Preheat the oven to 190℃ (170℃ fan)/375°F/gas mark 5. Place the muffin sized cases into the muffin tray.
Make the sponge. Place the soft
butter and sugars into a good sized bowl and beat together with a wooden
spoon or electric beaters until very pale and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the lime zest, desiccated coconut and milk, and beat to combine. Sieve the flour into the mixture. Use a
spatula or large metal spoon to fold this in gently. You’re aiming for a
nice dropping consistency. Add a little more milk if
necessary.
Fill the muffin cases. Using a
teaspoon, fill the cases with the batter mixture. You’re aiming for them
to be half to two-thirds full. You may decide to weigh each muffin to
ensure equal sizes. Each will weigh about 60g – 63g.
Bake. Place the muffin tray in the
centre of the oven and bake for about 20 – 23 minutes. You may need to
rotate the tray after 15 minutes of baking. Once baked, remove from the
oven and place on a cooling tray.
Make the buttercream. Place the
softened butter into a good sized bowl. Beat to ensure it is soft and
creamy. Sieve half of the coconut icing sugar into the butter. Use a wooden
spoon to combine the two ingredients. Sieve in the remaining coconut icing
sugar and mix to combine. Sieve the unflavoured icing sugar into the buttercream and beat again. Beat well to create a creamy frosting. Add a little milk if necessary, and
beat in well.
Toast the coconut flakes. Place the coconut flakes into a dry frying pan / skillet. Set on the hob over a low to medium heat. Allow the coconut flakes to gently pick up a soft brown colour whilst frequently moving them around the pan to avoid them catching and spoiling. Be aware that the coconut flakes can toast quite quickly. Tip the coconut into a bowl and set aside to cool.
Hollow out the cupcakes. Use a
paring knife or the wide end of a large piping nozzle to create a hollow
in the top of the cupcake. Use the tines of a fork to gently remove a little more of the cupcake sponge if required. Add a teaspoon of the lime curd. Avoid over filling.
Cut off a little of the sponge that was removed and place the ‘crust’ piece back onto the
cupcake to act as a ‘plug’.
Decorate. Place 2 – 3 teaspoon of coconut icing onto the cupcake. Use the back of the spoon to smooth it out. (If you prefer you could pipe it on). Finish with a generous scattering of toasted coconut flakes.