These sweet toasted coconut cupcakes will be the perfect addition to your Easter celebration and are are topped off with a swirl of cream cheese icing and a toasted coconut crunch.
- 3 cups cake flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 8 oz unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
- 2 cups sugar
- 5 egg whites, room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 2½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened
- 8 oz unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
- 2 lbs confectioners sugar
- 4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups flaked or shredded unsweetened coconut, toasted
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
- *optional fondant flowers for decoration
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 - 12 cup muffin tins with cupcake liners.
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Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
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Beat the butter with an electric mixture or in your stand mixer on high. Gradually add in sugar and beat until fluffy, about 2 mins.
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Add the egg whites and beat until well blended, about 2 mins, then add in the sour cream and beat until combined.
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Add in one third of the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
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Add one half of the milk, mix until combined. Continue with the flour, milk and finish with the flour. Don't overmix.
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Stir in the vanilla, toasted coconut, and unsweetened coconut.
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Divide the batter between the lined cups (using an ice cream scoop) and bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Rotate the pans once while baking.
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Cool the cupcakes in the pans for about 5 minutes, then remove them from the pan and finish cooling on a wire rack.
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Beat the butter and cream cheese together. Slowly add in the confectioners sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in the vanilla.
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Fill a piping bag fitted with a large round tip about ⅔ full with icing (refill as needed). Pipe the icing in concentric circles on top of the cupcakes, creating a slight peak. Alternatively, spread the icing on the cupcakes with an offset spatula.
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Combine the toasted coconuts together. Sprinkle a handful over the top of each cupcake, pressing lightly to adhere. Garnish with fondant flowers or the decoration of your choosing if desired.
- Don’t overmix the batter, beat just until combined! Overbeating develops the gluten in the flour and instead of a light, airy cupcake, you’ll have a dense cupcake with too much chew.
- Why unsweetened and sweetened coconut? We really want to taste the coconut flavor without it becoming too sweet and cloying. The addition of unsweetened coconut amps up the flavor without adding too much sweet.
- Keep an eye on that coconut as it toasts. It can go from white to burnt in minutes!
- Think out of the box with garnishes. Not feeling the added work from fondant flowers? Think speckled eggs, chocolate eggs, mini bunnies, or pastel sprinkles for Easter fun!