Pineapple & pecan cupcakes

Method

• step 1

  Preheat the oven to 185 degrees Celsius and line a cupcake tin with cupcake cases

• step 2

  Drain the pineapple chunks and chop them into small pieces, keep the syrup for later

• step 3

  Cream the butter and sugar; beat in eggs, milk and vanilla with a little flour. Mix in the rest of the flour until just combined

• step 4

  Line the cupcake cases with some pineapple chunks and sprinkle with pecan nuts, keep aside about 1 dessertspoon of pineapple for decoration

• step 5

  Spoon the batter on top of the nuts and bake for 20-25 minutes

• step 6

  To make the pineapple syrup:

• step 7

  Mix the syrup drained from the tinned pineapple with the golden syrup and corn flour in an ovenproof bowl over a pan of simmering water for about 2 minutes. Drizzle over warm cupcakes

• step 8

  To make the coconut icing:

• step 9

  Mix all the icing ingredients together and split between two bowls

• step 10

  Add a few drops food dye to one bowl and drop teaspoons of white and red icing alternately onto the cold cakes. Smooth with a knife and top with the pineapple chunks from step 4