Key Lime Coconut Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

I have been on a mission to find a good Key Lime Cupcake... and I think I finally did it!! I made two batches last week from different recipes and ended up throwing them away. This week I ran across this recipe on the Food Network, and tweaked it a bit and it turned out DELICIOSO!!! MMMMMM!!  I LOVE key lime. To make them a little more Key Limey which is a more tart flavor, (I couldn't find key limes in Blackfoot) I put 1 Tablespoon lemon juice with the 2 tablespoons lime juice.  These remind me of the Key Lime Truffles you get at See's Candy stores! I always spoil myself with one whenever I am in a mall that has See's Candys. These cupcakes were my little splurge this weekend! Yummo!! I especially love the frosting!!!

Key Lime Coconut Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon grated lime zest (about 2 or 3 limes worth)
2 tablespoons lime juice (bottled or freshly squeezed) **see note at bottom of recipe
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1-1/2 cups plus 3 Tablespoons Cake flour (or 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 drop green food coloring
1 cup loosely packed sweetened coconut

For the Frosting:
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 Tablespoon  lime juice (bottled or freshly squeezed)
1 drop green food coloring
Toasted coconut for garnish (follow toasting coconut directions on package)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla extract, key lime zest, lime and lemon juice and mix well. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the food coloring to the Buttermilk.  In 5 parts total, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold the coconut into the cupcake batter.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners and fill each liner almost to the top with batter. A spring loaded 1/4 cup ice cream scoop works great for this and ensures the cupcakes are all the same size. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the tops begin to brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer cupcakes to a baking rack to cool completely.

While the cupcakes are cooling you can make the frosting.
In a small microwave safe bowl, place the white chocolate chips, microwave for about 1 minute, then stir. This should be enough time to melt the chips comepletely, but if not, microwave for 15 seconds more. Stir, and if melted set aside.
Next, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar until well combined. Add the salt, vanilla extract, lime juice, and drop of green food coloring and mix until very smooth. Add more powdered sugar if too thin, you want the frosting thick to hold it's shape when icing the cupcakes.  Add the melted white chocolate and mix just until incorporated.
Fill a decorator bag that has your desired decorating tip in it, with the icing and swirl around the tops of the cupcakes starting around the outside and working towards the center. Garnish with toasted coconut.
Enjoy!!

**for the juice I squeezed the juice out of 1 lemon and 3 limes and mixed together, and then put about 3 to 4 tablespoons in the cake batter and the rest in the frosting, may have been slightly more than 2 Tablespoons. I used these limes for the zest in the batter.