Coconut Lime Cupcakes
A refreshing summer dessert that is certain to brighten up your BBQs this summer season! These coconut lime cupcakes are made of coconut cake filled with a zesty lime curd and topped with torched meringue. Add a little rum or tequila to the mix, and you’ll be ready to party by the pool this summer!
About These Coconut Lime Cupcakes
You put de lime in de coconut, you eat ’em bot’ up. A classic and refreshing flavor combo in cupcake form with a torched meringue on top! I love any excuse to bust out the good ol’ blowtorch and flame on. If you don’t have a blowtorch, you can find an inexpensive one at your local hardware store or you can get a (probably) expensive one at a boutique cooking store that accomplishes the same task.
The Origin of Cupcakes
The word cupcakes comes from the absence of muffin tins and using individual ramekins or cups to bake small cakes in. The very first recipe was published in 1796 in the Amelia Simmons American Cookery and rose to popularity once the muffin tin was invented. Cupcakes are also the culprit as to why Americans prefer to use measuring cups over a scale. A basic cake recipe decided to measure ingredients by volume instead of weight because the recipe made it easier and faster to remember (how American!). In 1919, Hostess created their first cupcake named as such. Read all about its history and how the show Sex and the City also helped popularize this delightful treat here!
Coconut Lime Cupcakes Ingredients
- Shredded Coconut: Most stores only offer sweetened shredded coconut. If you happen to come across unsweetened coconut that is preferred. However if you use it, increase the sugar to 166g.
- Coconut milk: Use regular, non-organic, canned coconut milk. Organic coconut milk has separated the fat from it’s liquid, and it can be difficult to homogenize and get the right proportions if not using the whole can.
- Lime juice: Fresh squeezed and strained juice is always preferred, but if you would rather not juice limes, bottled lime juice works and tastes just fine. Check out these other citrus desserts too!
- Egg whites: Fresh is best when making desserts with meringue! Carton egg whites do not whip up well enough at all.
Major Allergens Present: Gluten, dairy, eggs
Equipment Needed
- A blowtorch: You can either buy one from a specialty kitchenwares store or from a hardware store, and I promise you they are cheaper and better from the hardware store. Can’t get enough of that blowtorch? Check out my other flaming recipes!
- Hand or stand mixer: Used to make the cake batter and the meringue. For this you will use the paddle (for the cupcake batter) and whip (for the meringue) if using a stand mixer and the beaters if using a hand mixer.
- Medium muffin/cupcake tin: Obviously you need a cupcake tin to make cupcakes! Mine is the one that makes 1 dozen. You’ll need liners as well.
How to Make Coconut Lime Cupcakes from Scratch
What are Coconut Lime Cupcakes Made Out Of?
This refreshing coconut and lime cupcake recipe contain a coconut cake base, lime curd filling, and a toasted meringue topping. I love a filled cupcake because why have a plain cupcake when you can fill it with such a delightful surprise?? The coconut cake focuses less on being a sweet dessert and more about the flavor of coconut by using coconut milk and toasted, shredded coconut. Adding in the lime curd with fresh lime juice for a zesty, creamy kick and the meringue for a bit of smoky sweetness, and you got yourself a well balanced dessert for all of those who love coconut.
Make the coconut cake:
The coconut cake uses a basic creaming method. A creaming method is first creaming together the butter and sugar until fluffy. This adds air into the dough formed by the sugar crystals slicing through the butter. Second, you add the eggs and extracts, and finally adding the dry ingredients and liquids alternately. Many cakes and cookies use this method and is a foundation for baking. Know this method well. The key is to continuously scrape the bowl and attachment(s) before and after each addition of ingredients. This ensures all the ingredients are playing together cohesively.
Make sure to toast the coconut first thing so it has time to cool before using. Toasting the coconut brings out a much better coconut flavor. It also helps dry the coconut out a little bit, and not toasting the coconut causes the cake to be stickier, sweeter, and less flavorful.
Prepare the lime curd:
For this citrus curd, we are using the double boiler method that uses eggs to thicken instead of cornstarch, and it’s super easy. Whisk together all the ingredients, except for the butter, and place over a double boiler. With double boilers, you never want the bottom of the bowl to touch the water. Whisk occasionally until it has thickened then whisk in the butter. This method produces a thick and droopy curd, but not stiff, and the double boiler allows the steam to heat the bottom of the bowl which causes the curd to cook evenly at lower, indirect temperature. A lower, steadier temperature means a slower coagulation of the egg proteins which produces better flavors.
Hollow out the cupcakes and fill:
To hollow the cupcakes you can use either a melon baller, ring cutter, or a serrated steak knife, and I prefer serrated knives because a cone shaped cavern gives you filling in every bite. Cold cupcakes are easier, so I will make the curd and the cupcakes the night before so that both can chill in the fridge overnight. But, what’s important with hollowing out cupcakes is that you want a good amount of filling without completely removing the stability of the bottom and sides of the cupcakes.
Once you have your cupcakes all hollowed out, you can opt into brushing with some lime juice, tequila, or rum if you want get a little fancy. If not, you can dive into filling. Using a pastry bag or spoon, fill the cupcakes just slightly above the top of the cupcake, but make sure it isn’t spilling out! Set aside while you prepare the meringue.
Prepare the meringue and frost:
Decorating with meringue is of course optional but highly recommended. There are three types of meringues: American, Swiss, and Italian. Each one is cooked differently. American style is not cooked at all and is the least stable. Swiss style has the egg whites and sugar cooked until the sugar dissolves and has a medium stability. And Italian style cooks the sugar to 250*F and is the most stable. Depending on what you’re making depends on what stye of meringue you should use. Since we are just decorating, Swiss works well here. See my post on how to make meringue for more info.
Cook the whites and sugar over a double boiler until the sugar dissolves whisking minimally. Then you whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. Done. For decorating, you can either do a rustic look with just a spoonful on top, or you can try your hand at piping with a piping bag and star tip (or any tip you prefer). Check out my tips below on how to fill and use a piping bag.
Torch and finish the coconut lime cupcakes:
I love any excuse to bust out the blowtorch, and I always feel that meringue should be torched. Torch the meringue by turning the flame to medium and torch with swift, even strokes with the flame an inch or two away from the meringue. Don’t let the flame settle on one spot to burn, and be careful not to set the cupcake liners on fire! Once you have torched the meringue, garnish these coconut and lime cupcakes with lime zest, and/or toasted coconut and enjoy this summer BBQ cupcake recipe!
Getting hung up or lost on all the baking terminology? Study up here.
Help Making Coconut and Lime Cupcakes
How to Hollow and Fill Cupcakes
- Cold cupcakes are easier to hollow out. I prefer to make the cupcakes a day in advanced and let sit , covered in the fridge overnight.
- Use a serrated steak knife, apple corer/ring cutter, or melon baller to hollow out. Leave enough cake for stable sides and bottom, but also hollow enough for enough filling. I find tremendous success with a small ring cutter.
- I usually fill slightly above the cupcake because I love the filling of a cupcake. However, you want to be careful that nothing spills over and out.
How to Use a Piping Bag
- Insert the piping tip into the bag and cut a hole according the size of the tip hole. Push some of the bag into the tip to prevent any leakage.
- Fold the top quarter to third of the bag over and hold the bag there. Spatula the meringue into the bag wiping the spatula through the bag like a hand squeegee.
- Fold the top back over and hold the top of the bag with your non-dominant hand. With large piping bags I will actually twist the end and put under my arm pit for safe keeping.
- With your dominant hand, hold about two-three inches form the tip. Squeeze the center of the bag and twist. This your pressure point and your control point of the bag. The further your dominant hand is from the tip, the more strenuous and less control you have over the bag.
- Use the meat of your thumb and your fingers to then squeeze out the contents. Release to stop.
How to Make Swiss Meringue
- For more detailed information on how to make meringue, see this post.
- Use fresh egg whites as opposed to carton egg whites. Fresh will always whip up better; in fact, sometimes carton egg whites don’t whip up at all.
- Make sure no fat gets in the bowl or on your whip attachment! Fat (such as cream, butter, or egg yolks) will always destroy a beautifully whipped meringue. You can wipe the bowl and attachment with a vinegar dampened paper towel.
- You can’t over-whip Swiss or Italian meringue so turn that mixer on high and let it rip! However, once you have it going it must be kept in constant motion or else it will be less smooth and more chunky. If I’m not quite ready for it yet, I’ll turn my mixer down to 1-2 speed (low) until I am.
- When warming the whites and sugar together, just warm it until the sugar is dissolved. Help it along by whisking now and again. I will use my fingers to check for any remaining sugar crystals.
Enhancing These Coconut and Lime Cupcakes:
- Replace the lime with lemon juice and have a coconut lemon cupcake!
- Make a rum, tequila, or lime simple syrup by bring equal parts liquid to sugar to a boil. Then generously brush the inside of the cupcake for extra flavor.
How to Store and Freeze Coconut Lime Cupcakes:
- These are best eaten around room temperature and freshly meringue’d as the meringue will dry out and become somewhat crunchy if left out.
- Loosely cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze the coconut cupcakes and lime curd separately for up to 3 months.
- Store the coconut cupcakes wrapped in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and the lime curd for up to a week.
Troubleshooting These Coconut Lime Cupcakes:
- My meringue deflated or won’t whip up! You are either not using fresh whites, fat has come into contact with the whites, or your mixer is too big. You will need to start over, so when you do use fresh whites, clean the bowl with soap and hot water, and wipe out with a vinegar dampened towel. Also, your bowl may be too big and the amount of product too small for the whip attachment. Double the recipe and only use half.
- My curd has some white chunks in it! Totally fine! It’s just cooked egg whites. Next time I would suggest whisking REALLY well, straining through a fine mesh strainer, or just not caring.
Something else going wrong? Reach out and we will troubleshoot together!
Coconut Lime Cupcakes
Equipment
- Stand or hand mixer
- Blowtorch
- Medium cupcake pan and liners
Ingredients
Coconut cake:
- 98 g Shredded coconut
- 140 g Granulated sugar increase to 166g if using unsweetened, shredded coconut
- 86 g Butter, unsalted
- 2 ea Whole eggs
- 286 g Coconut milk
- 210 g All purpose flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Baking soda
- 1 pinch Kosher salt
Lime curd filling:
- 66 g Lime juice About 2.5 limes
- 60 g Granulated sugar
- 2 ea Whole eggs
- 2 ea Egg yolks
- 84 g Butter, unsalted
Swiss meringue topping:
- 2 ea Egg whites
- 135 g Granulated sugar
Optional for finishing:
- Rum or lime juice to lace the cupcake hole with
- Toasted coconut for garnish
- Limes to zest for garnish
Instructions
To prepare the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350*F and prepare a medium cupcake tin with liners.
- Toast the coconut evenly (don't forget to toast more than what was weighed if you want to garnish with it!). Check and stir it frequently to prevent it from burning. Allow to cool before using.
- Using your stand mixer and paddle or hand mixer and beaters, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and attachment.
- Lower to speed to medium-low, and add in the eggs. Mix until combined and scrape down the sides of the bowl and attachment.
- Alternately, add in the dry ingredients and coconut milk starting and ending with the dry ingredients (dry, wet, dry, wet, dry). Mix on low speed until a dough a batter comes together.
- Fold in the toasted coconut, and portion into the cupcake liners filling 3/4's of the way up.
- Bake at 350*F for 20-22 minutes or until the center when pushed springs back up. Allow to cool completely before hollowing out and filling.
To prepare the lime curd filling and hollow the cupcakes:
- While the cupcakes are baking and cooling mix the lime juice, sugar, and egg products in a bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water on low heat. Never allow the water to fully boil out.
- Whisk occasionally until the mixture becomes thick. Allow to become cold in the fridge.
- Using a serrated knife, ring cutter, or melon baller, hollow out the center of the cupcakes (see my tips above on filling cupcakes!). Lace or brush with rum or lime juice if you choose to do so.
- Spoon in the lime curd filling and fill to the top.
To prepare the Swiss meringue & finish:
- Whisk together the sugar and egg whites in the bowl of your stand mixer and place over a pot of simmer water on low heat.
- Whisk occasionally until the sugar dissolves and whip on high speak until cooled stiff peaks.
- Transfer the meringue into a piping bag with a tip of your choice and top the cupcakes. An alternative to piping is spooning or scooping a large mound for a more rustic look.
- Torch the meringue evenly with your blowtorch and garnish with the optional lime zest and/or toasted coconut.
Notes
Nutrition
