Perfect for celebrating the Luck O’ the Irish, or any sunny day for that matter, these citrus-y, moist, and golden Lemon Lime Cupcakes will make you feel like you’ve found your own pot of gold!
With every bite of these golden little gems, I am taken back to my childhood. See, I am a citrus lover from way back. Chocolate is great and all, but when given the choice, I will almost always pick the citrus option. This was much to my chocolate-loving mother’s dismay, but like the good mom she is, she always made my favorite cake for whichever birthday party was approaching.
Every year when my birthday rolled around, my mother would ask me what kind of birthday cake I wanted. Even though she asked, she knew the answer every time–lemon lime cake! A lemon cake soaked with lime jello, and topped with lemon frosting. So refreshing, with a bit of citrus tang–what’s not to love, right?
Unfortunately, each and every year she would say the same thing after the party. “I am NEVER making that cake again!” When made as a whole cake, this lime jello-soaked lemon cake is basically green. I mean, it’s lime jello, so what do you expect? Unfortunately, the other party-goers (other kids my own age, of course) weren’t as enamored with the green color as I was. They would take one look at a slice of birthday cake and declare “Ewwww!!! Gross!!” Then they would promptly lick the lemon frosting off the top and leave the cake behind. This meant that my mother was forever throwing away cake. Not how she wanted to spend my birthday, I’m sure.
Hence her declaration each and every year of NEVER making it again. Yet by the time my birthday rolled around the next year, I would have worn her down and she’d do it all over again. Gotta love a mom who is willing to make a whole cake for only a couple people to actually eat it. Of course, I was always happy that there were leftovers. It was like an extra birthday treat for me!
Ah, the food of our youth.
Luckily, I decided that I couldn’t wait for my birthday and made my favorite cake into single-serving cupcakes. And since they kind of reminded me of a pot of gold, it was a great excuse to bust them out for St. Patrick’s Day. Pot O’Gold Lemon Lime Cupcakes are lucky any month of the year, or any day of the week!
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 18 people | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 20 minutes | 1 hour |
|
|
|
|
Lemon and lime go together like leprechauns and Irish jigs. The bright flavors just burst out of the cupcakes and make you feel like you've found the end of a rainbow. Not sure about that much citrus? You could just as easily use a white cake mix and another jello flavor, like cherry or orange. Heck, make a rainbow cake by using every color and flavor for a variety of choices! Any way you combine it, these simple ingredients will be sure to bring a smile to your face, birthday or not!
|
- 1 box lemon cake mix (plus eggs, cooking oil and water per box instructions)
- 1 box lime jello mix
- 1 can lemon frosting
- 18 paper baking cups
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the ingredients for the cake mix per instructions on box. Place paper baking cups in each cupcake mold. Pour batter 3/4 way up each cupcake mold. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out of a cupcake clean when pierced.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely. Using a toothpick, poke holes in each cupcake, being sure not to pierce the bottom of the paper baking cups.
- Following instructions on the box, mix up the jello. Pour carefully over the top of each cupcake, ensuring jello goes into each poked hole. Refrigerate cupcakes for at least an hour, and up to overnight.
- Frost each cupcake with lemon frosting.
- Top with colored sprinkles, and serve cold.
Want these in your belly in the next 24 hours? Check your pantry. I'll bet that many of you already have the fixings for this version, or a version of your own.
How many times have you wound up with an extra box of cake mix in the pantry because "you just never know when you'll need it"? Or additional cans of frosting because they were on sale, 2-for-1? Or a variety of jello flavors because your kiddos change their favorite color weekly? Get creative and let your kids choose the combination for their next party, or that upcoming potluck at work. You'll be a pantry genius and get all the credit for these tasty little morsels of Lemon Lime Cupcake love!
These are just too adorable!! My kids would love them—heck, so would I!
I love lemon cake! This looks like a great St. Patty’s Day dessert!
I make whole cakes for my kids too. Then I just take the leftovers to my kid’s school secretary. They are so underappreciated.
These are so cute and festive, I love them!
I love lime lemon so much! and that green color on your cupcake is just gorgeous!
My kid isn’t big on green food, but she would love these cupcakes. The green wouldn’t bother her at all.
Happy St Patricks Day alwasy is nice to have a dessert and your cupcakes are perfect bite