Chocolate Lime Cupcakes with Almond Extract Buttercream Frosting

I felt like making something today. I didn't know what, but I knew I was kind of low on sugar and butter and had some extra limes. So! I made these cupcakes.

As a jumping off point, I took a look at  Fannie Farmer's Quick Mix Fudge Cake. With a snip here and a cut there, this is what I ended up with:

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Chocolate Lime Cupcakes

1 c 1 tbsp cocoa powder (F.F. called for 3 oz chocolate and no butter)
3 tbsp butter, melted (I only had unsalted.)
1 3/4 c cake flour
1 c sugar (originally 1 1/2 c sugar, but like I said, I was low)
1/8 c Splenda (yeah, I used the little packets. It came to maybe 20 or so. Ludicrous.
1 tsp salt (originally 3/4 tsp)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 tsp baking soda
1/2 c oil
2 medium limes worth of juice (a little less than 1/3 c or so) and zest
1 tsp almond extract (originally vanilla)
2 eggs
2/3 milk (originally didn't call for milk)

Mix together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa. Add butter oil and milk and beat on low until mixed. Add lime juice, zest, almond extract and eggs and beat until smooth. Fill 3/4 full (for nice doming action) and bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes. Makes 13.

How do they taste? I'll go with...different. It's like chocolate with a lime kicker if I'm being kind, tainted chocolate if I'm being less so. They're not bad! They're just different.

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The frosting on these guys is, once again, this recipe. The only thing I did differently was add 1 1/2 tbsp almond extract in place of the vanilla. Then I dipped the frosted cupcakes in colored sugar.

Lime Cupcakes with Rose Water Buttercream Frosting

Before I took ill, I was planning on trying this mixture of flavors. I'm thinking it was due more to my being partial to the combination of pink and green than to my thinking these flavors would go well together.

For these cupcakes, I went with Vanilla Garlic's recipe. The only changes I made were adding more zest and juice, using one lime's worth of both and adding 10 drops of green food coloring to the milk and lime mixture. The taste of lime is undeniable. The frosting is this recipe cut in half and with the rose water added instead of vanilla. The taste isn't very rosy, but the smell is dead on. Oh well.

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Lime Cupcakes (originally from Vanilla Garlic)

1 c unsalted butter
2 c sugar
4 eggs
2 3/4 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 c milk
the juice and zest of 1 medium lime

Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl and set aside.  In large bowl, beat butter until smooth. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating in between each. Measure out milk, lime juice and zest. Add milk mixture and flour mixture to butter mixture alternately and ending with the flour mixture. Fill liners about 2/3 to 3/4 full and bake for 22-25 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes about 22 cupcakes.

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Rose Water Buttercream Frosting

1 1/4 c unsalted butter
2 1/2 c powdered sugar
1 tbsp rose water
1 tbsp milk
pink food coloring gel

In large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add sugar gradually. Add rose water, milk and coloring and beat until fluffy. Makes enough to lightly frost 20-22 cupcakes.