Lime-Coconut Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

Lime-Coconut Cupcakes

• 1 box white cake mix

• 1 cup water

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

• 1 tablespoon grated lime zest

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

• 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

• 3 large eggs

• Green food coloring paste

• 3 containers classic white frosting 16 ounces each

• Silver and red dragées, fine unsweetened shredded coconut, and colored decorator sugar (optional)

Pastry Stars

• 1 sheet refrigerated pie dough 1/2 of a 15-ounce box

• 1 container white cookie icing 10 ounces

• Red dragées

INSTRUCTIONS

Pastry Stars

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. On a lightly floured surface, unroll pie dough. Cut out 18 stars using a small star-shaped cutter. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool completely (about 20 minutes). 

3. Heat icing according to package directions. Frost stars with icing. Top with dragées. Let stand for 1 hour to set.

Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 18 mini muffin cups with liners (paper or foil). Line 18 standard muffin cups with liners (paper or foil).

2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer at medium speed, beat together cake mix, water, oil, lime zest, lime juice, coconut extract, and eggs until well blended. Spoon 1 level tablespoonful batter into each mini muffin cup. Divide remaining batter evenly among standard muffin cups. Bake for 11 minutes for mini cupcakes and 15 minutes for standard, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (about 50 minutes).

3. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, gradually beat food coloring paste into frosting to tint it desired color. Spoon into a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag (do not seal). Snip a small piece off one corner of the bag.

4. Slice a thin layer off the top of a standard cupcake and pipe a small amount of frosting. Top with a mini cupcake. Pipe frosting on top of mini cupcake and on top of regular cupcake (around base of mini cupcake). Garnish with dragées, coconut, and colored sugar, if desired. Top with a pastry star.