Lamington cupcakes

Serves:

Ingredients

• 200g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ½ cups caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla essence (1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
• 4 eggs
• ¾ cup desiccated coconut
• 2 ¼ cups plain flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ cup milk

Topping

• 2 cups icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 ½ cups desiccated coconut

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Place cupcake papers in 2 x 12-hole muffin trays. In an electric mixer, beat butter for 2-3 minutes until pale in colour and creamy. Add sugar one third at a time, beating well between each addition. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about a minute between each addition. Add the vanilla essence and coconut, beat until combined. Sift flour and baking powder and add half to butter mixture with half the milk, beat until just combined. Repeat with remaining flour and milk.

Spoon mixture into cupcake papers until 3/4 full (I use an icecream scoop). Bake for about 15 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer to wire racks and allow to cool completely.

For the icing, sift icing sugar and cocoa into a bowl and add enough warm water to make a spreadable paste. Place coconut in a small bowl. Spread each cupcake with icing, then dip in coconut.

Notes:

• I love these cupcakes – all the joy of a cupcake and a lamington without the sticky-finger business of coating lamingtons!

Serving Suggestions

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