RECIPE: Get into the Summer Mood with These Eggless Lime Coconut Cupcakes!

The flavours of lime and coconut are married together in these fluffy eggless cupcakes that are finished with a generous topping of tangy sweet lime buttercream, giving it that extra zing. These cupcakes are sure to lift up your mood any time of the day!  [Go straight to recipe]

These cupcakes are absolutely bursting with summery flavours. 

In these Eggless Lime Coconut Cupcakes, the fragrant coconut cupcake base is made using coconut cream for a pronounced coconut flavor. 

If you don’t have coconut cream on hand, feel free to substitute it with coconut milk, but take note that your cupcakes will get a milder coconut flavour.

To create the best version of these cupcakes, we tested three versions of the recipe, all with different amounts of lime juice. The one you’ll find below is our favourite out of the lot—all the flavours complement each other perfectly! 

For more citrus-based recipes, check out: 

Eggless Lime Coconut Cupcake Recipe

You might be wondering why these cupcakes don’t use eggs at all. Aren’t baked goods supposed to get their structure from eggs?

If you’ve never tried making eggless baked goods before, soft and fluffy cakes without eggs might seem unattainable.

Instead of eggs, these cupcakes get their fluffiness from the combination of baking powder and baking soda. With the right execution, you’ll get very soft, fine and tender-crumbed cupcakes!

However, remember not to leave the batter out for too long after you’re done mixing everything. The leavening agents will lose their rising power, and your cupcakes won’t be as fluffy.

Cupcake Baking Tips

Another key to achieving enough volume without eggs is by using the correct technique to fold ingredients into your batter.

Over mixing the batter will destroy the air bubbles in your batter, which keeps your muffins and cupcakes from rising properly. Watch this video to learn how to properly fold ingredients!

We made these cupcakes in smaller freestanding cupcake liners. If you don't have them, you can also use a regular muffin pan, or make them bite-sized with this mini cupcake/muffin pan!

Bakestarters Mini Cupcake & Muffin Pan

Shop Bakestarters 24-cup Mini Cupcake Pan (Gold)

Just make sure you’re only filling 3/4 of the liners or pan to prevent the batter from overflowing while you bake them.

Baking your cupcakes in a bigger case will also take longer than the suggested time in our recipe.

When you reach the 30-minute mark, check the doneness of your cupcakes using a skewer.

Insert a skewer once every 5 minutes, and by the time your skewer comes out clean, your cupcakes are done and you can take them out from the oven.

You don’t want too much browning on the top of your cupcakes, as it gives them an unpleasant burnt flavour.

To prevent this from happening, cover them with a sheet of aluminum foil once they start to turn golden-brown.

Decorating Your Cupcakes

To jazz up the look of these cupcakes, they are finished with a swirl of Lime Coconut Buttercream, using a star piping tip. 

If you don’t have a piping tip or bag, simply substitute it with a plastic bag—cut the corner of the piping bag and pipe the cream out from the hole. This will give you a smooth, rounded frosting look. 

Try using different types of piping tips to pipe out your frosting.

There are so many to choose from, but the 10 must-haves are enough to start with. Creating ruffles, swirls, or even buttercream flowers couldn’t be easier!

Read More: 10 Must-Have Wilton Piping Tips and When/How to Use Them

This Lime Buttercream recipe is slightly tangy and not overly sweet, as we’ve reduced the amount of sugar.

The zestiness of the buttercream helps to balance the sweetness of the cupcake base.

If you have a sweeter tooth or prefer something less sweet, feel free to adjust the amount of lime or sugar accordingly!

However, don’t add too much sugar as it will make your buttercream too thick and difficult to pipe.

Lastly, don’t skip the garnish.

Besides making your cupcakes more aesthetically pleasing, sprinkling desiccated coconut and adding a small lime wedge to finish will intensify the tropical flavors of these cupcakes.

Eggless Lime Coconut Cupcakes

Using coconut cream gives your cupcakes a rich, intense coconut flavour.

INSTRUCTIONS

Lime Coconut Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Zest 4 limes and rub the zest into the sugar. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, sift cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix them together using a whisk.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the lime-infused sugar, vanilla, coconut cream, lime juice + water, and vegetable oil till well combined.
4. Add the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, then slowly fold the two mixtures together using a spatula until it's fully incorporated. Do not overmix. Then, whisk the mixture to get rid of lumps, making it smooth and even.
5. Line a muffin pan with liners or use freestanding liners. Fill each one till about 3/4 full, about 2 tablespoonfuls of batter per cupcake (depending on size of cupcakes).
6. Bake the cupcakes for about 35-40 mins (for small cupcakes, about two tbsps of batter each), checking at 30 mins to tent the cake with a sheet of aluminum foil if the top browns too quickly. Poke a skewer in the middle of the cupcakes. If it leaves with moist crumbs attached/clean, your cupcakes are done; otherwise, add 5 minutes to the baking time and test with a skewer again.
7. Let the cupcakes cool and proceed to make the frosting.

Lime Buttercream

1. Leave butter out at room temperature for 15-20 mins until softened.
2. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, whip butter until light and fluffy.
3. Add in half of the confectioners' sugar and continue beating until mostly combined, then add in the other half. Mix until fully combined.
4. Using a spatula, fold in lime juice and lime zest until evenly distributed and well combined.
5. Transfer to a piping bag with a piping tip of choice, or use a resealable plastic bag with one corner cut off.
6. Start piping on cooled cupcakes. Garnish with a sprinkle of desiccated coconut and a small lime wedge if desired.

Cupcakes with Tropical Flavours

If this recipe makes too many cupcakes and there’s no one to help you polish them off, make sure you’re storing them correctly by using our guide on how to store baked goods. 

Want a sweet treat that fulfills your daily dose of caffeine? Try our White Chocolate Chip Espresso Muffins!

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