Coconut Cupcakes From Me to You

I’m really bad with goodbyes. Like realllyyyyy bad! When I found out that one of my favourite people at my lab, D, was leaving, the best solution I could come up with was to bribe her to stay with cupcakes. We went to a Thai restaurant last week, and D loved the coconut ice cream there, so I was inspired to make Mini Coconut Cupcakes with classic Buttercream.

The cupcake recipe was modified from Cooking Classy (who adapted a Martha Stewart recipe), and the frosting from Baker’s Royale. I was originally going to do a coconut frosting, but thought maybe that was a little overkill!

Let’s have a serious discussion about these cupcakes. They are AMAZING! Possibly, the best cupcakes I have ever made. I’m almost 100% sure that it’s the coconut milk in the recipe that makes them so fabulous. They’re just so fluffy, and have a beautiful deep flavour to them!

I don’t have any process pictures today, as things were a little hectic, but of course, I’ve included the recipe below, with my slight modifications.

For the frosting please refer to this post: https://sweetlittlebrownies.wordpress.com/2012/10/29/me-love-coookies/

Now, for the most important part: making them pretty! I mean, they’re fantastic all on their own, especially with these pretty wrappers that S got me.

BUT, of course, I like things extra pretty! I was originally going to pipe on the frosting in a rose shape, but sadly, I didn’t have any pastry bags at home, and I was forced to spread it on instead. I then dipped the edges of the frosted cupcakes into toasted coconut flakes and placed a rose petal on some of them, just for some extra appeal!

Here they are, in all of their glory!

I will leave you with a quote…

“Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some people move our souls to dance. They awaken us to a new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom, and make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon. Some people stay in our lives awhile, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same.”

Come back next week for another sweet treat!

-G

Coconut Cupcakes

Modified from Martha Stewart/Cooking Classy

Makes about 24 mini cupcakes

• ½ cup packed sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ cup butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large whole eggs, at room temperature
• 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ¾ cup unsweetened coconut milk
• Toasted shredded coconut, for garnish (optional)

 Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and coconut, set aside. With an electric hand mixer on medium high speed, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy about 3 – 4 minutes.
• Add in eggs and egg whites, mixing after each addition. Stir in vanilla. With a wooden spoon, add in flour mixture alternating with coconut milk in three separate batches, mixing gently until combine after each addition.
• Divide batter evenly among 24 paper lined muffin cups, filling each cup about 2/3 full.
• Bake in preheated oven, rotating muffin tins once halfway through baking, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean about 17 – 20 minutes. Place in freezer to cool quickly.
• Frost with Buttercream Frosting and garnish with additional shredded coconut if desired.
• Store cupcakes in an airtight container, in the fridge.