Lime Cupcakes

Yield: 16 cupcakes

Ingredients

• Cupcakes
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
• Juice of two limes
• Zest of one lime
• Filling
• 1 cans (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• Zest of one lime
• Meringue Topping
• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup sugar

Directions

1. Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl.  Add remaining cupcake ingredients and beat until smooth.
2. Line muffin tray with cupcake liners.  Fill each 2/3 full.
3. Bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.
4. For the filling, mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl until smooth.  Transfer to a piping bag with a long, round tip.
5. Using a small paring knife, cut out a small chunk of the center of each cupcake.
6. Insert the tip of the piping bag into each cupcake, and add some filling.
7. For the meringue, place the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a metal mixing bowl.  Beat with an electric mixer for 3 minutes, until soft peaks begin to form.  Gradually add the sugar while mixing, until all the sugar is added and stiff peaks form.
• Do not over-whip the egg whites, or they'll separate.
8. Immediately before serving, pipe some meringue on top of the cupcakes.  Brown with a kitchen torch.  Alternatively, brown in the oven at 450°F for ~3 minutes.

Adapted from Cupcakes & Scoops, A Royal Caribbean International Cookbook.