Coconut Cupcakes
Servings: 24 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.