These petite tea cakes are just sweet enough, and have a bright, sharp hit of lime that is well complemented by toasted coconut.
Even people who don’t love chocolate deserve to be loved. Yes, I’m aware that this information may be shocking and even incomprehensible to most, but there does exist a certain segment of the population for whom the sweet fruit of the cocoa tree simply ain’t all that. So put down that heart-shaped box of rich, dark chocolate truffles and move on to plan B. That is to say, put the lime in the coconut.
During a taste test among a group of highly well-bred and worldly women (my coworkers), these delightful Coconut Lime Tea Cakes even inspired one to propose marriage. Sorry, ladies, I’m taken!
These petite tea cakes are just sweet enough, and have a bright, sharp hit of lime that is well complemented by toasted coconut. Here, some of the all-purpose flour is substituted out with whole wheat, making these goodies just a tiny bit healthier for your valentine.
Coconut Lime Tea Cakes
For the cakes:
1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1 stick butter + 2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup coconut sugar (or substitute additional granulated sugar)
2 small limes, zested
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or substitute additional all-purpose)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
For the glaze:
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
2 limes, juiced
Place a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the coconut to the pan and stir constantly until it has taken on a light brown, toasted color. Reserve half a cup of the coconut for a garnish.
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
Place two tablespoons of butter in a small bowl and microwave for thirty seconds. Use a pastry brush to thoroughly grease the twelve cups of a cupcake tin with the melted butter.
Place the remaining one stick of softened butter, granulated sugar, coconut sugar, and lime zest in a large mixing bowl. Use an electric hand mixer to combine the ingredients until light and fluffy. Then, add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla extract. Whisk together the sour cream and milk, and then mix that into the batter as well.
In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk well to evenly distribute the ingredients.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Finally, stir in one cup of the toasted coconut.
Divide the batter evenly among the twelve cups of the muffin tin. Place the pan in the middle rack of the oven and bake 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of one of the cakes comes out clean.
Remove the tin from the oven and let the cakes cool for at least fifteen minutes in the pan. Run a thin knife or skewer around the edge of each cake. Then, carefully invert the pan to remove the cakes.
To make the glaze, whisk together the lime juice and confectioners sugar. Dip the top of each cake in the glaze and then into the toasted coconut.
This recipe will yield one dozen sweets for your sweetie.
