Spring is coming! I’m so excited! I’m so ready for warmer weather, flowers, refreshing vegetables and fruits from the local farmer’s market. The warmer weather, longer days, and sunshine tend to evoke a longing for lighter foods. Creamy, buttery comfort food and pasta dishes are suddenly less desirable and rich chocolate and hot caramely desserts tend to get replaced by fruity cold ones. Not necessarily true for everyone, of course, but certainly for me.
In the warm weather my biggest struggle is trying not to finish off a gallon of ice cream in one sitting. It’s actually bad to the point that I can’t keep it in the house. I’ve grown out of the habit of scanning the ice cream aisle every time I go to the grocery store. This year, I fear that I will be fighting off my constant craving for nachos (what is that all about, anyway?).
Or maybe I’ll be trying to resist making these adorably petite, packed with flavor, bite-size cupcakes again and again and again because they are SO good. And since they’re so tiny, you can totally eat 5 or 6 at a time…. I’m sure that’s a mathematically correct calculation of how many of these little babies equal one normal sized cupcake…. Right? I don’t care!
Mini Orange-Lime-Coconut Cupcakes
(makes 36-48 mini cupcakes, depending on how much batter you eat)
Cupcakes:
- 3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
- 1 1/3 Cups Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1 tsp. Orange Zest
- 2 Cups All-purpose Flour
- 2 1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
- 1-2 Large Oranges, Juiced (I used a “tangelo”, any large orange will do)
- 2 Limes, Juiced
Filling:
- 1/2 Cup Fage 0% Greek Yogurt
- 2 Tbsp Sugar
- 3 Tbsp Shredded Coconut
Frosting:
- 1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
- 1/4 Cup Coconut Milk
- 1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
- 3 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Shredded Coconut, Firmly packed
For Filling: In a food processor or blender (I have one of those Magic Bullets), blend all ingredients of the filling together. It is essential that the shredded coconut be further shredded so it will be easier to suck up with a syringe. Using a thin syringe with a large tip, suck up the filling mixture, push it into the center of your cupcake, and give it a nice slow squirt. The coconut will occasionally clog the tip, just be patient! I gave each cupcake 2-3 squirts until the hole was full.
I’ve become so accustomed to putting things in the center of my cupcakes that I don’t know if I can ever make a plain one again! But look at how amazing the centers look… And it’s always nice to find a little surprise in your dessert (this type of surprise, anyway!)
For Frosting: Cream butter. Slowly alternate adding powdered sugar and coconut milk while your mixer runs on low-medium speed. Add vanilla and salt. Add extra powdered sugar if the frosting is too runny, or coconut milk if the frosting is too stiff, if needed until desired consistency is reached. Add shredded coconut and mix well. Spread or pipe on to the top of your cupcakes. Holy goodness!
I sprinkled pale green sanding sugar on the top of my cupcakes for a “limey” look. Plus they’re subtle, sparkly, and so stinkin’ cute!
- ¾ Cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
- 1⅓ Cups Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1 tsp. Orange Zest
- 2 Cups All-purpose Flour
- 2¼ tsp. Baking Powder
- ½ tsp. Sea Salt
- 1-2 Large Oranges, Juiced (I used a “tangelo”, any large orange will do)
- 2 Limes, Juiced
- ½ Cup Fage 0% Greek Yogurt
- 2 Tbsp Sugar
- 3 Tbsp Shredded Coconut
- ¼ Cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
- ¼ Cup Coconut Milk
- ¼ tsp. Sea Salt
- 3 Cups Powdered Sugar
- ¼ Cup Shredded Coconut, Firmly packed
- Preheat Oven to 350º.
- Prepare your mini cupcake pans with liners.
- Cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla. Add zest. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well with each addition.
- In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients.
- Also prepare your orange and lime juices. This is important: The total amount of juice between the limes and the oranges should equal one cup. If you do not have 1 cup total of juice after you’ve juiced your orange and limes, juice another orange to top off.
- Add flour mixture to butter mixture gradually, alternating with the juice.
- Pour batter evenly between mini cupcake cups ⅔ full.
- Place in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until baked through with springy-to-the-touch tops.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
- In a food processor or blender, blend all ingredients of the filling together. It is essential that the shredded coconut be further shredded so it will be easier to suck up with a syringe.
- Using a thin syringe with a large tip, suck up the filling mixture, push it into the center of your cupcake, and give it a nice slow squirt. The coconut will occasionally clog the tip, just be patient! I gave each cupcake 2-3 squirts until the hole was full.
- Cream butter.
- Slowly alternate adding powdered sugar and coconut milk while your mixer runs on low-medium speed. Add vanilla and salt.
- Add extra powdered sugar if the frosting is too runny, or coconut milk if the frosting is too stiff, if needed until desired consistency is reached. Add shredded coconut and mix well.
- Spread or pipe on to the top of your cupcakes.
Yum! I love the frosting in the center!
Meep! These are awesome .
So adorable. These sound delicious!
Wow these look amazing! They look so moist. Love coconut, love lime. Combined? To die for!!
Nice Post. I have been working in the food and catering industry for a long time and loves to read on the latest stuff whenever got time. I just came through your blog post and you have nicely outlined about the cupcakes etc. Thanks for writing such a good post and hope you will be posting stuff like this on regular basis as I have subscribed to your blog.
Very nice post. Thanks for sharing. I noticed that the cupcakes appear to be smaller in size than a regular mini cupcake. If that is the case, can you please share the name of the pan and where you purchased it?
I don’t think they’re any smaller than a regular mini cupcake, perhaps they are slightly smaller because I used silicone cupcake liners, which took up a little more room in the the pan. I got my mini cupcake pans from Harris Teeter (the local grocery store). As far as I know, they’re standard size