Blackberry-Lime Cupcakes

Blackberry-lime cupcakes?! Such a strange combination, but refreshing! Here it is--a vanilla bean and lime cupcake, filled with a blackberry-lime curd, topped with cream cheese icing. Yum! The lime is not as strong as I imagined that it would be, but just a hint, and that is plenty. I would have never thought of a cupcake with lime as an ingredient, I would rather have chocolate, but when I saw "Who will be the next cupcake hero"
(http://slush.wordpress.com/2007/09/03/cupcake-lovers-of-the-world-unite/)I knew that I had to at least try. So, here it is...



Vanilla Bean & Lime Cupcakes:

1/2 Cup unsalted butter, softened
zest and juice of 1 lime
1 Cup sugar
2 eggs, room temp
3/4 Cup self-rising flour
1/2 Cup plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
4-5 Tbsp milk
1/2 vanilla bean


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-Cream butter and zest in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed until butter is smooth. Gradually add sugar and continue beating until fluffy.

-Add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping the bowl and beating until smooth after each addition.

-Squeeze the lime directly into a liquid measuring cup. Add enough milk to total 1/2 cup of liquid, whisk to combine. In a medium bowl, whisk flours together to combine.

-Add the flour mixture to the batter in four parts, alternating with thirds of the milk mixture and beating after each addition until incorporated.

Add in the vanilla beans.

-Divide batter among the 12 cups of a lined standard cupcake pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until cupcakes are just starting to turn brown and toothpick comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool completely.



Blackberry-Lime Curd



2 Cups blackberries
1 Stick unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/2 Cup sugar
1/4 Cup fresh lime juice
3 Large eggs
4 Large egg yolks


-Fill medium saucepan three-quarters full of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

-Puree the berries in a food processor or blender, then pass the puree through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl. Measure 1 cup of puree and reserve any remaining puree for another use.

-Melt the butter and blackberry puree together in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 1 minute. Stir in the sugar and lime juice and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

-Combine the eggs and egg yolks in a medium heatproof bowl and whisk briefly to combine. Slowly drizzle the hot blackberry mixture into the eggs, whisking continuously.

-When all the mixture has been added to the eggs, place the bowl over the saucepan of simmering water. Cook, whisking continuously, for about 5 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl from time to time. Insert a thermometer and check the temperature. The curd is done when it has the consistency of sour cream and a temperature of 160 degrees F.

-Strain the curd through a fine-mesh strainer into another medium bowl and let cool completely.



Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz. Cream Cheese, room temp
2 lb. bag powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
about 4 Tbsp milk


Cream together the cream cheese, vanilla and about 1/2 of the powdered sugar. Continue to add powdered sugar and milk to get your desired consistency for the frosting.






Now, to assemble:
Cut a cone out of the top of the cupcake and fill with the curd. Replace the top on back on the top of the blackberry-lime curd and frost with the cream cheese frosting.