Coconut Cupcakes with Lime Buttercream Frosting

Two weeks ago I needed to bring a dessert to my aunt's for a cookout and I wanted something with coconut, my favorite flavor of summer. I googled for cupcakes and came across these from Cooking Light. They were posted on several blogs and some people suggested the flavor was not coconut-y enough, so I followed their advice and substituted 1/3 coconut milk for 1/3 of the fat free milk. Definitely added more of a coconut flavor, but next time I am also going to add coconut extract instead of vanilla. The cupcakes were a total hit and I made them for the Fourth of July as well!

Coconut Cupcakes with Lime Buttercream Frosting

Courtesy of Cooking Light

CUPCAKES:

Cooking spray

4.5 ounces (about 1 cup) all-purpose flour

3 Tbsp potato starch (I did not have this, so used regular corn starch)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 C sugar

2 Tbsp butter, softened

1 large egg

1 large egg white

2/3 C fat free milk (I used 1/3 C coconut milk and 1/3 C FF milk)

2 Tbsp flaked sweetened coconut

1/2 tsp vanilla extract (next time I will use coconut extract)

FROSTING:

3 Tbsp butter, softened

1 tsp half and half

1/2 tsp grated lime rind (you could also use lemon rind and lemon juice instead of lime)

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

4.75 ounces powdered sugar, sifted (about 1 1/3 C)

• Preheat oven to 350
• Place cupcake liners in pan and coat with cooking spray
• Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next three ingredients (through salt) in a small bowl; stir with a whisk
• Combing 3/4 C sugar and 2 tablespoons butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until blended (mixture will be consistency of damp sand). Add egg and egg white, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to egg mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in coconut and vanilla.
• Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350 for 18 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when touched lightly in the center. Cool in pan 2 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack.
• To prepare frosting, combine 3 tablespoons butter and next 3 ingredients (through juice) in a medium bowl; beat with a mixture at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating just until smooth. Spread about 2 1/12 tablespoons frosting on to each cupcake.
• Yields 12 cupcakes