Coconut Cream Cheese

I’ve been on a serious coconut kick lately…..I don’t know. Maybe it’s my inner-self willing for the warm weather of the tropics during this chilly winter. 🙂

I decided to give Martha Stewart’s recipe for Coconut Cupcakes a spin. She actually has two posted on her website but I opted for this particular one since it didn’t require egg white/meringue. I’m lazy sometimes….guilty as charged 🙂 I did slightly tweak her recipe a bit to add more coconut flavor and ended up frosting it with my Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting.

After I had pulled them out of the oven and set them on racks to cool, I became somewhat alarmed as a few of the sides of the cakes began pulling from their liners. Eh…oh well. That’s what frosting is for, right? But after one bite–I was SOLD! I LOVED this cupcake. Somewhat dense in texture (perhaps from the coconut milk?) and infused with wonderful coconut flavor! Since I opted for a simple frost versus piping the frosting, it was not the least bit over sweet. YUMMY, YUMMY, YUMMY!

This one will definitely be kept in my favorites folder. I hope you enjoy it, too! 🙂

The Coconut Milk that I used

Light layer of frosting after the cupcakes have thoroughly cooled. No fancy piping this time 🙂

Dipping the cupcakes in the Shredded Coconut

Make sure to thoroughly cover the cupcakes

And VOILA! Delicious Coconut Cupcakes 🙂

______________________________________________

Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes 20 Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcakes
1¾ Cups all-purpose flour
2 Teaspoons baking powder
½ Teaspoon salt
½ Cup packed sweetened shredded coconut
6 Ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 Cups sugar
2 Large eggs plus 2 large egg whites
¾ Cup unsweetened coconut milk
1½ Teaspoons vanilla extra
1½ Teaspoons coconut extract (Martha uses vanilla extract only)

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
16 Ounces of Cream Cheese at room temperature
8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter at room temperature
5 -6 Cups Confectioner Sugar (varies due to preferred frosting consistency)
1 Tablespoon Coconut Extract
1 Tablespoon Unsweetened Coconut Milk
*2 Cups Sweetened Shredded Coconut to top cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add shredded coconut to flour mixture. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.

Reduce speed to low. Mix any remaining wet ingredients in a bowl if needed. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with wet ingredients and ending with dry. Scrape sides of bowl. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.

Bake cupcakes until testers inserted into centers come out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in tins on wire racks.

While cupcakes are baking, prepare the frosting. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add coconut extract, coconut milk and then gradually add in the confectioners’ sugar, ½ cup at a time. Continue adding sugar to desire consistency. (I used only 5 cups this time since I didn’t need the frosting to be as firm as when I pipe it). Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes before use.

Frost cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting. Liberally cover each cake with the shredded sweetened coconut.

ENJOY!

They are JUST as tasty in Mini Cupcakes form, too 🙂

With Cupcakes and Transformers!

Well, at least that’s the method I used recently for the BF’s nephew. 🙂 The little man was celebrating the BIG NUMBER 4 so I wanted to bring him something special to add to his birthday festivities. Over the holidays, the BF recalled “D” really enjoying a traditional chocolate cupcake with white frosting, topped with coconut. With that in mind, I set out to make the little man a cupcake that would reflect those flavors while featuring his favorite thing–TRANSFORMERS!

Using Martha Stewart’s Devil’s Food Cupcake Recipe for the base, I added my twist by using a Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting to give that extra “oompf” of coconut flavor.

Fill the lined cupcake pans 3/4 way full.

The wonderful Vanilla my co-worker brought back for me from Mexico. I used it for the first time in this batter 🙂

The cupcakes hot from the oven. This took 19 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

The frosted cupcakes waiting for their coconut shower. I know that I didn’t have to pipe them since it would be covered in shredded coconut but hey–I rarely pass up the chance to practice my piping 🙂

Liberally covering the cupcakes with shredded coconut.

Now add your favorite candy decorations—in this case, the Autobots and Decepticons…..

And there you have it–a recipe for a 4 Year Old Boy’s Smile! 🙂

They were so cute, I had to include another shot of them 🙂

Incidentally, I did consider using themed cupcake liners instead of the candies but when I tried a batch, I found that they weren’t greaseproof. Because of the amount of butter in the batter, it left the liners completely oily and unattractive. In other words, No Bueno. I opted to go for my traditional foil liners and use the candies. (Note: In the photo above, I added another liner to the cupcake after it cooled to hide the grease marks.)

Overall I think the little man enjoyed them–so I deem it a successful mission. AUTOBOTS, Roll Out! 🙂

Devil’s Food Cupcakes
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes 24 Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcake Batter
¾ Cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (I used Ghirardelli)
¾ Cup hot water
3 Cups all-purpose flour
1 Teaspoon baking soda
1 Teaspoon baking powder
1 ¼ Teaspoons coarse salt
1 ½ Cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
2 ¼ Cups sugar
4 Large Eggs, room temperature
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 Cup sour cream, room temperature
2 Cups shredded sweetened coconut (to cover cupcakes)

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
16 Ounces of Cream Cheese at room temperature
8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter at room temperature
5½ -6 Cups Confectioner Sugar (varies due to preferred frosting consistency)
1 Tablespoon Coconut Extract
*2 Cups Sweetened Shredded Coconut to top cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to combine. Remove from heat, and pour into a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat until mixture is cooled, 4 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla, then cocoa mixture, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, and beating until just combined after each.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three- quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 15 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

While cupcakes are baking, prepare the frosting. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add coconut extract and then gradually add in the confectioners’ sugar, ½ cup at a time. Continue adding sugar to desire consistency. (I typically lean towards the full 6 cups for a firmer consistency to pipe the frosting). Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before use.

Frost cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting. Liberally cover each cake with the shredded sweetened coconut and top with your choice of decorations.

ENJOY!