These coconut cupcakes are infused with coconut cream and topped with smooth coconut buttercream frosting….YUM!!!
Coconut is one of my very favorite flavors. So many people dislike it and I just can’t understand!! Starbucks used to have the most amazing coconut mochas– discontinued due to lack of interest. Recently, Cheesecake Factory discontinued my favorite cheesecake- coconut cream pie. What is this world coming to?
If you like coconut, you will enjoy these cupcakes so much- they are positively bursting with coconut flavor. Honestly, they are my new favorite cupcake, followed closely by cookie dough cupcakes. If you don’t like coconut you should make cookie dough cupcakes. You need cupcakes today.
Yum…..
Here’s how to make them: (printable recipe)
INGREDIENTS: (makes 12 cupcakes)
Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cups of cake flour
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3 egg whites and ½ egg yolk at room temp
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1/3 cup cream of coconut (plus a little to brush on top)
- 2 teaspoon water
Coconut Buttercream Icing:
- 2 sticks (1 cup) of butter at room temperature.
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 teaspoons coconut extract
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- White food coloring gel.
DIRECTIONS:
Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 325F
- Add flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to a large mixing bowl and using an electric mixer combine these dry ingredients well.
- Cut (room temp!) butter into 1 tbs pieces.
- Add these pieces one at a time to dry ingredients while blending on low speed.
- Mix until butter pieces are separated into small bits (no bigger than pea-sized)
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together the rest of ingredients.
- Slowly add half of liquid mixture to dry, while mixing on medium. Mix until completely combined.
- Slowly add the rest of the liquid and mix on high for about a minute until well combined.
- Divide batter into 12 cupcake liners in a cupcake tin.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean.
- Allow cupcakes to cool in pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Poke holes into tops of each cupcake and use a pastry brush to brush coconut cream on top of each cupcake.
- Allow coconut cream to soak in while you make icing.
Icing:
- Add all ingredients except shredded coconut into a mixing bowl and combine with a mixer on low. Then whip on high until light and fluffy.
- Frosting will be an off-white color because of the butter. To make it more “coconut” colored you can add white food coloring gel to your desired shade of white.
- Add shredded coconut and blend well.
- Scoop icing on top of each cupcake using a cookie scoop. Evenly divide icing among the 12 cupcakes.
- Press coconut on top and sides of entire scoop of frosting.
- Enjoy!
My thoughts: There are so many fun little cupcake stores out there. I’ve been trying them out and picking my favorites. I’ve come to the conclusion that made-from-scratch cupcakes have more potential than boxed mixes. Potential for both good and bad. I’ve had some terrible cupcakes and some absolutely heavenly ones. I’ve decided that I need to be brave and venture into developing my own from-scratch recipes for cupcakes. This was my 1st attempt and I was really excited they turned out well! If you need a QUICK coconut cupcake recipe, use a white cake mix with some coconut flavoring and this coconut buttercream. Here’s to new adventures in life! Enjoy!! ~r
Love cupcakes? Try one of our four most-viewed recipes!
EASYBAKED 