange for a sweeter, more mellow flavor.
- Glazed Cupcakes: Skip the frosting and drizzle with a simple honey lime glaze for a lighter option.
- Coconut Lime Cupcakes: Add shredded coconut to the batter and top with coconut cream frosting for a tropical twist.
Storage Instructions
Have leftover lime cupcakes to store? Here's our top tips.
Fridge Storage: Store the frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The cold will keep the frosting firm and the cupcakes moist.
Freezer Option: Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 2 months. Wrap each cupcake individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe container. Thaw at room temperature before frosting.
Reheating: If refrigerated, let the cupcakes come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving to enhance flavor and texture.
Recipe
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Lime Cupcakes With Honey
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- ½ cup butter softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 teaspoons lime zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting
- 1 block cream cheese, softened 8-ounce
- ½ cup butter softened
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, one at a time until well mixed.
- In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.
- In another small bowl, whisk the honey, milk, lime juice, zest and vanilla together.
- Add about ½ of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and combine.
- Add the milk/honey mixture to the butter mixture until incorporated.
- Add in the remaining flour and mix until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Fill each of a lined cupcake pan about ⅔ full. Place in the oven and bake for 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out cleanly. Remove and allow to cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting, place the cream cheese, butter and honey in a large bowl and beat for about a minute until light and creamy. Add in the lime zest and mix.
- Add in the powdered sugar in increments to determine how much you’ll need to achieve desired consistency. Once the frosting is thick enough to pipe, place in a frosting bag with a tip of choice and frost each cupcake.
Notes
Nutrition
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FAQs
ou can substitute cake flour with all-purpose flour: for every cup of cake flour, use 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and replace those 2 tablespoons with cornstarch.
Yes, you can bake the cupcakes a day in advance. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature and frost them before serving.
Yes, the frosting can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let it come to room temperature and beat it again briefly before using.
Insert a toothpick into the center of a cupcake; if it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, the cupcakes are done.
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