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Coconut Cupcakes
Prep Time
35 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 
These easy coconut cupcakes are rich, sweet, and full of coconut flavor! They're topped with chocolate eggs, making them a perfect Easter dessert or spring dessert! Homemade coconut cupcakes are fun, easy, incredibly simple to make!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: coconut cupcakes
Servings: 14 Cupcakes
Author: A Latte Food
Ingredients
Cake:
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk or whole milk
  • 1/4 cup coconut greek yogurt (or regular yogurt or sour cream)
  • 7 ounces shredded sweetened coconut
Frosting:
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 2 Tbsp heavy cream or coconut milk
  • 1 1/2 - 3 cups powdered sugar (it depends upon consistency and personal preference; I generally use 2 cups)
Topping:
  • 7 ounces toasted coconut
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325. Cream butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Lastly, add in the vanilla and almond extracts.
  2. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt (trust me--sifting makes a big difference in the texture of your cake; you can skip the step, but your cake will not be as light and fluffy. It'll have a denser texture).
  3. In a small bowl, mix coconut milk and coconut yogurt together. Then in 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk mix to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in 7 ounces coconut.
  4. Fill each muffin cup to the top, and bake 25-35 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
  5. Meanwhile, for the frosting, cream together cream cheese, butter, and extracts. Once smooth, add in the heavy cream, and cream until fluffy. Next, add in the confectioners sugar, 1/2 c at a time, and mix until smooth. If the frosting is too stiff, add in more cream. If it is too runny, add in more powdered sugar.
  6. Lastly, when toasting the coconut, make sure you keep a weather on it. I burnt my first batch. Burned coconut does not smell like toasty coconut. Over low heat, toast the coconut in a sauce pan while stirring constantly. Honestly, the process will be done in a couple of minutes.
  7. When the cupcakes are cooled, spoon on the frosting, and top with toasted coconut.