Winter wonderland coconut cupcakes

I don't often make cakes with coconut in them, because the children have always been a bit "anti-coconut" but I had a nearly full packet of dessicated coconut in the cupboard and I didn't want to waste it. I've made Nigella Lawson's coconut cake before which my husband and I loved (the children weren't quite as enthusiatic!) so I thought I would use her recipe as the basis for my cupcakes, then dress them up with an enticing topping. Hey presto, it worked and both children are now coconut converts!

Ingredients:


FOR THE CAKE:

225g unsalted butter, softened
225g caster sugar
half a tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs
200g self raising flour
25g cornflour
half a tsp baking powder
50g dessicated coconut soaked in 150ml boiling water

2 muffin tins lined with paper cases


FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

225g icing sugar
120g unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract


1. Preheat the oven to 180 degs C/170 degs C fan/gas mark 4.

2. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz until you have a soft batter.

3. Spoon the batter into the paper cases until about two thirds full...

and bake for 15-2o minutes or until a skewer comes out clean...

4. Leave to cool in the tin for a while before transferring them to a wire tray to cool completely.

5. To make the buttercream, place all the ingredients in a food processor, with 2-3 tbsps of milk, and blitz until smooth.

6. Pipe, or spoon, the buttercream on to the cupcakes and sprinkle with dessicated coconut and silver balls.

7. Enjoy with a cup of tea!


This recipe comes from How To Be A Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson.