28. Coconut Orange Genoise Cupcakes

Who’s ready for an upper arm workout?!

Oh, no one? That’s a shame. Better hope you have an electric whisk then.

This week I decided to put it to an Instagram poll as to what to make. The categories were light/fruity vs spiced/chocolate, something big to share vs bitesized treats and vegan vs dairy. I slightly jumped the gun on the first poll which eventually had a close win with spiced/chocolate, but let’s be honest, I’ll likely do that soon anyway! So I though with light/fruity that I would veer away from my usual lemon based things and go a bit more exotic and combine coconut and orange as my flavours. Ooh it worked well. Would recommend.

I was also out of self raising flour this week, and rather slog to the shops to get some, I decided to make a genoise sponge mix instead, which made my arm very very sore from the whisking. Why I didn’t decide to use an electric whisk I do not know. I should hit the gym more. Genoise sponges only get their raise and lightness from the air trapped inside from whisking, which is why it is so important to whisk A LOT. Worth it though. They’re gooooood.

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

For the genoise sponge

• 4 eggs

• 125g (4.5 oz) caster sugar

• 110g (4oz) plain flour

• 50g (1.75oz) butter, melted

• 20g (0.75oz) dessicated coconut

For the orange sugar syrup

• 50g (1.75oz) caster sugar

• 30ml water

• juice of one orange

For the chantilly cream

• 300ml double cream

• 15g (0.5oz) icing sugar

• zest of one orange

• dessicated coconut to sprinkle

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C

2. On a simmering bain marie, whisk your eggs and sugar together until pale and thick, almost mousse like. Once thickened, take off the bain marie and whisk until the ribbon stage is reached and the mixture has cooled. (The ribbon stage is where if you take the whisk out and dribble a figure of 8 onto the mix, the 8 stays there for a couple of seconds before sinking back in).

3. Sieve and fold in the flour a bit at a time. Be careful not to knock out too much air when folding! Fold in the dessicated coconut too.

4. Pour in the melted butter around the edges of the bowl and fold that in gently.

5. Line a cupcake tin and fill with your mixture.

6. Bake at 180C for 18-20 minutes until golden and they spring back.

7. Leave to cool.

8. Put all the ingredients for the sugar syrup in a pan and bring to a boil, then remove from the heat, providing that the sugar has all dissolved.

9. Brush the sugar syrup onto the cupcakes while still in the tin and liners so they can really soak in the syrup.

10. Whisk the cream and sugar together until it forms soft peaks, then add in the orange zest.

11. Remove the cupcakes from the tin and liners, if so desired.

12. Pipe the cream onto the cupcakes and sprinkle over the dessicated coconut.

13. Enjoy!