Let Her Eat Cake: Coconut & Lime Fairy Cakes

Put the lime in the coconut and shake it all up... My friend just came back from Brazil, and after listening to him bragging ALL I can think about is coconuts and Caipirinhas. Not even Harry Nilsson is going to help me out of this fix. Since we can't get away with drinking cocktails all day, a cake will have to do.

As much as I love a cupcake, I've been getting a bit nostalgic for a good ol' fairy cake. Remember the kind when you were a kid which came in a packet with rice paper cartoon stickers? I can't promise novelty toppings, but what I can give you is a coconutty, limey sugary treat without the cachaca hangover.

Creamed coconut gives these little cakes a great depth of flavour. To be honest, I only used it because I was all out of desiccated, but the result was so great, it might just be my new favourite thing. You can find it in most larger supermarkets, in the world food section.

Coconut & Lime Fairy Cakes (Makes 12)

You will need:

For the cake:

• 110g unsalted butter, softened
• 110g caster sugar
• 1 heaped tbsp creamed coconut
• 2 free-range eggs, beaten
• 110g self-raising flour
• 1-2 tbsp milk

For the icing:

• 140g butter, softened
• 250g icing sugar
• 1 tbsp greek yoghurt
• squeeze of lime juice
• zest of 1 lime (save a little for decoration)

Make it!

The cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Lightly grease 12 small cake cases and place in a muffin / fairy cake tray. 
2. Cream together the butter and the sugar until light and pale.
3. Finely grate or crumble 1 heaped tbsp creamed coconut. Beat into the butter and sugar until completely combined. (Add a few drops of hot water to soften the coconut beforehand, if necessary)
4. Beat in the eggs a quarter at a time, adding a teaspoon of flour with each to stop the mixture from curdling. 
5. Gradually sift in the remainder of the flour, folding in gently until just combined. 
6. Add the milk in splashes until the mixture has a dropping consistency. 
7. Spoon into the fairy cake cases, filling them halfway. 
8. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the tops are a light, golden brown and a skewer comes out clean.
9. Cool on a wire rack away from hungry thieves. 

The icing:

1. Make sure the butter is soft, but not melted (6 second blasts in the microwave usually does the trick) then beat in a bowl, along with half the icing sugar until smooth.
2. Add the spoonful of yoghurt, squeeze of lime, lime zest and remaining icing sugar and beat well until your icing has the desired consistency (you can add more sugar or lime to taste).
3. Spread over your cooled fairy cakes with a flat knife, and decorate with freshly zested lime.