Citrus Poke Cupcakes

Don’t get me wrong–I like chocolate. I even crave it every once in awhile. But if you were to put something chocolate and something citrus in front of me, 90% of the time I will go for the citrus. There is something about the tartness of lemons, limes and oranges that I just can’t pass up. They are so refreshing and full of bright flavor, so I’m always drawn to foods that incorporate them. 

 Here is a way to get lots of citrus flavor in a cupcake. 

First, you’ll need the zest from a lemon, lime and orange. The zest really adds a lot to these cupcakes.

You’ll start off by combining the cake mix, the ingredients called for on the box and the citrus zest. Mix for 30 seconds on low, and then on medium for 2 minutes.

Pour the mixture into cupcake tins, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake the cupcakes for 15 to 20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes.

Using a skewer or a fork, poke holes into the cupcakes. You are going to get more lime and orange flavors here along with some fun color!

Mix lime gelatin powder with 1/2 cup of boiling water; stir to dissolve. Pour over half of each of the cupcakes.

Then do the same thing with the orange gelatin. It’s okay if the lime and orange gelatin overlap–it doesn’t need to be perfect here. Refrigerate the cupcakes for 30 minutes.

Whip up your frosting. Then using a large decorative tip, pipe the frosting on top of the cupcakes. If you don’t have a tip, just put the frosting in a resealable plastic bag, cut off one corner and pipe it on.

Now you have cupcakes that are not only filled with citrus flavor, but with fun colors as well!