These Coconut Cupcakes consist of perfectly moist cake piled high with billowy vanilla buttercream frosting and a dusting of toasted coconut. Delightfully sweet with subtle hints of coconut , these cupcakes are of bakery-quality and once you made them, you’ll know exactly what I am talking about.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!To make these cupcakes, start by toasting the coconut to be used as the garnish. Spread one cup of sweetened shredded coconut onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350 deg F for about 7 minutes. Stir the coconut every few minutes to ensure even browning. When golden brown, remove the coconut from the oven and set aside to cool. Keep the oven at 350 deg F, you’ll bake the cupcakes at the same temperature.
Next, blend one can of full fat coconut milk to reincorporate the milk with the fat solids that have risen to the top of the can. Set aside. Place 2¼ cups (or 4½ sticks) of salted butter and four eggs on the counter to come to room temperature. When the butter is soft, place one cup (two sticks) of butter into a bowl or standing mixer along with one cup of granulated sugar. Mix until the butter is light and fluffy, about three minutes. Next, separate the eggs reserving the whites for use later on. Add one egg yolk, at a time, to the butter/sugar mixture, mixings well between each addition. Add one teaspoon of vanilla and ½ teaspoon of almond extract to the batter and mix.
In a separate bowl, sift 2½ cups of cake flour with 2 ½ teaspoons of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt. Measure out 1¼ cups of (pre-blended) coconut milk. Add the flour and coconut milk in three alternating increments, starting and ending with the flour additions.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with ⅓ cup of sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter.
Line two standard muffin tins with cupcake papers and divide the batter equally among all 24 muffin wells (this is achieved by filling each well about two-thirds full of batter). Bake the muffins for about 14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the muffin tins for 5 minutes, then place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
When the cupcakes are completely cool, make the vanilla buttercream frosting. With a hand or standing mixer, whisk together 1¼ cups (or 2 ½ sticks) of softened salted butter, 4½ cups of powdered sugar, 2½ teaspoons of vanilla, ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons of coconut milk and a pinch of salt. Whip the frosting until fluffy and very smooth. Using a piping bag fitted with a star tip, or an offset spatula, liberally frost each cupcake and garnish with the toasted coconut. Enjoy.
Coconut Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the batter
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 eggs, separated
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ tsp almond extract
- 2½ cups cake flour
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
For the frosting
- 1¼ cups butter, softened
- 4½ cups powdered sugar
- 2½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup +3 tbsp coconut milk
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Spread one cup of sweetened, shredded coconut onto a rimmed baking sheet and toast for about 7 minutes or until golden brown. Stir the coconut periodically while it toasts to ensure that it browns evenly. Set aside to cool.
- Blend one 13.5 fluid ounce can of full fat coconut milk to reincorporate the milk with the fat solids. Set aside.
- Mix two sticks (one cup) of softened butter with one cup of granulated sugar with a hand or standing mixer until light and fluffy, about three minutes.
- Separate room temperature eggs, reserving the whites for later use. Add yolks, one at a time to the butter/sugar mixture, mixing well between additions. Add vanilla and almond extracts.
- In a separate bowl, sift the cake flour, baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Measure out 1¼ cups of coconut milk. Add the flour and and coconut milk to the cake batter in alternating increments, starting and ending with flour. Mix until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with ⅓ cup of sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter.
- Line two muffin tins with paper and divide the batter evenly among the 24 muffin wells. Bake the cupcakes for about 14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
- When the cupcakes have cooled, make the vanilla buttercream frosting. With a hand or standing mixer, whisk together the remaining 1¼ cups (2½ sticks) of softened butter with the powdered sugar, 2½ teaspoons of vanilla, ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons of coconut milk and a pinch of salt. Whip the frosting until smooth and fluffy.
- Using a pastry bag fitted with a star attachment or offset spatula, liberally frost each cupcake and garnish with the toasted coconut.
- This recipe makes 24 cupcakes.
