Coconut Ice Cupcakes

Coconut ice cupcakes look and taste great. The pale pink coconut topping adds texture to the light base.

These cupcakes are perfect for afternoon tea or for a girl's birthday party.

80g butter, melted
2/3 cup caster sugar
2 tspns vanilla essence
1 egg, lightly beaten
2/3 cup shredded coconut
1 cup self-raising flour
2/3 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F).

2. Line cupcake trays with cupcake papers.

3. Beat butter, sugar, vanilla essence, egg, coconut, sifted flour and milk in a bowl until well combined.

4. Spoon mixture into cupcake trays.

5. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of a coconut ice cupcake comes out clean.

6. Leave cakes in trays for 1 minute before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

Coconut ice topping
1 cup shredded coconut
2 cups icing sugar
1 tspn butter, softened
Pink food coloring

1. Combine coconut, icing sugar and butter in a bowl.

2. Gradually stir in 1/4 cup hot water until mixture is a spreadable consistency.

3. Stir in 2/3 drops of food coloring.

4. Spread topping over coconut ice cup cakes and leave until set.

Variations:
Instead of adding pink food coloring to the topping, blend 1 tblspn cocoa with 1 tblspn boiling water. Add to remaining topping ingredients.