Lemon and Coconut Cupcakes

Lemon and coconut cupcakes with a candied lemon segment for decoration! These cupcakes are the perfect combination for a summers day treat!

~ Makes 12 large cupcakes ~

What you’ll need:

• 150g margarine
• 250g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 150g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 lemons (we’ll be using the rind and the juice!)
• 80g desiccated coconut
• 75ml water
• 200g unsalted butter
• 400g icing sugar
• 2 tbsp milk

Let’s get started!

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200/180˚C fan and line a muffin tin with paper cases, then set aside.
2. Cream together 150g margarine and 150g caster sugar until fully combined.
3. Add the eggs one at a time into the butter mixture, stirring inbetween each addition.
4. Now add in the dry ingredients: 150g self-raising flour, 1 tsp of baking powder and 80g desiccated coconut and stir thoroughly.
5. Add in the zest of one of the lemons and the juice of half a lemon into the cupcake mixture.
6. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cupcakes cases and bake in the centre of the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Once baked, leave the cupcakes to cool on a cooling rack.
7. While the cupcakes are baking, we can get started on the candied lemon segments. Place 75ml of water, 100g caster sugar and the juice of one lemon into a small saucepan.
8. Heat the mixture over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.
9. Add in segments or slices of lemon and simmer gently for around 15-20 minutes. Make sure to only have one layer of lemon in the pan this way they should all soften at the same time.
10. Once the rinds have softened, remove the pan from the heat and place the lemon segments/slices on greaseproof paper to cool. I saved the lemon syrup and poured about a teaspoon over the top of each cupcake.
11. While the lemon segments and cupcakes are cooling, we can make the icing.
12. Using an electric whisk, mix together 200g unsalted butter and 400g icing sugar. I find it easier to whisk up the butter until its smooth and light in colour, then gradually add in the icing sugar.
13. Once you have added in all the icing sugar, go ahead and add in grated lemon rind from 1/2 of a lemon (I used the fine side of the grater, 2 tbsp of lemon juice and 2 tbsp of milk and whisk the buttercream again.
14. To create a large spiral of icing on top of the cakes, use a large star nozzle and icing bag. Start from the outside of the cake and swirl the icing in towards the centre. Once you’ve finished piping, pop a candied lemon segment in the centre!

And you’re done! If you have a go don’t forget to share your makes with us on Instagram @aboxofbuttons or on Twitter @aBoxofButtons! See you next time!