The only magazines I get are gift subscriptions courtesy of my mom (Thanks, Mom!), one to Real Simple and one to Cooking Light. I would often take my magazines over to read at Grandma’s while she napped, and then she would flip through and sometimes pick out a recipe we should try. Most of their recipes are available online, too! That particular fact often makes me second-guess my CL subscription, wondering if I should trade it in for Vegetarian Times or something, but that is not for this post.
This post is about cupcakes.
Specifically, the Coconut Cupcakes with Lime Buttercream Frosting from Cooking Light’s May 2009 issue. Grandma and I ate them with one of her childhood friends who stopped by for tea! It has some pros and cons.
Pros: Light both in taste and in calories, tasty, not too sweet, an unexpected flavor combination
Cons: A bit dry (though I didn’t use potato starch), and I felt there wasn’t enough coconut
Coconut Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes
Ingredients:
Cupcakes
4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
3 tablespoons potato starch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 large egg
1 large egg white
2/3 cup fat-free milk
2 tablespoons flaked sweetened coconut
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
4.75 ounces powdered sugar, sifted (about 1 1/3 cups)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, potato starch, baking powder, and salt. Next, combine sugar and butter in a mixer bowl at medium speed. When blended, the texture should be like damp sand. Add egg and egg white, beating well after each one. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, 1/2 the milk, 1/3 flour mixture, last 1/2 of the milk, and the rest of the flour. Fold in flaked coconut and vanilla.
Spoon batter into lined muffin cups and bake for 18 minutes at 350F. Let cool in pan for 2 minutes then remove and let cool on wire rack completely before frosting.
Meanwhile, make the frosting.
Combine butter, lime zest, half-and-half (or milk) and lime juice. Beat until smooth. Gradually add in powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.
The lime offsets the sweetness of the frosting quite nicely. I would add more coconut, though. My dad who professes to hate coconut ate one and declared it delicious, much to my grandma’s amusement. The lime-coconut combination is great, though!
Maybe the lack of potato starch did me in. Worth another shot!
