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!)