These are very much a second choice option, but a delicious one nontheless. I originally wanted to make blueberry and lemon cheesecake bars (and will next week) but as I’ve been struck down with a cold, going to pick up the ingredients was far from ideal. So, I raided the cupboards to try and find an alternative and this is what I came up with. Coconut, almond and white chocolate go so well together, mmm…
Ingredients (makes around 11-12 cakes with enough icing for a very thick layer):
For the cake (a fantastic basic recipe for light, fluffy cakes)
40g unsalted butter (room temperature)
140g caster sugar
120g plain flour
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
120ml whole milk (I used semi-skimmed and it was fine too)
1/4 tsp almond essence
1 large egg
For the icing:
250g icing sugar
80g unsalted butter (room temperature)
25ml whole milk
1 x 100g bar Lindt white chocolate (or any brand, just make sure it’s decent quality)
1 tbsp dessicated coconut
coconut sprinkled ontop to serve.
Note: the icing is not totally smooth as it has dessicated coconut in it, if you want a totally smooth icing add 1/2 tsp coconut extract or add approx 190ml coconut cream instead.
How To Do It:
Step One | Preheat your oven to 190C / 375F / gas mark 5 and line a tin with cake cases.
Step Two | Mix the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and butter until breadcrumbs are formed. Mix the milk, egg and almond essence in a separate bowl then gradually add it to the dry mix until fully combined and a quite runny mix is formed.
Step Three | Spoon the mix into the cases, about 1/2 to 2/3 full and place in the oven for 18-20 mins, or until golden on the top. Once cooked, move to one side and allow to cool fully.
Step Four | For the icing, mix the icing sugar and butter together, then add the coconut and milk. Melt the chocolate (either in the microwave or over a pan of water) then incorporate that into the mix. If it’s too soft, add 2 tbsp of icing sugar until it holds more shape.
Step Five | Using a piping bag and nozzle, pipe the mix onto the (now cooled) cakes. Or you could just spoon it on if you can’t be bothered with icing! Sprinkle some coconut on the top and you’re done!
So there you have it, a super quick (half an hour total) cupcake recipe to make you feel all summery. Well, coconut makes me feel summery anyways… Hope you enjoy!
helen x | twitter | instagram | bloglovin
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