COCONUT CUPCAKES
- 1 box white cake mix, sifted
- 3 eggs
- 80 ml oil
- 240 ml sour cream
- 240 ml Cream of Coconut (NOT coconut cream or coconut milk – this is the syrupy stuff you use to make Pina Coladas – available in the liquor aisle at the supermarket)
Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
Sift the cake mix into a mixing bowl.
Add all the other ingredients and beat on low speed for 1 minute.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Beat at medium-high speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl again after 1 minute.
Half-fill each cupcake liner with batter.
Bake for 17 – 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
Remove pans from the oven and set on countertop for 5 minutes.
Remove the cupcakes from the pans and place them on wire racks to cool completely.
- Frosting:
- 500 g icing sugar – sifted
- 125 g butter, room temp
- 250 g cream cheese, room temp
- 10 ml vanilla essence
- ± 250 ml desiccated coconut
Beat the butter and icing sugar together for about 3 minutes until the sugar is dissolved and no longer feels gritty when rubbed between your fingers.
Add the vanilla and beat well.
Add the cream cheese and beat just until the cheese is mixed in. don’t overbeat, as the frosting will get runny.
Pour the coconut into a shallow bowl.
Frost each cupcake with a dollop of frosting, spreading to cover the entire top.
Dip the top into the coconut, making sure to cover the entire top.
For the buttercream flowers, I used the following icing tips:
104 petal tip
352 leaf tip
18 star tip
80 mum tip
Recipe and photo: Debbie Edwards
