Coconut Cream Cupcakes

Coconut Cream Cupcakes

This is my daughter's signature birthday cake!   I have been making these cupcakes every March for her birthday since she was 1 year old!  Love these cupcakes! This is my grandmother’s recipe, originally called an Italian Cream Cake.  Much of my culinary skills I can attribute to my grandmother’s informal lessons when I was growing up. She studied foods and home economics at the University of Utah and later taught Foods and Nutrition at Skyline High for many years.  The original recipe, made a three- layer cake.  However, I’ve always loved the look of little individual cakes served on a desert plate. Simply remove the paper cup before serving and the desert looks elegant served with a small scoop of ice cream or sorbet on the side.  I love to serve and eat these with my European style mini spoons.  (Mine are from Finland, of course!)

Cupcakes

1 cup butter, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

5 eggs, separated

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

¼ cup sour cream

2 cups flour sifted

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon coconut extract

In bowl of electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk and  sour cream and allow space for some bubbling.  Add to butter mixture alternately with the flour, beating until just combined after each addition.  Mix in vanilla and coconut extracts. Mix in coconut.  Beat egg whites until fluffy and stiff and fold into batter.  Spoon ¼ cup of batter into each lined muffin tin.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.  Be careful not to over bake cupcakes.  Remove from oven before they turn golden at the edges.  Remove from oven and immediately loosen edges of cupcakes from tin, remove cupcakes from tin and cool before frosting with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting 

½ cup butter at room temperature

8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature

1 teaspoon almond extract

½ teaspoon coconut extract

4 ½ cups powdered sugar

additional sweetened coconut for garnish

In bowl of electric mixer, cream butter and cream cheese.  Mix in almond extract.  Add powdered sugar and mix until creamy.  Fit a BIG round or star tip in a pastry bag and fill with frosting. Pipe one dollop of frosting in center of the cupcake.  Now start winding a big thick strip of frosting around the outside of the cupcake. Swirl frosting towards the center overlapping as you go, until you reach the center top.   Sprinkle with a pinch or two or sweetened coconut.