Coconut Cupcakes
This wonderful cupcake and frosting combination is adapted from an Emeril Lagasse recipe for coconut cake. The moist yellow cake uses unsweetened coconut milk as the liquid, which makes for a beautifully smooth cake batter. See the recipe note on coconut milk as all brands are not the same. I cut down on the sugar in the cake to better balance with the slightly sweet frosting.
In the Seven-Minute Coconut Frosting the timing of the sugar syrup and the egg whites is vital so have everything ready before proceeding with the recipe. The frosting can be spread or piped on the cupcakes.
The original recipe calls for coconut flakes, but shredded (unsweetened) coconut, which is what I used on the regular sized cupcakes, may be substituted. It’s totally a matter of personal preference. Whichever type you use, be very careful when toasting in the oven as it burns easily.
This may be made in a regular 12-well muffin tin or a 6-well “jumbo†muffin tin. The regular size is perfect for one person to eat in his or her hand, while the jumbo needs a plate and fork, and is very shareable.
If cupcakes are happy food, then these coconut cupcakes bring food happiness to another level.
Coconut Cupcakes
| Yield: 21 regular, 9 jumbo muffins | # of Servings: 9 to 21 | Method: Creaming method |
Ingredients:
Cupcakes:
3 cups (13.2 oz / 367 g) cake flour, sifted
1 tbl (.55 oz / 15 g) baking powder
â…“ tsp salt
1 cup (8 oz / 227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ¾ cup (12 ¼ oz / 347 g) sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 tsp coconut extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk1, shaken before using
Finishing:
1 recipe Seven-Minute Coconut Frosting
2 cups (4.8 oz / 136 g) shredded or flaked unsweetened coconut, lightly toasted
Tools and equipment needed:
- 2 regular 12-well, or 2 jumbo 6-well muffin tins
- Regular or jumbo muffin pan liners
- 1.5 fl oz (#20) ice cream scoop
- 21†plastic pastry bag with a #864 French star tip.
Pre-recipe preparations:
- Lightly toast the coconut by placing on a silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet in a 350 °F for approximately 10 minutes, or just until a light golden brown. Be careful coconut can burn very quickly.
- Place liners in the muffin tins.
- Preheat oven to 375 °F.
Directions:
- Thoroughly whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
- In countertop mixer with paddle, or handheld mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add extracts to eggs. Slowly add to the butter mixture, scraping the sides of the bowl in between additions.
- Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternately with the coconut milk in two parts, beginning and ending with the dry. Use a plastic spatula to scrape up from the bottom to ensure a well-blended batter.
- For regular-sized muffins, place one scoop in each well, until about â…” of the way filled. For jumbo muffins, place approximately 1 ½ scoops in each well, until about â…” of the way filled.
- Bake just until the cupcakes the top feels springy and cake tester comes out mostly clean, between 15 and 17 minutes for regular muffins, 22 and 24 minutes for jumbo muffins,
- Remove from oven and place pans on cooling rack for 7 minutes.
- Carefully remove the cupcakes from the pans and place on cooling racks.
- Make the frosting.
- Spread or pipe the frosting on each cupcake.
- Sprinkle a generous amount of toasted coconut on each.
- Store at room temperature,
Notes:
1 There are differences in brands of coconut milk. Read the label before buying to see that it actually contains coconut milk. I have had success with the Nature’s Promise Organic Coconut Milk from Stop and Shop.
