Barefoot Bloggers: Coconut Cupcakes

I've fallen so behind on the Barefott Bloggers group. I check each month what we're making but then forget to put it into my meal plan. These cupcakes were one of the February recipes. Oops. They looked amazing, but the husband doesn't like coconut, and I really needed a reason to make them so I didn't eat all of them on my own. I finally made them last week to take to my Bible study group on Wednesday night. They were a hit!! A couple people even took some home. I had the husband take most of what was left to work the next day because I knew otherwise I'd eat all of them.

Coconut Cupcakes
Copyright 1999, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, All rights reserved

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
14 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut

For the frosting:
1 pound cream cheese at room temperature
3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 1/2 pounds confectioners' sugar, sifted

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in 7 ounces of coconut.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Fill each liner to the top with batter. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on low speed, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth.

Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with the remaining coconut.

*****

I really, really, really love coconut cakes and pies, so I thought these were fantastic!! In reading some of the reviews from other Barefoot Bloggers, I saw that someone had put lime juice in the frosting. I thought that sounded great, especially since I'm not a big fan of almond extract, so I substituted lime juice for the almond extract. It gave it a really nice, light citrus taste that also helped the coconut stand out some more. I have to say, too, that the cupcakes were almost even better the next day.

As much as I liked these, I don't know if I'd make them again since the husband doesn't like coconut. I'd make them to take somewhere for sure!

Oh, by the way, I had some cupcake batter spillage in my oven (which reminds me, it's still there...) filling the tins all the way to the top, so I'd suggest either not filling them as full (plus they were kind of hard to get out of the pan like that since the tops were on the pan if that makes sense) or putting something underneath the tins to catch any spills.

Hello, beautiful cupcake batter, ready to go in the oven!


Same cupcakes, 30 minutes later...


Golden beauties waiting for their frosting tops...


(By the way, unless Ina has some kind of huge cupcake pans, 18-20 cupcakes is BS. I got 24 out of my batter AND had enough left for at least four more cupcakes, I just didn't have another pan to use.)


Oh, frosting, how I love and hate you all at the same time.


Mmmm...finished cupcakes...