BB: Coconut Cupcakes

For our first February recipe over at the Barefoot Bloggers, we got to make Coconut Cupcakes! So thank you to Jaime over at Jaime's Green Kitchen for picking the recipe. And yes, I know I sound like a gleeful five year old, but coconut is one of those sublime moments in life for me. So I was pretty psyched about this recipe from the get go and it did not disappoint at all. Then again...folks..we're talking coconut. Difficult to not satisfy as long as you like the flavor. Enough said.

I did cut the recipe in half as I was faced with a condundrum. Two days off and a house full of cupcakes was not going to work out well. For my tastebuds, yes. For my weight, not so much. And since 5 eggs is difficult to split in half, I went ahead with 3 without any problems. I also added a splash of coconut milk which considering it was sweetened, made the cupcake just a little on the sweet side so I would probably cut back slightly on the regular sugar next time. I also did not bother with folding the coconut flakes into the batter and settled for just mixing it in with the flower and adding it gradually without any visible problems.

For the frosting, I skipped the extract and butter altogether and went with a lighter frosting made of cream cheese, powdered sugar and lime juice which made the perfect compliment to the cupcakes.

My only mixed feelings about the recipe was really the amount of butter called for in the ingredients. Even though I think butter is a delightful thing, there was a tremendous amount of it with 3 sticks in the cupcake portion of the recipe and another 3 sticks in the frosting.

Definitely recommend the recipe for those who are fans of cononut!

Coconut Cupcakes

1999, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, All rights reserved

Prep Time:1 hr 0 min 

Inactive Prep Time:30 min

Cook Time:35 min

Level:Intermediate

Serves:18 to 20 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 extra-large eggs at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 14 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut

For the frosting:

• 1 pound cream cheese at room temperature
• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 1/2 pounds confectioners' sugar, sifted

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

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 almond extracts and mix well.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in 7 ounces of coconut.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Fill each liner to the top with batter. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on low speed, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth.

Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with the remaining coconut.