After an invite to my friends house for a Labor Day party, my baking juices started to flow and I wanted to make some cupcakes (of course I did, right?!)  I had picked up lemons and limes at the market last week in anticipation of baking something tasty with them, so I was good to go.

First up, I baked some lime cupcakes, I baked half the batch and game out with around a dozen and a half lime cupcakes.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes (this is the half recipe I used):

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (34.5 syns)
0.5 tbsp. baking powder (0.5 syns)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature (56 syns)
1 cup sugar (24 syns)
2 large eggs, at room temperature (free)
3 limes, zested and juiced (I didn’t half the limes cause I wanted a strong flavour) (free)
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk (2.5 syns)

Total: 6 syns per cupcake

Directions

• To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 325˚ F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir with a fork to blend.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes.
• Blend in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Beat in the lime zest, lime juice and vanilla.  With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Beat each addition just until incorporated.

• Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ full.  Bake 20-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  If desired, brush the cooled cakes with tequila to emphasize the true margarita flavor.

I didn’t brush my cupcakes with tequila, mostly because there was going to be a lot of children present and I didn’t want any parents getting mad at me for giving their kids liquor!

I also tried to  ‘Slimming World’ them up a little, instead of butter, I used margarine, instead of sugar and I used half sugar and half Splenda.  Syn values are in brackets above – please correct me if they aren’t right, I’m still figuring out this American measurements, British syn-ing system thing!

For frosting, I mixed one stick of margarine, with about 6 cups of icing sugar and added a little vanilla, as well as 3tbsps of tequila.  I had planned on making the one in the recipe, but I was low on time and I just threw a few things in a bowl, hoping it’d work – thankfully it did, but at almost 10 syns a serving, you might not want to top your cupcakes with this tequila-bliss…though it was most definitely a highlight!

I’m definitely more aware of trying to incorporate my Slimming World life into my baking, I don’t want to be one of those people only using cous cous cheats and ommlette looking/tasting baked goods.  I don’t like compromising on my treats, I find that if I don’t satisfy myself with the ‘real deal’ it only leads to more destruction.

I’m content with bringing down higher-synned baked goodies, to a more manageable level, with substitutes as long as it still tastes yummy, and in this case, it most definitely does!