Coconut Lime Cupcakes

Coconut and lime is an unexpected, but super sweet flavor combination!  The inspiration for this cake comes from the lovely Cake by Courtney and her Coconut Key Lime Pie Cake.  It's a bomb recipe, I just wanted to see if I could make it a tad bit easier.  And to me that means a cake mix!

Baking can already be so tricky and time consuming.  I love to take simple steps to make baking easier and faster.  I've always been known to doctor up cake mixes and make a pretty stellar cake, but I've always followed others recipes.  Until now!

I created this recipe! I'm so grateful for awesome bakers that share their talents and hopefully I can do the same.  Without further ado lets dig in!

I started with a base of a boxed white cake mix and added all the lovely ingredients that made Courtney's cake so fabulous.  I tweaked the amounts, and added a few more things to make sure it would work out just right.  I even added the graham cracker crust and lime curd filling to wow the guests at the baby shower I took these to.  Boy did they wow!  Topped with the most smooth coconut cream frosting and toasted coconut, these rosette cupcakes were a show stopper (and incredibly easy from the cake to the decorating... Shhh!).

I made the lime curd a couple days before so I had one less thing to do on party day.  I'm all about party prepping!

Coconut Lime Cupcakes

Graham Craker Crust

1 1/2 C. graham cracker crumbs

1/4 C. and 2 T. unsalted butter, melted

1/4 C. granulated sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake pan with liners.  Crush graham crackers well then mix with butter, sugar and salt.  Place about 2 teaspoons in the base of each cupcake liner.  Press with the back of the measuring spoon.  Bake for 5 to 7 minutes.  Let cool while making cake.

Coconut Lime Cake

3/4 C. cream of coconut

2-3 tsp. coconut emulsion

2/3 C. sour cream

4 egg whites

1/3 C. coconut oil

1 tsp. vanilla

1 box white cake mix

1 1/2 T. flour

2 tsp. lime zest

Combine wet ingredients.  Once combined add cake mix, flour and lime zest, just until combined.  Fill over graham cracker crust using a small cupcake scoop.  Bake for about 17-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.  Let cool before you frost.  

I then toasted about 1 C. sweetened coconut in the oven while watching continuously.  Let cool.  After the cupcakes and coconut were cool, I cut a cone shape out of the middle of each cupcake (this is on my wish list now though!!), and cut off the tip of the cone.  Don't cut too far because you will hit the crust.  I then filled the hole with THIS lime curd and put the rest of the cake on top.  I then topped each cupcake with a simple rosette design using a 1M Wilton tip and THIS delicious frosting.  It's just like a regular cupcake swirl just think reverse and start in the middle while working your way out.  

I just had to share the cake that I made as well for the baby sprinkle.  

This technique is also super easy to complete.  Make a vertical row of frosting dots.  Use the back tip of a icing spatula to gently pull the middle of the frosting.  Continue with the complete row of dots.  Then just keep piping rows and rows and keep pulling.  The last row can just be dots. 

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