What I love about Gluten Free Key Lime Cupcakes
How pretty are these Gluten-Free Key Lime Cupcakes? And the best part? They taste just as good as they look! These gluten-free, grain-free cakes are soft, fluffy, and bursting with yummy citrus flavour. They make the perfect base for the creamy, mousse-like raspberry frosting which takes them to the next level.
While they do require a little more effort than your average cupcake, they’re absolutely worth every minute. In fact, they make the perfect show-stopping dessert for summer gatherings. Whether it’s a backyard party, a picnic, or a brunch with friends they will be loved by all. In fact, everyone who tries them will be asking for the recipe!
Even better, both the cupcakes and the frosting can be made up to a day in advance, making party prep a breeze. And if you happen to have leftovers (though that’s unlikely!), they keep beautifully in the fridge for up to four days.
What makes these cupcakes so special is the flavour combination. The key lime taste comes through thanks to both the zest and juice, creating a bright, tangy bite that pairs so well with the fruity raspberry frosting. Together, they strike the perfect balance between tart and sweet.
And let’s not forget the finishing touches—because presentation matters too! A frozen raspberry and a small slice of key lime on top of each cupcake add a simple but beautiful garnish that pulls everything together.
Recipe Notes
A few things to keep in mind:
- Flours – I used a blend of almond flour and tapioca flour for these cupcakes. I like to keep them both gluten-free and grain-free. Almond flour is lower in carbs too, which I like. Adding a little tapioca flour to the almond flour creates the perfect consistency. Both can be found at your local health food store.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar works best for the process of massaging the lime zest into it and really helping it to release those aromatic oils. You can also use xylitol if you want to lower the overall sugar content.
- Key limes – Key limes are the mini limes that you may have seen in the grocery store. They are often used in desserts or drinks due to their strong lime flavour. They are delicious! The zesting process takes a little patience as you will have to zest about 7 mini tiny limes, but it’s worth it! You can also use 2 regular limes in place of key limes.
- Raspberries – Fresh or frozen raspberries will work as a garnish! You will need about 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries for the frosting. The process of blending, straining and simmering the berries takes a little patience, but it is necessary to turn those fresh berries into a thickened jam-like texture. Then, once it is added to the frosting it won’t thin out or change the texture of the frosting too much.
- Cream cheese – You will need cream cheese in the block form for this recipe. Do not use spreadable cream cheese. Also, make sure that it is fully at room temperature before beating to avoid chunks.
FAQ:
Yes. If you can’t find key limes, you can use 2 regular limes for the zest and juice in the cupcakes.
I don’t recommend substituting with any other flour unless you know the exact conversion as they will not measure 1:1 to this special blend of almond flour and tapioca flour.
Yes! You can make both the cupcakes and the frosting a day ahead. Store the cupcakes in an air-tight container at room temperature and store the premade frosting in a sealed piping bag, ready to go in the fridge. Then, just assemble the next day.
Yes, raspberries have lots of seeds which, if not strained, would make for a not-so-smooth frosting. For best results, I recommend stringing the raspberry sauce.
Any leftover cupcakes will keep for 3-4 days when stored in an air-tight container in the fridge.
Gluten Free Key Lime Cupcakes
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
- 2 Muffin Tins
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 2 cups almond flour
- 3/4 cup tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sour cream at room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 3/4 cup organic sugar
- 1 tablespoon zest from key limes (about 7 key limes)
- 3 tablespoons juice from key limes
- frozen raspberries for garnishing
- key lime slices for garnishing
For the raspberry frosting:
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
- 1 tablespoon organic sugar
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1 small pinch sea salt
Instructions
Make the cupcakes:
- In a stand mixer or medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the sour cream, eggs and lime juice and beat again until combined.
- Add the sugar and zest to a small bowl or plate and massage the zest into the sugar until you have a green-looking sugar. Add it to the batter.
- Add the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix until just combined.
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line two muffin tins with 18 paper liners.
- Fill the liners about 2/3 – 3/4 of the way full and bake for 17-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
Make the raspberry frosting:
- Add the raspberries to a food processor and pulse until they are completely broken down into a "sauce." Put a fine mesh sieve over top of a bowl and gently press the raspberry mixture through until all of the liquid has gone through and only seeds and pulp remain.
- Pour the raspberry juice into a small saucepan, add the sugar and simmer over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- Add the cream cheese and butter to a stand mixer and whip until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla, powdered sugar and salt and beat again until combined.
- Add 3 tbsp of the raspberry mixture and mix until you have a pretty pink frosting. Taste and add more, if desired.
- Pipe or spread the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and top each one with a frozen raspberry and slice of key lime.
- Serve right away or chill until ready to serve. Enjoy!
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