Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Coconut Cream Cupcakes - Light & Refreshing for Summer!


Hey friends! We celebrated another birthday at work last week and it was delicious! To say that the birthday girl LOVES coconut would be an understatement. She adores it. She talks about it all the time. In fact, everything she got that day had something to do with the stuff. Her husband started her day off with her favorite coconut candy. She got to work where I had coconut creamer for her coffee. Then, of course, the special cupcakes I made for her were....yep, Coconut Cream cupcakes with a pineapple and coconut cream filling. We also had vanilla ice cream and crushed pineapple to go on top.

The recipe comes from a cake we used to make at a bakery I ran in Georgia. I have never been much of a coconut fan myself. I like it fine, but it's not usually something I would pick when given a choice. However, this cake is so light and delicious that it has made a coconut lover out of me. The secret to this cake is coconut creamer from CoffeeMate and I have only ever been able to find it at Walmart - don't ask me why. No idea why other stores don't carry it. But, trust me. Save yourself the time and frustration looking for it at other places and just go straight to Walmart. Anyway, back to the cupcakes....






I wanted to do these a little differently to make them more special for the birthday party. I pulled the liners off the cooled cupcakes and cut them in half horizontally. I then put a heaping tablespoonful of the filling on the bottom layer, cut a whole out of the middle of the top layer, placed it on the filling, and then filled the hole with crushed pineapple for an extra layer of flavor. Pineapple and coconut - such a classic summer flavor combination! I piped the coconut whipped cream on top of the whole thing. The cupcakes look like mini layered cakes and everyone really loved them!


Coconut Cake:

2 sticks unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 1/2 cups AP flour
3 t baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup Coffee Mate coconut creamer
2 t vanilla extract

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Combine dry ingredients and add alternately with milk and creamer. Add vanilla last and stir until combined.

Bake at 350 degrees until lightly golden brown and toothpick inserted in middle of cupcakes comes out clean.



Coconut Cream Filling/Icing:

1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup coconut creamer
2 cups sour cream
2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
1 t vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups shredded coconut, plus more for topping

Whisk sugar and sour cream together. Add vanilla extract and coconut and mix until combined. Meanwhile, whip heavy cream and creamer until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into coconut mixture until just combined and fluffy.


Coconut Whipped Cream:

1/4 cup coconut creamer
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 t vanilla extract

Whip ingredients together until stiff peaks form.


One thing I forgot to do was sprinkle a little coconut on top...next time! :)

These were really delicious, fun to look at, and very refreshing. I definitely recommend them for a summertime get together! Hope you enjoy!! As always, happy reading and, more importantly, happy cupcake-ing!


31 comments:

  1. WOW!! Another delicious cupcake recipe...if it wasn't closing in on 9:00 I would go make these little guys right now! THanks for linking up at {Homemade By You}

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  2. Coconut is my obsession right now!!! These cupcakes are totally calling my name:-)

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  3. I love how you gussied these up. Slicing them in the middle makes them look so much more fancy and fun. I'm definitely pinning these. Thanks for sharing at our party this week.

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  5. These look yummy!! I love coconut!! Nichi @ http://www.mandatorymooch.blogspot.com/

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  6. Oh they look and sound great! I love coconut in cakes. Will definitely try this one. Thanks for linking up with Twinkle in the Eye :-)

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  7. These look delish! New follower here from Happy Go Luck! Stop by at visit me sometime at http://mrsfoxssweets.blogspot.com

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  8. Yummy! We're having a coconut cream pie cake this weekend... I wonder if cupcakes would be the better way to go. Yours look awesome! Going to try them soon. :)

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    1. Either way it'll be delicious! So perfect for this time of year!

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  9. Hi Heather! Your cupcakes look so amazing! Thanks for sharing at my party! Have a great weekend :)

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  10. Nice desert for the summer. Great post

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  11. Hi! I discovered your blog thru Char's Blog hop! Your blog is amazing plus you're just adorable. Note to self, don't visit your blog when I'm hungry! Lol.

    Visit my site if you have time! :)

    xoxo,
    ochibernadas.blogspot.com

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  12. Heather, thank you for linking up to Foodie Friday. These are some delicious looking cupcakes! Just had a coconut one today as a matter of fact! xo, Becky

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  13. YUMMY!!!! I wish you lived next door to me:) I would visit all the time!!! Thanks so much for sharing @ Two Sasters!!

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    1. I wish you did too! There'd be less for me to eat around here! :) Thanks for hosting!

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  14. Thanks so much for linking this yummy post up to my Say G'Day Saturday Party. I just tweeted about it!

    I hope you will be able to join in and link up another fabulous post this weekend!

    Best wishes,
    Natasha in Oz

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  15. Hi Heather,

    Thanks so much for linking up your yummy recipes to Creative Thursday this week. These look amazing! Funny that you posted this because I have been on an Almond Joy creamer kick and was wondering if I could use it in any baked goods. Thanks for sharing.

    Hope to see you again next week. Have a wonderful weekend.

    Michelle

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    1. Thanks for hosting, Michelle. I'm loving that Almond Joy creamer too!! :)

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  16. Oh I really want to make these for a party I am going to next month. But I'm not sure I can find the coconut creamer around here. Do you know of something I can substitute for it?

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    1. You could try coconut milk but I can't predict the results. I'm not really familiar with it but the creamer has sweetener in it so if coconut milk isn't sweet, then it may change the flavor. You can always use regular creamer and add coconut to the batter. Hope this helps and they turn out!

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  17. I know you already saw your feature, but thanks again for linking up to Topsy Turvy Tuesdays! I really do think these look and sound delicious!

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Hey friends! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. Reading them makes me happy! If you're a no-reply comment-er, please change this on your blogger. I make every effort to respond but sometimes can't get over here to post a reply. It's easier for me to hit reply on my email and immediately let you know that I appreciate your support and encouragement. Thanks much!

Blessings,
Heather

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