Ingredients:
2 ¼ cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups coconut milk
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 ½ cups white sugar
1 ½ tablespoons grated lime zest
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 cup heavy cream, chilled
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 tablespoon freshly grated lime zest
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 12-cup cupcake tin with paper liners.
Prepare cupcakes: Sift cake flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Whisk coconut milk and egg whites together in second bowl.
Combine sugar and lime zest in the bowl of a stand mixer; rub together with your fingers until sugar is moist and fragrant. Add butter and beat with a paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in lime juice and coconut extract. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, beating on medium speed. Mix in 1/2 of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in 1/2 of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Mix in the remaining milk-egg mixture, followed by the last of the dry ingredients. Continue beating the mixture for another few minutes to ensure it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared liners, filling each about 3/4 full.
Bake in the preheated oven until the cupcakes are well risen and springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely, another 20 minutes.
While the cupcakes are cooling, combine chilled cream, sugar, and coconut extract for whipped cream in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed just until stiff peaks form. Whip in lime zest until combined. Transfer to a piping bag with a fitted tip.
Pipe the whipped cream on top of the cooled cupcakes.