Favorite Cupcake of the Year: Vanilla Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting

The rumors are true (because I'm the one who started them). Yeah, I'd Bake That is slowly getting back to regular postings. I can't officially promise a post a week like before, but we'll get there. Together.

I know it's a little bit early in the year to be picking "The Best Cupcake of 2012" but I don't care. I had no formal judging process. I didn't choose this one because it got the greatest reception (although it did) or because it was the easiest to make (it wasn't). My choosing this cupcake to share with you today is because I just liked it the best this year, damn it.



Good things about this cupcake:
1. The cupcake is refreshing, but doesn't take like Snow Falling on Cedars or whatever kind of new G+ Force Gatorade they make now.
2. The recipe calls for a minimal amount of coconut and coconut milk, which is good because even people who don't really like coconut will like it. You can barely taste it.
3. These cupcakes are pretty.

Bad things about this cupcake:
1. You can very easily eat them all. Quickly.

I love it when a good pros and cons list clearly leans one way.

So in order to slowly wade back into the blogging pool, I'm going to post the recipe for these cupcakes AND pictures. I made these bad boys for a picnic this past weekend, so if you happened to eat one at my house leave a comment about how delicious they were would you?

Vanilla Bean Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting

Ingredients:

2 13-14 ounce cans of unsweetened coconut milk. I picked up a carton of coconut milk in the organic aisle at Giant because I knew I'd need extra.

Cupcakes:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 & 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean (or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract like a normal person)
1 cup reduced coconut milk, room temp

Frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup reduced coconut milk, room temp
seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean (or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

Instructions

This is the kind of coconut milk I used

To Make the Reduced Coconut Milk:
Boil the coconut milk in a large, deep saucepan over medium-high heat. Make sure you use a deep pan because the coconut milk boils eerily high. After boiling starts, reduce heat to medium-low and boil for 25 to 30 minutes until you know you can get enough milk to cover the amounts for the cupcakes and the icing. Remove from heat and cool completely. Move to a smaller bowl and place it in the fridge to chill. I had missed this part of the recipe the first time I made these and had to boil milk twice to get enough, my advice is to put extra in just in case.

To Make the Cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Fill your cupcake tins with liners.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat butter until it's smooth. Add sugar and beat on medium high until well blended (about 2 minutes).

4. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each egg. Don't forget to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
5. Beat in seeds from a vanilla bean (or vanilla extract) and the last egg.
6. Add half of flour mixture and mix on low speed until just blended.
7. Add 1 cup reduced coconut milk (that you previously chilled) and mix until just blended.
8. Add remaining flour mixture and mix on low until blended.

9. Divide batter among cupcake cups, bake for 20 minutes.
10. Transfer to wire wracks to cool for about 10 minutes and then remove cupcakes from pan.

To Make the Icing:
1. Using your electric mixer, beat butter until smooth.
2. Add sugar, 1/3 cup reduced coconut milk, seeds (vanilla extract) and salt. Beat on medium-low speed until blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
3. Increase mixer speed to medium-high to get icing lighter and fluffier.

All in all, (and besides the coconut milk boiling) this recipe is fairly simple. It might seem time consuming looking at it all, but it moves fast and the cupcakes and icing are definitely worth it. Not bad for a return post right? Don't call it a comeback.

Because if this is a comeback, I am in trouble.

As always, check me out on Pinterest and find me on Twitter if you're so inclined!

Source: Epicurious

Link: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Vanilla-Bean-Coconut-Cupcakes-with-Coconut-Frosting-352095

Posted in: Coconut,Cupcakes,Favorite,Pinterest,Vanilla