Fun with Cupcakes

I enjoy baking - experimenting and creating something yummy. Thing is - I can't eat near as much as I make. Thankfully have have friends and a fiance that helps me make it disappear so it's not wasted.

So this time, I experimented with cupcakes... what I have to share with you is a white chocolate, coconut, lime coconut cupcake with a cream cheese frosting. It's a pretty light lime and coconut since some people don't like the strong flavors. You could easily kick them up a notch or two if there's a flavor you like a lot. You could also change the flavors to make your own flavor combo. These were yummy and sweet. I tried decorating with white chocolate hearts, but I used Hershey's Bliss white chocolate squares and it was already a soft chocolate so after a little while they started to melt and fall down onto the cupcake. 

All in all, I think they were pretty easy. They were also a nice splurge. Next week I am starting a two week gluten free challenge with a friend. So after this post - I'll be all crafts and gluten free for at least two weeks. 

Here is what I did to create these... 

18.25 Ounce White Cake Mix

3.4         Ounce Coconut Cream Instant Pudding Mix

4            Large       Eggs

3/4         Cup   Vegetable Oil

1            Medium Lime

1/4         Cup   Sugar

18                         White Chocolate Bliss Squares

8            Ounce     Cream Cheese

4            Cups Powdered Sugar

8            Tbl    Butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and put cupcake liners in cupcake pan, set aside.

Combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil and the zest from the lime and blend well with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. 

Pour a small amount of batter, filling each cupcake about half way. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

While cupcakes bake, combine lime juice from the lime (approx 1/4 cup) and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat until sugar is dissolved.

While cupcakes are still warm, cut small hole in center with a butterknife and push a hershey's bliss piece in. Then poke a few holes around the slit with a toothpick and brush your sugar lime mixture over the tops. You can go over each cupcake with the lime syrup about 2 - 3 times depending on how heavy each pass is. 

Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and butter and blend with an electric mixure until creamy. Keep in fridge until you're ready to ice.

Once the cupcakes are completely cooled you can ice the with your cream cheese icing. You can add extra toppings as desired - I used lime zest and white chocolate hearts. You could also add coconut flakes. 

These were fun to create and experiment with - and truly have endless flavor possibilities. 

I welcome you to join me on my two week gluten free challenge. I hear it has some great health benefits and will help get rid of some of that little belly bump that just drives me crazy and is so hard to get rid of. I will share my journey and my food creations - I never knew how many things had gluten until I started looking into this challenge. So it will be a learning experience for me and an interesting challenge too.