Coconut and citrus cupcakes

makes / 12 prep / 30 minutes cook / 20 minutes

Ingredients

175g unsalted butter, at room temperature

155g (3⁄4 cup) caster sugar

3 eggs, at room temperature

1 1⁄2 tbsp finely grated citrus rind (combined lemon rind and lime rind, plus extra lime rind, to serve) 1 tsp coconut essence

190g (1 1⁄4 cups) self-raising flour 45g (1⁄2 cup) desiccated coconut 125ml (1⁄2 cup) coconut milk Fresh flowers, to decorate FROSTING:

250g cream cheese, at room temperature

50g unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 1⁄2 tsp finely grated lime rind 345g (2 1⁄4 cups) icing sugar mixture, sifted 1⁄2 tsp fresh lime juice

1. Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced. Line a 12-hole, 80ml

(1⁄3 cup) capacity muffin pan with paper cases.

2. Use electric beaters to beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the rind and essence. Add flour, coconut and milk, in alternating batches, stirring until just combined. Divide among prepared pans. Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

3. For the frosting, use electric beaters to beat the cream cheese, butter and rind in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the sugar in 2 batches, beating well after each addition until smooth. Beat in the juice until combined.

4. Use a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle to pipe the frosting on to the cupcakes. Sprinkle with a little extra lime rind and decorate with fresh flowers.

Recipe by Katrina Woodman

Photo by Jeremy Simons