Ummmm...New Favorite Cupcake

Chocolate Cocount...HEAVEN!!!!! 

I decided to use my new nursing student friends as my new guinea pigs.  We have lunch with our instructors the first Thursday (and often every Thursday) of the month.  Perfect opportunity to try new recipes.  Not that my family doesn't mind, but every once in a while I hear a grumble about an expanding waist line. 

Off to school my cuppies go!

As I was talking with my lab partner, who told me he didn't like coconut, it occurred to me that not everyone does.  SO, I thought I would leave some without the coconut.  And then I was stumped.  Here's what they looked like.

Not too bad looking but I kept wondering how to make the frosting flatter.  But, I set that thought aside and started rolling the others in coconut.  Um, yeah, no choice, people.  Eat it or don't because they look so cool with the coconut!

They remind me of snowballs

I'll let you know what the reviews are!  In the mean time, happy baking!!

Coconut Cupcakes:

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

9 egg whites

4 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup cornstarch

1 can coconut milk (13.5 oz)

½ cup buttermilk

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ teaspoon coconut extract

Coconut Buttercream:

¼ cup butter, softened

6 oz cream cheese, softened

1 ½ teaspoons coconut extract

3 cups powdered sugar

Chocolate Buttercream:

½ cup butter, softened

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup unsweetened cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

Shredded Coconut for decorating

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 370 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners. (Yields 30 cupcakes)

2.    Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, be sure to scrape bowl.

3.    Mix in egg whites one at a time on slow until fully incorporated.  Be sure to scrape bowl constantly.

4.    In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cornstarch. 

5.    Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture.  Mix only until combined. 

6.   Add coconut milk, buttermilk, coconut and vanilla extract. Mix.

7.    Add remaining flour mixture.

8.   Scrape bowl down, batter should be sort of fluffy. 

9.   Fill cupcake liners ¾ full and bake for 17-22 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes out clean. 

10.Coconut Buttercream:  Beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.  Add coconut extract and powdered sugar.  If too thick, add milk.  If too thin, add powdered sugar. 

11.   Fill a piping bag with the coconut buttercream, then use the same mixing bowl for the chocolate buttercream, no need to clean it! 

12.  Chocolate Buttercream: Beat butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla extract, cocoa and powdered sugar.  If too thick, add milk. If too thin, add powdered sugar

13.  Assemble cupcake by piping onto cooled cupcakes.  First top with a layer of chocolate buttercream.  Then coconut buttercream.  Then roll it in shredded coconut!
(from your cup of cake)