Saturday 8 February 2014

By Special Request... PANDA CUPCAKES!

Lots of you have asked for the PANDA CUPCAKE recipe from COCO CARAMEL... so here it is! When you've perfected it, why not hold a panda cake-sale like Coco, to raise money for endangered species or a local animal sanctuary? Think of it as a RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS for the animals... ;o) 


INGREDIENTS:
150g self-raising flour
200g caster sugar
150g unsalted butter (room temperature)
2 eggs
3 tbsps fresh lime juice
zest of 2 limes
30ml milk
1/4 baking powder
chocolate buttons
white confetti sprinkles or white fondant          

for the buttercream:
150g butter
200g icing sugar
3 tbsps coconut milk
2 tbsps coconut cream
dessicated coconut

and also:
a muffin tray
paper cases
Edible black ink marker


METHOD:

Cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 160c/320f/gas mark 4 & line muffin tray with 12 paper cases
2. Add lime juice to milk and leave to one side
3. Cream butter & sugar until light & fluffy, add eggs and beat again
4. Add 1/3 of flour & baking powder with lime juice and milk and mix until just combined; repeat until all the flour and all the lime juice & milk has been added
5. Fold in lime zest with metal spoon
6. Fill cases 2/3 full and bake for 25 mins or until golden. Remove & cool on wire rack

Buttercream:
1. Combine icing sugar, butter & coconut cream in bowl, mixing till smooth. Add coconut milk to loosen mixture
2. Use palette knife to spread buttercream over cupcakes and sprinkle with dessicated coconut
3. Decorate with chocolate button ears & eyes
4. Add confetti sprinkles or small blobs of white fondant for whites of eyes; dot with the black edible marker.
5. Snip choc buttons into triangles and press into place for the noses

Now for the best bit - the taste test! Remember to take a photo and send it to us here! (Special thanks to readers Susan and Eloise for the pics of their yummy panda cupcakes!)


9 comments:

  1. I'm going to try and make some panda cupcakes and then I'll tell you if they taste ok and I might send a picture if I'm aloud. Xx
    P.S Cathy I'm your biggest fan when I got told we could meet you I jumped at the chance and begged my parents to let me I can't wait until sweet honey comes out and is it true your favourite colour is moss green or is it a lie? From your biggest fan xx

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  2. Go for it, Fizz22! You're absolutely right, moss green IS my favourite colour... definitely true! (I do wear a lot of black and pink too, though!)
    xxx

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  3. They look so cute, I will definitely make them some time :)

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  4. Can't wait to try them out - they look DELICIOUS!

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  5. I've just finished reading your book coco caramel and it is amazing I can't wait to start reading summers dream and the sweet honey! From your biggest fan and thank you for replying to my last comment

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  6. The cupcakes went really well I want to send a pic but I can't they looked cool and tasted great
    P.S your the best author in the whole wide world xx

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  7. Wow ... It looks really good! Sure I'll try! Little Thought for Coco :)

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  8. Wow, these look fab-tastic! I came to your talk today and bought coco caramel (you signed it, thank you sooooo much!)! You told us about these cakes and on your power point they looked great! me and my bestie came today and we were looking at your website after the talk (elsmere port way word festival) and we found this recipe, we are going to make them together soon! thank you again! I love PANDAS!
    PS I love moss green to!

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  9. met you in York, going to make panda cupcakes

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