Coconut Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for my mother-in-law who came to visit on her birthday. She has a whole pinterest board dedicated to coconut, so I knew she would like these. These cupcakes have great coconut flavor! They are not the most beautiful, but they taste amazing. My cupcakes turned out kind of flat, so when I make them again I will use exactly one large scoopful of batter (3 TBSPs) for each cupcake so that they don't go over the sides like my picture at the bottom. BUT, put some frosting on top and you can't even tell. This recipe made 24 cupcakes plus a little extra, so I used the extra batter to make some mini ones too. I read a lot of coconut cupcake recipes before deciding to make this one. I chose this one because it does not have any flaked coconut in the cupcake. My husband does not like the texture of coconut, so I was able to just leave the garnish off of his. They are instead flavored with coconut extract, which is found in the baking aisle, and cream of coconut, normally used for piña coladas. The frosting I used is adapted from my previously posted cream cheese frosting.

Coconut Cupcakes

adapted from tideandthyme.com

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp coconut extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup cream of coconut
1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut (for garnish)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 cupcake tins with paper liners and set aside.
2. In a small dry skillet, toast the shredded coconut over medium-high heat until starting to brown on the edges. Turn off heat, and remove from pan to a plate to cool.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and coconut extracts and mix well.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
5. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and the cream of coconut – whisk to combine.
6. In 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined.
7. Scoop batter into prepared tins. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops are golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely. 

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup softened butter
4 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp coconut extract
5 cups powdered sugar
1-2 tsps milk (if necessary)

1. Place butter, cream cheese, vanilla and coconut extracts in a mixing bowl and mix on high for 5 minutes, scraping down sides as needed.
2. Gradually add powdered sugar. Once it is just mixed, turn the mixer to high and mix for 5 minutes.
If it is a little too stiff, add 1-2 tsps of milk and mix in.

Frost the cupcakes as desired and sprinkle with the toasted coconut to garnish.