Key Lime Cupcakes

3/4 cup softened unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 TBS key lime zest
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup half and half
2 TBS fresh key lime juice

Key Lime filling:
3 oz softened cream cheese
1/4 cup powdered sugar
10 oz jar of lime curd

Key Lime Buttercream:
make your favorite buttercream recipe and add 2 tsp of key lime zest

For Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 and line 12 muffin cups with liners.  In a large bowl combine sugar, butter, and lime zest.  Beat on high with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cracker crumbs, baker powder, and salt.

In a small bowl, whisk together half and half and lime juice.  gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternately with half and half mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.  spoon batter into muffin cups until they are 2/3 full.  bake for about 16 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.  let cool in pan for 5 minutes.  Remove from pan, an cool completely on wire rack.

Using a melon baller, carefully remove a small amount of cake from center of each cupcake.  spoon or pipe about 1 tsp of key lime filling into the center of each cupcake.  frost the tops with a key lime buttercream.  garnish with fresh key lime slices, if desired.

For Filling:
in a bowl, beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  add sugar beating til smooth.  add curd, beating til combined.  can be in refrigerator up to three days.

Buttercream:
The buttercream recipe that comes with this is for the birds--it took hours to make.  Just make a basic one and it will be good!

This recipe comes from a magazine.  I cut it out a couple of years ago, but the bottom of the paper doesn't say where it comes from and I don't remember!

Makes 12 cupcakes