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!
- Pre-heat the oven to 200/180˚C fan and line a muffin tin with paper cases, then set aside.
- Cream together 150g margarine and 150g caster sugar until fully combined.
- Add the eggs one at a time into the butter mixture, stirring inbetween each addition.
- Now add in the dry ingredients: 150g self-raising flour, 1 tsp of baking powder and 80g desiccated coconut and stir thoroughly.
- Add in the zest of one of the lemons and the juice of half a lemon into the cupcake mixture.
- 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.
- 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.
- Heat the mixture over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.
- 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.
- 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.
- While the lemon segments and cupcakes are cooling, we can make the icing.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!