MINIATURE SPICY KEY LIME CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Line 3 miniature muffin tins with miniature paper liners.
• Make the cake mix according to the package directions. Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each about halfway full (about 2 teaspoons each). Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 12 to 15 minutes. Place the muffin tins onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and key lime juice. Pour the mixture into a small squeeze bottle.
• Put the heavy cream and confectioners' sugar in a large mixing bowl and use a hand mixer to whip to medium-stiff peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Alternatively, if you do not have a piping bag with a star tip, you can put the whipped cream into a large resealable bag and cut a corner of the bag to create your own piping bag. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• To assemble, place the tip of the squeeze bottle into the center of one cupcake. Press the tip about three-quarters of the way into the cupcake and squeeze a small amount of the key lime filling into the cupcake (the filling should just come to the top of the cupcake). Repeat this step with the remaining cupcakes.
• Pipe small mounds of the whipped cream on top of each cupcake. Garnish each cupcake with a light dusting of cayenne pepper and a sprinkle of lime zest.