Coconut Cream Cupcakes

It’s finally springtime here at the edge of the Colorado Rockies. And with that comes time to shift gears to something with a lighter taste. Coconut fills the bill here. These Coconut Cream Cupcakes are all-natural and substitute coconut milk for some of the fat you would normally add with butter.

I have another recipe for Old Fashioned Coconut Cake that I’ve posted here. It’s great and I’ve made it many times, but sometimes I prefer to make cupcakes so that I can share them a little easier with friends and neighbors.

Living at high-altitude, I often have to adjust recipes to make them work above 5,000 feet. I don’t find that to be a problem so much with cupcakes. Because the heat penetrates to the center of the batter much faster, the cake can build the structure it needs to rise and stay risen without adding flour and heat to the recipe. So I’m using the regular altitude recipe here.

Which Coconut to Use?

You’ll notice in the photo, I used flaked coconut for the decorative topping. It has a great look, especially after I toasted it for a minute in the toaster oven. However, I don’t recommend it for topping. The flakes don’t impart a good mouthfeel, almost feeling like wood chips in your mouth! So please ignore the photo and use your preferred brand of shredded coconut.

Print Recipe

Coconut Cream Cupcakes

A cupcake-portioned version of my Old-Fashioned Coconut Cake, these Coconut Milk Cupcakes are all-natural and substitute coconut milk for some of the fat you would normally add with butter.

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Total Time45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Coconut Cream Cupcakes

Servings: 36 Cupcakes

Calories: 300kcal

Author: Don Herman

Ingredients

3 cups Flour 1/2 all-purpose, 1/2 cake flour
2 1/4 cups Sugar
4 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
5 lg Egg Whites
1/2 cup Milk
1 tbsp Natural Coconut Flavor
1 cup Unsalted Butter softened but not melted
1 cup Coconut Milk Canned, with at least 20% fat – it’s replacing a portion of the butter.

Coconut Cream Cheese Icing

8 oz. Cream Cheese softened
1/4 cup Butter softened
4 cups Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Natural Coconut Flavor
1 tbsp Coconut Milk as needed for consistency

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line muffin tins with paper cupcake liners (recipe makes 3 dozen). Whisk the egg whites, milk and coconut flavoring until just frothy. Set aside.
In a mixer bowl, add the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix with a whisk. Add the butter and coconut milk and mix on low with a paddle attachment just until moistened, then beat on medium for two minutes.
Add the egg white mixture in a few additions, mixing just until incorporated.
Using an ice-cream scoop, fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full. The cakes won’t rise as much as a box mix, so don’t be afraid to be generous.
Bake the cupcakes for 19-23 minutes. They are a white-cake cupcake, so don’t let the color fool you, test with a toothpick or your finger for springiness, Don’t overbake.
Remove from the oven and let cool in the tins for about 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a rack.
While the cakes are cooling, use the warm oven to toast your coconut. Simply sprinkle the coconut on a cookie sheet in a thin layer and set it in the oven at 350 F for about two minutes. Stir the flakes and watch them for another two minutes or so. When they’ve toasted to golden, remove and cool.

Coconut Cream Cheese Icing

Cream together the cream cheese and butter. Add the coconut flavor and blend
Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time and mix well. Once blended, check the consistency for spreading and add a bit of coconut milk if necessary.

Notes

I cover my mixer with a very light tea towel to avoid sugar powder spreading all over the kitchen! Once it’s smooth, add a tablespoon of the leftover coconut milk or regular milk to achieve a spreadable consistency

I use a piping bag to frost my cupcakes – it’s so much easier than messing with spatulas or spoons. After frosting, sprinkle the toasted coconut on top of the cakes.

Recipe makes 3 dozen.

And here’s the high-altitude version:

Print Recipe

Coconut Cream Cupcakes – High Altitude (above 3000 ft)

These Coconut Cream Cupcakes are all-natural and substitute coconut milk for some of the fat you would normally add with butter.

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Total Time45

Course: Cupcakes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Coconut Cream Cupcakes

Servings: 3 dozen

Calories: 300kcal

Author: Don Herman

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour (PLUS 3 TBSP)
1 1/2 cups Cake Flour
2 1/4 cups Sugar (LESS 2 TBSP)
1 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
5 lg Egg Whites
1 lg Egg Yolk
1/2 cup Milk
1 tbsp Natural Coconut Flavor
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter
1 cup Coconut Milk, Canned with at least 20% fat to replace the butter

Coconut Cream Cheese Icing

8 oz Cream Cheese softened
1/4 cup Butter softened
4 cups Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Natural Coconut Flavor
1 tbsp Coconut Milk as necessary for consistency

Instructions

Preheat oven to 365° F. Line muffin tins with paper cupcake liners (recipe makes 3 dozen). Whisk the egg whites (not the yolk), milk and coconut flavoring until just frothy. Set aside.
In a mixer bowl, add the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix with a whisk. Add the butter and coconut milk and mix on low with a paddle attachment just until moistened, then beat on medium for two minutes.
Add the egg white mixture and beat until incorporated fully.
Using an ice-cream scoop, fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full. The cakes won't rise as much as a box mix, so don't be afraid to be generous.
Bake the cupcakes for 19-23 minutes. They are white-cake, so don't let the color fool you, test with a toothpick or your finger for springiness. Don't overbake.
Remove from the oven and let cool in the tins for about 10 minute, then remove and cool completely on a rack.
While the cakes are cooling, use the warm oven to toast your coconut. Simply sprinkle the coconut on a cookie sheet in a thin layer and set it in the oven at 350° F for about two minutes. Stir the flakes and watch them for another two minutes or so. When they've toasted to golden, remove and cool.

Coconut Cream Cheese Icing

Cream together the cream cheese and butter. Add the coconut flavor and blend.
Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time and mix well. Once blended, check the consistency for spreading and add a bit of coconut milk if necessary.

Notes

I cover my mixer with a very light tea towel to avoid sugar powder spreading all over the kitchen. Once it’s smooth, add a tablespoon of the leftover coconut milk or regular milk to achieve a spreadable consistency.

I use a piping bag to frost my cupcakes – it’s so much easier than messing with spatulas or spoons. After frosting, sprinkle the toasted coconut on top of the cakes.

Recipe makes 3 dozen.

If you’re going to treat yourself or your friends, don’t skimp on the flavor. Use this natural coconut flavoring from Savory Spice:

Natural Coconut Extract, Pure Flavor for B…

Our Natural Coconut Extract has the taste and aroma of fresh coconut. It can be used in both sweet and savory applications. As with our other extracts, this product is gluten-free. If stored correctly and with a secure cap, most extracts can last for a year or more – with as much flavor as they day they were purchased.[More]

Price: $14.99

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