Hi. First of all,
-try using vegetable oil because sometimes olive oil gives out a distinct flavor that isn't usually in thai cuisine. Or you could opt for light tasting olive oil instead.
- Use the basil and lime juice and bell pepper.
- Try adding more fish sauce, pepper to taste

I hope this helps.

I have tried baking the magnolia cupcakes twice and they came out dense, not light and fluffy like the reviews. And I only mix with a hand whisk until the flour is just combine then a little 3 stirs to smooth our the lumps. I creamed my grated butter with sugar and it was really light and fluffy. My flour is still good. I'm not sure what went wrong. Perhaps it was my baking tin? Did i bake it too long? too short? Thankyou so much.

I tried your method, but i grated the butter instead of cutting it. It works like a charm! Thankyou !

Thankyou for your reply! I live in Thailand and the weather is very hot and humid here plus i always forget to leave it out of the fridge!

I have been doing a lot of baking recently, but I have never been able to leave the butter to soften on its own. So i use butter from the fridge, measure it then microwave it for about 7 seconds, or until it is soft. Sometimes the bottoms starts to melt a little. Does microwaving the butter effect my "bake goods"? I have heard that it ruins the texture, which I have been having problems with lately. Should I just try to leave it outside the fridge next time? Thankyou