Put The Lime in the Coconut Cupcakes

What do you do when you have some limes sitting around the house and nothing to do with them?  If you are me, you start thinking of recipes!

First, I start by going through my recipes to see what I may have that uses, or can be adapted to use, limes.  When I came across my coconut almond cupcake recipe, I knew I found a winner.  What goes better together than lime and coconut!  Sounded good to me.

Instead of incorporating the limes into the cake recipe, I decided to make a lime curd, and use it as a filling for the cupcakes.  Then I made a coconut buttercream frosting for the cakes and sprinkled them with shredded sweetened coconut.  This kept the integrity of my (if I do say so myself) delish coconut cupcakes, but adds in that tangy lime flavor when you take your first bite.

Yummy!

Put The Lime in the Coconut Cupcakes

Lime Curd:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon lime zest
• 2 eggs, beaten

Coconut Cupcakes (with thanks to Ina Garten):

• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 extra-large eggs at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sale
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 14 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut

Coconut Buttercream:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. coconut extract (can use vanilla if you don't have coconut)
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup light coconut milk

Make the lime curd:

Place the sugar, butter, lime juice, lime zest in the top of a double boiler; stir over medium-high heat until butter melts. Mix 2 tablespoons hot lime mixture into the eggs and stir to blend. 
Reduce heat to medium until water simmers. Slowly whisk egg mixture into the lime mixture. Cook over the double boiler until lime mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly and spoon into a clean, glass jar. Cover and refrigerate. 

Make the cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in 7 ounces of coconut.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Fill each liner to the top with batter. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely.

Make the frosting:

In a large bowl, cream butter and shortening until light and fluffy. Add salt, coconut extract, powdered sugar, and coconut milk. Beat well.

Assemble the cupcakes:

Spoon the lime curd into a pastry bag fitted with a piping tip.  Insert the tip about halfway into the top of the cooled cupcakes and fill with about a tablespoon of the curd (the cupcake will expand a bit, but that is alright).  Frost with the buttercream and sprinkle with the remaining coconut.