Coconut Cupcakes with Ginger-Lime Frosting

I’ve been wanting to try my hand at coconut cupcakes for a while and I had some coconut milk left over from the pumpkin curry I made last week, so I decided to go for it. The cupcakes came out incredibly soft and moist, and the ginger and lime in the frosting were the perfectly tart and tangy twist to top them off. They’re a wonderful way to brighten up a cold and dark almost-winter day.

Coconut Cupcakes with Ginger-Lime Frosting
(makes 9)

For the cupcakes
½ stick (4 tablespoons) butter, room temperature
½ cup sugar
1 egg
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
1 cup flour
½ cup coconut milk
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

For the frosting
4 ounces cream cheese
½ stick (4 tablespoons) butter, room temperature
1 ¼ – 1 ½ cups confectioners sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons lime zest
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

Cupcakes
Heat oven to 350° F.

Beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg, salt, and baking powder, and mix until well combined.

Add ½ cup flour, all of the coconut milk, and the remaining ½ cup flour, beating after each addition. Add the shredded coconut and mix by hand until just combined.

Distribute the batter among 9 lined muffin tins. Bake for 20-22 minutes. (A toothpick should come out clean.)

Frosting
Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the butter and beat to combine. Add 1 ¼ cups of sugar, lime zest, and ginger and beat until smooth. If the frosting is not thick enough, add more sugar until the desired consistency is reached.