Salted Coconut Almond Cupcakes (Gluten-Free And Milk-Free) Recipe

With Easter just behind us, I can't help reminiscing about my childhood Easters growing up in South Florida. My stepmother Patti would make the Easter meal showstopper: her coconut lamb cake with jelly bean embellishments was the crescendo for all the kids. The cake was light, fluffy and with the sweetness of bountiful coconut. A couple of years ago I decided to recreate Patti’s masterpiece as a more approachable cupcake that's perfect for anytime of the year and any occasion. Converting this recipe to gluten-free had its benefits through the use of almond flour in the sponge cake base, which added deliciousness and nutritional value. Coconut milk serves as a perfect replacement for all milk products making this dessert milk-free and enhancing the depth of the coconut flavor. A sponge cake is one in which the eggs are whipped with a little acid (lemon juice in this case) to coagulate the proteins and set the eggs into a fluffy, pale yellow foam into which the rest of the ingredients are gently folded in, resulting in a delicate sponge-like texture. The acidity of the lemon also brightens up the coconut and almond flavors. With this large amount of eggs, no baking powder or leavener is needed because the eggs act as the leavers as well as providing the main structure of the cake. Too much leavening can result in a big dip in the cupcakes. Remember, it is always better to under leaven than over leaven. The perfect frosting pairing for this coconut almond cupcake is a twist on a classic seven-minute frosting that resembles a marshmallow fluff. Coconut milk used here, too and topped with traditional shredded coconut. A small amount of salt is used in the frosting and a very light sprinkling of salt on top to bring out maximum coconut flavor.