Vanilla Coconut Cupcakes

A couple friends and I made these cupcakes for my 24th Birthday. Although it takes quite a bit of preparation, the outcome is well worth it! They have more of a muffin-like thickness but the vanilla coconut flavor is great!

Ingredients

Reduced Coconut Milk

• 2 cans (at least 12 oz) of unsweetened coconut milk

Cupcakes

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup reduced coconut milk, room temperature

Frosting

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup reduced coconut milk, room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes, toasted

Preparation

Reduced Coconut Milk
Using a deep saucepan, bring two cans of coconut milk to a boil at medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and boil until amount of milk has reduced to 1 1/2 cups, stirring occasionally. The milk will splatter—prepare to get messy! Remove from heat, transfer to a separate bowl and cool to room temperature. You may do this step in advance, and store it in the fridge for up to two days.


Toasted Coconut Flakes
Preheat oven to 325 with rack in center of oven. Spread coconut flakes on a baking sheet, making sure they are singly layered. Bake for 14 minutes or until lightly toasted.

Directions

Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350 with rack in center of oven. Line about 18 muffin cups with liners or, grease muffin pan and lightly sprinkle with all purpose flour. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Using a mixer, beat butter in a large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and beat on medium-high until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time. Frequently scrape down the sides of the bowls to incorporate entire mixture. Beat in vanilla. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Add 1 cup reduced coconut milk. Mix on low speed until just blended. Fill muffin to only 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cupcake. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.


Frosting
Using mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add powdered sugar, 1/3 cup reduced coconut milk, vanilla and salt. Scrape sides of bowl to incorporate entire mixture. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is light and fluffy.
You can use a pastry bag, or even just the back of the spoon to apply the frosting to the cupcakes. For the picture above, I just used a spoon. Just be sure that the cupcakes are completely cool before decorating, otherwise, the frosting will run right off the sides of the cupcake! If decorating with a spoon, be sure to use a light hand and take care not to touch the cupcake with the utensil. This may cause crumbs to be pulled up into the frosting! Finally, lightly top off each cupcake with as much coconut as you like!


Johnson Dodgee, Abigail, and Bon Appetit. "Vanilla Bean-Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting Recipe at Epicurious.com." Epicurious.com: Recipes, Menus, Cooking Articles & Food Guides. Apr. 2009. Web. 25 Jan. 2011. <http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Vanilla-Bean-Coconut-Cupcakes-with-Coconut-Frosting-352095>.