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Flavorful Lemon Coconut Easter Cupcakes with Zesty Toppings

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Bright and fresh lemon cupcakes combined with tropical coconut and a zesty cream cheese topping, perfect for spring celebrations like Easter.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (45g) unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted if desired
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¾ cup (180ml) buttermilk (or regular milk plus 1 tbsp lemon juice)
  • ⅓ cup (80ml) vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • Zest of 2 lemons (about 2 tbsp)
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 8 oz (225g) cream cheese, softened (for topping)
  • ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened (for topping)
  • 3 cups (360g) powdered sugar, sifted (for topping)
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (for topping)
  • 1 tsp lemon zest (for topping)
  • Optional: toasted coconut flakes for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, toasted shredded coconut, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and gently fold with a spatula just until combined; batter should be thick but pourable.
  5. Fill each cupcake liner about ⅔ full with batter.
  6. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  7. Remove cupcakes from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
  8. For the zesty topping, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy (about 3 minutes). Gradually add powdered sugar, then lemon juice and lemon zest. Beat until smooth. Chill 10-15 minutes if too soft.
  9. Frost cupcakes generously with the zesty topping and garnish with toasted coconut flakes if desired.

Notes

[‘Toast the coconut in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden and fragrant for extra flavor.’, ‘Use fresh lemon zest and juice for the brightest flavor; bottled lemon juice can be used but increase zest for more zing.’, ‘Avoid overmixing the batter to keep cupcakes light and tender.’, ‘Chill frosting if it is too soft before applying to cupcakes.’, ‘Measure flour by spooning into the cup and leveling off to avoid dense cupcakes.’, ‘Cupcakes are best served at room temperature about 30 minutes after frosting.’, ‘Store cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 2 months.’]

Nutrition

Keywords: lemon cupcakes, coconut cupcakes, Easter cupcakes, spring dessert, zesty topping, cream cheese frosting, easy cupcakes

Find it online: https://evabakery.com/flavorful-lemon-coconut-easter-cupcakes-easy-zesty-topping-recipe/