Fastest Easiest Ever: Citrus Cupcakes (★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆)

So just for arguments sake, say you were taking a night course.  Every Wednesday for twelve weeks you attended said class.  And in return for giving up your valuable evening hours, you got to know your classmates pretty well -- mostly in part, because night classes are unpopular.  

I mean, who wants to spend their confection baking, gym fat-busting, dog fight hummingbird watching, [insert preferred activity here] spare time sitting on their tush in a darkened room for hours on end?

Well...me, I guess.  

And a select few others.  The cream of the crop...in my most humble opinion.  

Moving on...

If after spending the equivalent amount of time with these new found friends as you did in fifth grade at that crazy youth camp where you were forced to strap yourself to a rope and repel down a rock even though you didn't want to and were sure you were going to die...and after actually making it safely to the ground your counselor offered the most comforting words of "I told you so,"...you would agree that some sort of celebration involving food would be in order, right?  Right!?  

Then why, pray tell, did I find myself dumb-faced and gaped-jawed when no one wanted to shake things up for our final class.  Are people this lazy?  Or worse, have Californians become so healthy that they no longer eat for pleasure?  

No.  I refuse to make eating a job.

So even though I was out-voted, my baking/need-to-feed-people gene compelled me to bring something.  Someone in that room needed a cupcake.  And this could not go unrectified. 

The only problem was I had literally two hours to make something happen.

That's when I came up with these - Fastest Easiest Ever "Citrus Cupcakes."

What you need:
1 - Box Lemon Cake Mix
1 - Small Box Instant Lemon Pudding
1 - Can Cream Cheese Frosting
1 - Lime (for zest and slicing)
1-2 Tbsp Lime Juice (from a bottle or pick up an extra lime)

Step One:
Preheat oven.  Prepare cake mix, adding one package of lemon pudding (the "dry cake" savior).  Bake according to directions on box.

Step Two:
While cupcakes are baking, zest lime then slice into thin halves or quarters.  Add 1-2 Tbsp of lime juice to cream cheese frosting.  Do this to taste, adding a tbsp at a time.  I ended up adding about four tbsp and regretted it later...the flavor will sneak up on you!

Step Three:
Wait.  Rest.  Relax.  Sneak in a chapter or two of "Catching Fire" while you mull over the intricacies of the whole Gale/Peeta debate.  Gale for Katniss, Peeta for me.  At least...that's what I did.

Step Four:
After cupcakes have cooled, frost and top with lime slice and a sprinkle of zest.  Voila!

Literally took me an hour and a half from the first picture shot to lemony/lime goodness in my mouth. Can't beat that!

Eat your heart out California!