COCONUT CUPCAKES WITH COCONUT-CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

  I thought Cook’s Illustrated (CI) velvety, melt-in-your-mouth coconut cupcakes were the best, but Coastal Living Magazine is right up there with this recipe.  CI’s cupcake is denser and silkier, and their coconut Swiss buttercream frosting is to die for.  But I fell in love with Coastal Living’s light, moist and tender cupcake.

I tweaked the frosting to make it not so sweet.  One thing I definitely like about this recipe is that the cupcake is a decent size.  CI’s cupcake is very small, though it is rich.  Bottom line:  these two are tied for top honors.  If you want a deeper coconut flavor, consider using extra-virgin unrefined coconut oil for some of the butter in the batter and frosting. 

Instead of using store-bought coconut extract, I took the recommendation by Cook’s Illustrated and purchased the very expensive Spices, etc. coconut flavoring online. 

While I admit the flavoring is wonderfully natural in taste, I’m disappointed in the high price and short shelf life.  Because it has a milder taste, you have to use more of it.  Another downside:  it’s only good for one year from date of purchase.   I won’t be ordering it again.  Instead, I’ll be ordering soon from LorAnn Oils in Michigan.  Their coconut flavoring is stronger, so you use less, and the shelf life is indefinite.  Online reviews are very good.

Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting Adapted  from Coastal Living Magazine Rating:  10 out of 10 Click for PRINTABLE PAGE

CUPCAKES: 3/4 cup unsalted butter 6 large egg whites 3 cups low-protein flour, such as White Lily all purpose flour**, or cake flour 1 Tbsp. baking powder 1/4 + 1/8 tsp. Diamond kosher salt (or 1/4 tsp. table salt)  1-1/2 cups sugar 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (I used my homemade vanilla extract) 1/2 tsp. coconut extract*** (1-1/4 tsp. if using Spices, etc. brand)  1 cup + 3 Tbsp. lite coconut milk*, divided 1 Tbsp. coconut-flavored rum, plain rum, or amaretto COCONUT-CREAM CHEESE FROSTING: 1 (8-oz.) package Philadelphia cream cheese****, softened 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened 1/8 tsp. Diamond kosher salt, or pinch of table salt 1/2 tsp. vanilla powder, or pure vanilla extract 1/4 tsp. coconut extract*** (3/4-1 tsp. if using Spices, etc. brand)  up to 3 cups powdered sugar  1 Tbsp. coconut milk, coconut cream or heavy cream, if needed  GARNISH:  1 to 1-1/2 cups large-flake unsweetened coconut, toasted *Regular coconut milk will make a denser cupcake. **Do not use White Lily self-rising flour.  Read package carefully. ***Amount of coconut extract will depend on brand.  Taste batter/frosting to determine if more should be added. ****Regular cream cheese works better for this frosting.

MAKE CUPCAKES:  Set out butter and egg whites and 30-45 minutes before baking to bring to room temperature.  Whisk flour, then lightly spoon and level 3 cups onto wax paper.  Add baking powder and salt; sift together into medium bowl.   Set out muffin tins for 18 cupcakes; line with paper baking cups, then spray insides with nonstick cooking spray.  Heat oven to 350F. In large bowl, beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy and creamy.  Gradually add sugar, vanilla and coconut extracts, beating until well blended.  Add egg whites, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition.  Add flour mixture to butter/sugar mixture alternately with 1 cup coconut milk, beginning and ending with flour.  Beat at low speed until just blended after each addition.  By hand, stir batter with spatula to be sure mixture is smooth.  Divide batter evenly among paper cups, using about 1/4 cup for each.  Bake 18-22 minutes, or till batter is set but centers of cupcakes still look slightly wet.  Do not overbake.  Cool in pan 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks.  In the meantime, combine rum with remaining 3 Tbsp. coconut milk, stirring well.  Spoon or brush mixture evenly over tops of warm cupcakes.  Cool completely before frosting. MAKE FROSTING:  Beat cream cheese, butter, salt and flavorings at medium speed with electric mixer until smooth and well combined.  Gradually add up to 3 cups powdered sugar while continuing to beat on medium.  (If you like a sweeter frosting, add the entire package of powdered sugar, adding about 1 Tbsp. coconut milk or cream to make frosting spreadable.)  When all ingredients have been added and mixture is smooth, turn mixer on high and beat till fluffy.  If desired, garnish cupcakes with toasted coconut.

MELT-IN-YOUR-MOUTH COCONUT CUPCAKES WITH COCONUT SWISS BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

This is possibly the best recipe for coconut cake/cupcakes ever.  Don’t just take my word for it.  My taste testers all agreed that it was.  That includes my picky hubby who raved for days afterward.  You’ll need to buy cream of coconut for the cupcakes and the frosting.  Try the Asian section of your supermarket.   Sometimes it’s called coconut cream.

Swiss buttercream is amazingly easy to make and there is just no substitute for its silky smooth texture.  Don’t, please don’t, make cream cheese frosting for these.  It just won’t be the same.

Coconut Cupcakes  Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated’s Coconut Cake Rating:  10 out of 10

Click for PRINTABLE PAGE INGREDIENTS: 3.5 oz. (about 1 cup + 2 Tbsp.) cake flour (I used White Lily all-purpose low-protein flour) 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. + 1/8 tsp. Morton kosher salt 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, soft but still cool, cut in 1 Tbsp. pcs. 3 large egg whites, room temperature 1/2 large egg yolk (3/4 Tbsp.) 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract (I used my homemade vanilla.) 1/2 tsp. coconut extract (I used my homemade coconut extract.) 6 Tbsp. cream of coconut 2 Tbsp. water Coconut Swiss Buttercream Frosting Toasted coconut Heat oven to 325F.  Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cups.  In bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment on stir speed, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  On low speed, add, one at a time, butter pieces that have been softened but are still waxy and cool.  Mix till butter is like coarse meal with no particles bigger than a pea.  In a small bowl, whisk together egg whites, yolk, vanilla and coconut extracts, cream of coconut and water.  Add about 1/2 of this mixture to the flour mixture.  Mix on low speed to combine, then increase speed to medium high for about 45 seconds.  With mixer still on, add remaining half of liquid slowly on medium high.  Mix for another 45 seconds.  Divide batter evenly among paper cups, filling each about 1/2 full.  Bake 16-18 minutes, or till a wooden pick inserted near center returns with just a few crumbs.  Cool in pans 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack.   Frost cupcakes with Coconut Swiss Buttercream Frosting and garnish with toasted coconut.

FRESH COCONUT CAKES

My son, David, shares my love of baking. He started young with chocolate chip cookies. Now he is almost 35 and has progressed to baking fancy cheesecakes and coconut cream pies. After listening to him describe his coconut cream pies over the phone for the third time in two weeks, I started craving coconut cream pie. He doesn't live close enough to give me a piece, so when I was in our local Harris Teeter (a Southeastern upscale food store kind of like Kroger's) and my eye caught not one, but three different kinds of coconuts, on impulse I bought the young coconut that has a white shell. It's not totally soft like the ones you can scoop out, this one had a hard shell but it was white instead of brown. I took it home and followed the instructions for opening it. (I've done plenty of brown coconuts in my day, and I used to make a mean coconut cream pie, so this was not a hard thing to do.)

First, I poked holes in the eyes, and turned the coconut upside down over a strainer that was over a quart Pyrex measuring container. Plenty of juice came out -- more than a cup! Then I wrapped the coconut in a bath towel and banged the heck out of it with a hammer. The coconut meat loosened out of the shell when I put the point of a paring knife between the meat and the shell. I wiped any bits of shell or other debris off the meat with a damp paper towel. The meat was shredded in my Cuisinart, using the shredding disc.

Now about the recipe. It's from a 1965 paperback series of cookbooks from McCall's magazine. The one I used was entitled, "Book of Cakes and Pies," and there are some awesome recipes in it. I've used it over and over through the years. These little cakes were moist and full of coconut flavor and texture. Frosted with cream cheese icing, they were delicious.

Fresh Coconut Cake (or cupcakes)

Adapted from McCall's Book of Cakes and Pies

Rating: 9 out of 10

INGREDIENTS:
5 Tbsp. cornstarch + enough all-purpose flour to make 2-1/2 cups

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 cup Smart Balance buttery spread

1-1/3 cups sugar

1 cup fresh coconut juice (add milk if you don't have enough juice)

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. coconut extract

1 cup grated fresh coconut

4 egg whites, room temperature

1. Heat oven to 350F. Grease and flour two 8" layer cake pans.

2. Sift flour with baking powder and salt; set aside.

3. In large bowl of electric mixer, at medium speed, beat SB until creamy. Gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating until very light and fluffy.

4. At low speed, beat in flour mixture (in fourths), alternating with milk (in thirds), beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat only until combined.

5. Stir in extracts and coconut.

6. In medium bowl, using clean, grease-free beaters, beat egg whites just until soft peaks form when beater is slowly raised.

7. Gradually add remaining 1/3 cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form

8. With spatula, gently fold egg whites into batter, using an under-and-over motion, until well combined.

9. Turn into pans; bake 25-30 minutes, or until surface springs back when gently pressed with fingertip. You can also test with a wooden pick. If it returns with just a few crumbs, cake is done.

10. Let cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks. Fill and frost as desired.

NOTE: I made this recipe in mini bundt pans (3 cup size), and baked for 15 minutes each. With the leftover batter, I made mini cupcakes, and baked them for 13 minutes. I frosted the cupcakes with cream cheese icing.