Friend’s fancy


This recipe was created by our lovely friend Blair. In her spare time – when she's not working, travelling or walking with lions in Zimbabwe – she’s a very creative little bee, always making things for her friends and family. She’s also a diehard Friends fan (as are we). Ask her anything. Whose pizza did the girls get by accident? Where did Phoebe's boyfriend move to? What did Joey name his boat? Blair knows. And then there's her baking skills. This girl needs to open a tea shop. As proof, here’s one of her very own recipes. Enjoy.

Passion Fruit and Coconut Cupcakes
Makes 12 small cupcakes or 10 bigger cupcakes

Passion fruit and coconut cupcakes
For the cupcakes:
100g softened butter
120g self-raising flour  
2 tbsp cornflour
110g caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3 small eggs or 2 large eggs
2 tsp passion fruit juice/pulp* (you'll need 3 passion fruit for this recipe)

*Note: to extract the juice/pulp, cut open 2 passion fruit and scoop out all the pips and pulp into a sieve with a bowl underneath. Strain the juice using the back of a spoon. Use the juice in the bowl for the cupcake mixture but keep the seeds, pulp and the rest of the juice for the icing.

Passion Fruit and Coconut Cupcakes

  • Preheat oven to 150C for fan or 160C otherwise.
  • Put all the measured ingredients into a large bowl or kitchen mixer and mix until light and fluffy.
  • Fill cupcake cases placed in a muffin tray (1/2 fill if you want flat cakes or 3/4 fill if you want domed cupcakes).
  • Bake for 20 minutes in the middle of the oven.
  • Cupcakes should be light golden brown. A skewer or knitting needle should come out clean when inserted into the middle of a cupcake.
  • Leave to cool for a while in the tray and then transfer cupcakes carefully onto a rack to cool completely before icing.

For the icing:
300g icing sugar
150g softened butter
1/3 cup desiccated coconut (keep some extra for decorating)
2 tsp passion fruit juice
1 tsp lemon juice (squeezed from fresh lemon)
Pips and pulp of 2 passion fruit (transfer from sieve)

Passion Fruit and Coconut Cupcakes

  • Beat these ingredients together until smooth and creamy.
  • Add desiccated coconut, passion fruit juice, lemon juice squeezed, and pips and pulp.
  • Mix all ingredients together well with a wooden spoon (this keeps the pips from breaking up and becoming gritty).
  • Taste for flavour and feel free to add more passion fruit, coconut or lemon juice depending on how tart or sweet you like it.
  • Ice cupcakes once completely cool and sprinkle with remaining coconut.
  • Top with some passion fruit pips/pulp and juice from the 3rd passion fruit to add the final flourish of colour and taste.
Serve to friends with a fresh pot of tea or coffee.