Lime and Macadamia Cupcakes

 

 

 

 

 

I spent Saturday trying to tame nature i.e. pruning and cleaning up the orchard (and then straightening my hair). With effort like that, a girl deserves coffee and cupcakes in the garden.



Lime and Macadamia Cupcakes
Makes 12

For the Cupcakes:
1 cup plain flour
1/4 cup ground macadamias (I blitzed some whole macadamias in the food processor)
3/4 cup caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup macadamia oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Zest of one lime

For the Frosting:
60g unsalted butter, softened
Zest of one lime
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Pinch of fine sea salt
250g icing sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon buttermilk
A tiny drop of green food colouring (optional)

Make the Cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 160C. Line a 12-hole cupcake pan with paper liners. Set aside.

Put the flour, ground macadamias, sugar, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

In a separate bowl whisk the oil, buttermilk, egg, vinegar, vanilla and lime zest together. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk briefly until just combined. Do not over mix. Divide the batter between the cupcake cups and bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of a cupcake comes out clean.

Leave the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing them and transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the Frosting:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, zest, vanilla and salt until smooth. Add the icing sugar and beat on low until combined. Add the lime juice. food colouring (if using) and enough of the buttermilk to make the frosting soft enough to pipe. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 -3 minutes until whipped and fluffy.

Spoon the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a small open star tip and pipe swirls on top of each cupcake.