I loved my lime macarons so much that I wanted to make lime cupcakes!

They’re made with tender lime cupcakes, filled with creamy lime curd, and topped with fluffy lime buttercream.

They are just as good as they sound and are perfect for summer!

Let’s Make These Lime Cupcakes Together

Let’s walk through each step of these lime cupcakes to make sure they turn out as amazing as possible! I’ve also shared a video tutorial below.

Step #1: Bake the Lime Cupcakes

Bake the lime cupcakes first! Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C and place 12 cupcake liners in a cupcake pan.

As you start to make the batter, use your fingertips to massage 1 cup of granulated sugar with the zest of 1 lime in a large bowl.

This helps release the oil from the lime zest. It sounds weird but really packs these cupcakes with lime flavor!

Once you’ve finished making the batter, divide it evenly between the cupcake liners and fill them about 2/3 full.

Bake for about 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Let the cupcakes cool for 5 minutes in the pan before moving them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Step #2: Make the Lime Curd Filling

Make the lime curd next! It needs time to cool to room temperature.

This can be made up to 2 weeks in advance and stored in the fridge.

Fill a sauce pan with 2 inches of water and heat over medium-low heat. Combine the yolks, sugar, lime juice, lime zest, and salt in a medium-sized, heat proof bowl.

Whisk until combined and smooth. Once the water begins to simmer, place the bowl on top of the sauce pan to make a double boiler.

Leave the heat on medium-low heat and make sure the water isn’t touching the bottom of the bowl.

Continuously whisk the mixture until it thickens. This usually takes me about 3-5 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the pan and turn off the stove. Add 2 Tbsp of butter and stir until incorporated. The mixture should be thick and smooth at this point.

Scoop the lime curd into a small piping bag and seal the top. Place in the fridge to cool. It should have thickened and be fully chilled in 15-30 minutes.

Step #3: Make the Lime Buttercream

While the cupcakes bake and cool, make the lime buttercream.

I like to stir the buttercream by hand with a rubber spatula once it’s fully made. This makes the frosting silky smooth and easier pipe on each cupcake.

This frosting can also be made in advance if needed and kept in the fridge for up to a month.

Place the frosting into a large piping bag fit with a Wilton 1M frosting tip.

Step #4: Fill and Frost These Lime Cupcakes

The last step is to fill and decorate these cupcakes! Remove the center of each cupcake and fill it with lime curd.

Pipe a generous swirl of lime buttercream frosting on top of each cupcake. Garnish with a lime slice and a dusting of lime zest, then enjoy!

Substitutions and Swaps – Lime Cupcakes

Now that we’ve covered how to make these lime cupcakes, let’s talk about the ingredients!!

This recipe use quite a few ingredients and I know you might not have them all on hand.

Or if you have food allergies or restrictions, I’ve got you covered. Below are some swaps and substitutions that you can make.

• Unsalted Butter – If you don’t have unsalted butter, use salted butter, and omit the salt in this recipe. You can also use vegan butter in its place.
• Granulated Sugar – I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar as it will change the texture of these cupcakes.
• Large Egg – If you have an egg allergy you can try using 1 flaxseed eggs or a vegan egg replacer like this one made by Bob’s Red Mill.
• Lime Juice and Zest– Fresh lime juice is a must in this recipe. Make sure you use freshly squeezed lime juice or really good, bottled lime juice, like this key lime juice.
• All Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with AP flour, but you can use a gluten free flour blend if needed.
• Lime Curd – I love to make the filling for these cupcakes from scratch, and it only takes about 10 minutes. However, if you’re short on time, feel free to use store bough lime curd.
• Gel Food Coloring – I like to use equal parts yellow and green gel food coloring (small squirt of both) to give these cupcakes a delicate green color. This can be omitted if you don’t want to use food coloring though!

Lime Curd Ingredients and Substitutions:

• Egg Yolks – I always have leftover egg yolks from making macarons, so I like to use egg yolks in this recipe! If you don’t have any on hand, you can use 1 whole egg. The mixture will turn out slightly thicker, but it will still taste great.
• Granulated Sugar – This recipe turns out best with granulated sugar. You can use less processed sugar if you want, but the consistency might not be as smooth.
• Lime Juice – Good lime juice is a must in this recipe. Make sure you use freshly squeezed lime juice or really good, bottled lime juice, like this key lime juice.
• Lime Zest – Fresh lime zest totally makes this recipe. I usually use the zest from 1 large lime or 2 small limes.
• Unsalted Butter – Unsalted butter adds richness and helps balance the tartness lime. If you don’t have unsalted butter, use salted butter, and omit the salt in this recipe.

Tips for Making the Best Lime Cupcakes

• Ingredients at room temp mix together better. Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
• Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
• Mix your cupcake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated. This will ensure your cupcakes are tender and fluffy.
• Use a large cookie scoop to easily fill your cupcake liners. It also makes sure your cupcakes end up being the same height.
• Seal off the top the piping bag with a rubber band to prevent any frosting from coming out the top of the bag and make the piping bags easier to use.

Making These Lime Cupcakes in Advance & Storing Them

You can make these cupcakes in advance! Frosted cupcakes can sit at room temperature for a few hours or be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days if stored in an airtight container.

However, they taste best when they’re freshly baked!

These cupcakes can also last up to a month in the freezer. If you plan to freeze them, I suggest waiting to fill and frost them until they’re thawed.

You can also make your buttercream ahead of time or save any leftovers. The buttercream frosting will last in the fridge for up to a month.

Be sure to give the frosting a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

You can also store buttercream in piping bags in the fridge. I find they keep their consistency well in piping bags and don’t require any mixing after they’ve thawed.

Let Me Know What You Think

If you make this lime cupcake recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and comment below.

Don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and #chelsweets so that I can see your amazing creations on social media.