Coconut Cupcakes!

My beloved husband came home yesterday with a guilty countenance upon his face….  I knew he was holding back something.  You sense these things.  “So, how was your meeting?” I asked.  (cat swallowed the canary look)  “We, uh, had cupcakes from that place you like.”  (Earth stops its rotation)  “What?!?!”  Seriously, it’s hard for me to imagine a room full of mostly men (all donning pocket protectors and who spent their teen years playing Dungeons & Dragons) sitting around a conference table with a plate full of luscious cupcakes from Sprinkles.  My next question, “Where’s mine?”  (crickets)  After a long, awkward pause where it became apparent that he didn’t hold up to one of our marital vows (to love, honor & remember dessert), the floodgates opened and all he could do was yammer about their perfection for what seemed like eternity.  He saw the look in my eye that serves as a warning to tread carefully and offered to drive to Sprinkles to pick some up.  Being completely placated, I told him that I could just make some here.  A quick search on the internet revealed the cupcake’s recipe that he had just had at the meeting.  What did we ever do before the internet?!?!

Great-Grandma’s Coconut Cupcakes

From Sprinkles pastry chef Candace Nelson (LA Times June ’07)

Makes 18 to 20

ž 2 cups sifted cake flour

ž 2 teaspoons baking powder

ž 1/4 teaspoon salt

ž 2/3 cup whole milk

ž 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

ž 3/4 teaspoon coconut extract

ž 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

ž 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

ž 2 large egg whites, plus 1 whole large egg

Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and line two greased standard muffin pans with cupcake liners. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a measuring cup, combine the milk and extracts. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add the egg whites and the egg and mix until they are combined. Add half of the flour mixture and mix until it is combined. Gradually drizzle in all the milk mixture. Add the remaining dry mixture and mix carefully until just combined. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake cups (they should be two-thirds full) and bake about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cake springs back when pressed lightly and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.

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Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

ž 8 ounces cold cream cheese

ž 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)

ž 1/8 teaspoon salt

ž 3 3/4 cups sifted powdered sugar

ž 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

ž 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

ž 1/2 cup sweetened coconut shavings

In the bowl of an electric mixer, slowly mix the cream cheese, butter and salt until fluffy and combined. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Mix in the extracts until incorporated and the frosting is smooth. Frost each cooled cupcake with about 2 tablespoons of frosting and immediately top with 1 teaspoon of sweetened coconut shavings.

NOTES:  I did not change a thing on these recipes.  They are perfect the way they are.  The only slight variation I made was to half the frosting recipe which turned out to be the perfect amount for us.  These are amazingly yummy!