Kiwi Lime Cupcakes

I was in the mood to bake tonight. I have a ton of kiwi so I went on a search for something kiwi to bake. This can be a challenge because kiwi is not a fruit that is typically used to bake. I ended up choosing a kiwi cupcake and adapted a recipe that I found on a food blog. The cake batter is a vanilla base with kiwi puree in it. I had to thicken the kiwi so that it would be noticeable in the batter. I had extra puree so I decided to make a kiwi compote with a little sugar and cornstarch. Once the cupcakes cooled I filled them with puree and then topped it with a lime cream cheese frosting. YUM! Here's the recipe.


Ingredients:

Cupcakes:
3 kiwis pureed
3/4 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
pinch salt
4 T. butter, room temp.
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1/4 t. vanilla
2 T. milk

Filling:
1 kiwi pureed
1 T. sugar
1/2 t. cornstarch

Frosting:
3 oz. cream cheese, cold
4 T. butter, softened
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 t. lime zest
juice from 1/2 lime

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pan with paper liners.

Peel and chop 4 kiwis. puree. In a small saucepan, heat puree over medium low heat until it thickens to about 1/2 c. The color will darken.

In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Cream the butter until pale and fluffy. Add sugar and mix until smooth (1-2 min). Add egg and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add milk and 1/4 c. of thickened puree until just combined. (if the puree is still hot make sure you add gradually and mix quickly so that the egg doesn't cook.)

Spoon into cupcake pan and bake: 8-10 min. for mini cupcakes or 20-22 min. for regular size.

Thicken the remaining puree so that it can be used for filling. Place the saucepan over medium heat and add sugar and cornstarch. Stir constantly until the puree thickens to a compote texture.

Once cupcakes are baked transfer them to a cooling rack to be filled. I used a squirt bottle and plunge it into the cupcake and squeeze pulling up. You can also use a pastry bag or cut a cone shaped hole and fill the cupcake.

Frosting:

Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add powdered sugar 1/4 c. at a time, scraping bowl sides each time. Add lime juice and zest and beat until smooth and combined. Frost cupcakes once they have cooled.