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    Home / Desserts / Cupcakes

    Coconut Cupcakes

    Jan 20, 2023 by Fadela This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe

    Make these delicious coconut cupcakes with soft and moist cupcake base recipe flavored with shredded coconut and topped with a whipped coconut ganache frosting. This recipe is so easy to make at home and perfect for the holidays or any other occasion.

    Coconut cupcakes with coconut frosting on a table this recipe

    If you like coconut flavor in all your desserts and cakes, then you won't be able to resist this absolutely delicious coconut cupcakes recipe.

    A recipe loaded with coconut to please all the coconut lovers out there, a soft and moist cupcake base with a light and fluffy coconut frosting topping.

    To make this recipe you will only need to make 2 preparations, my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe, flavored with shredded coconut which adds an incredible texture, and its topping made with a white chocolate ganache flavored with coconut.

    Sprinkle some coconut flakes on top of these cupcakes and add some Raffaello for extra indulgence and you'll have the perfect cupcakes for special occasions, holiday celebrations, birthdays or just to share with family.

    >>See all cupcake recipes on the blog

    coconut cupcakes topped with coconut frosting and a raffaello

    Compositions and ingredients

    Here is an overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe and possible substitutions, scroll down to see the quantities in the recipe card.

    Coco cupcakes

    • Butter: Use unsalted butter with at least 80% fat content, take it out in advance, it must be softened or warm it up slightly in the microwave.
    • Sugar: preferably white granulated sugar, which can be replaced by brown sugar.
    • Eggs: large eggs at room temperature.
    • Flavoring and salt: Essential for flavoring, use vanilla extract and natural coconut flavor, and salt is needed to bring out the flavors.
    • Coconut cream: You can use unsweetened coconut cream, or canned coconut milk, you can substitute it with buttermilk, heavy cream, plain yogurt or simply semi-skimmed milk.
    • Flour: All-purpose flour or cake flour that you can replace with a gluten-free flour mix.
    • Yeast: baking powder or baking soda.
    • Coconut: optional shredded coconut flakes add more flavor and coconut texture to the cupcakes, you can replace them with toasted coconut, desiccated coconut or coconut flour.

    Coconut frosting

    • White chocolate: For a less sweet-tasting frosting , use quality baking white chocolate chips with at least 28 - 30% cocoa butter.
    • Heavy cream: Divided into 2 parts, use heavy cream with at least 30% fat or heavy whipping cream.
    • Coconut cream: use coconut cream and definitely full-fat coconut milk.

    >> See all frosting recipes

    ⚠️ You will find the quantities and complete instructions in the recipe card at the end of the page.

    coconut cupcakes on a plate with a fork

    How to make coconut cupcakes

    1 - Making Cupcakes

    1. Place softened butter and sugar and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes until creamy and smooth.
    2. Then add eggs, vanilla extract, coconut extract and coconut cream and mix again on medium speed for 1 minute to incorporate.

    Tips: Use room-temperature ingredients and an electric mixer or your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or the whisk attachment.

    large bowl with ingredients
    large bowl with wet ingredient

    2 - Baking

    1. Add the flour mixture, flour, baking powder, salt and grated coconut.
    2. Mix with a spatula to incorporate them gently and until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.
    3. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C and line a cupcake tin with the cupcake liners.
    4. Fill each cupcake liners with the cupcake batter.
    5. Bake cupcakes for 15 - 18 minutes until puffed and golden brown.
    6. Check for baking by gently sticking a toothpick into the center of a cupcake, if it is fully baked, the toothpick should come out clean.
    7. Let the cupcakes cool a bit before removing from the pan and letting them cool completely on a wire rack.

    Tip: Fill each baking cup no more than ¾ full as they will puff up during baking and to prevent them from overflowing.

    large bowl with dry ingredients
    cupcake pan with coconut cupcake batter before baking

    3 - Coconut frosting

    1. Place the white chocolate, finely chopped with a knife, in a large bowl.
    2. Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan until it boils, then pour it all at once over the white chocolate.
    3. Mix until you have a smooth liquid ganache.
    4. Add the cold heavy cream and coconut cream and mix again to incorporate.
    5. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.

    Tip: You can run an immersion blender through the hot ganache to smooth it out completely.

    coconut cupcakes topped with coconut ganache and raffaello

    4 - Decorate the cupcakes

    1. Beat the cooled coconut ganache with an electric mixer at medium speed (or slow speed, but not fast) for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth and firm.
    2. Prepare a piping bag with a decorating tip (here 1B) and fill it with the coconut ganache.
    3. Swirl coconut ganache over each cooled cupcakes, add a sprinkle of coconut flakes or decorate with Raffaello and serve immediately or store in the fridge.

    Tip: Be careful when whipping the ganache, keep an eye on the texture, it should firm up, if you whip it too much it might get grainy and you will have a lumpy frosting.

    coconut cupcakes on a table

    Conservation

    In the fridge: Coconut cupcakes with frosting can only be kept in the fridge because the whipped ganache is fragile and must be kept in the refrigerator to avoid any risk of food intoxication. Place them in an airtight container box under plastic wrap.

    Room temperature: You can store the cupcakes by themselves (without the topping) in a storage box for about 1 week.

    For room-temperature cupcakes, make a coconut buttercream frosting, a coconut cream cheese frosting or a Swiss meringue buttercream flavored with a coconut extract.

    How to freeze: You can freeze cupcakes decorated with frosting for up to 3 months in the freezer, placed in a storage box.

    coconut cupcakes with a coconut frosting

    More cupcake recipes

    • Chocolate cupcakes
    • High hat cupcakes
    • Lemon cupcakes with mascarpone frosting
    • Carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting
    • Vanilla cupcakes
    coconut cupcakes cut in half

    Coconut recipes

    • Coconut balls Raffaello
    • Coconut cake
    • White chocolate and coconut truffles
    • Coconut frosting

    Did you like this recipe? Don't forget to rate it and leave me a review in the comments! And to not miss any recipes follow @sweetlycakes on Instagram and tag me to share it if you make this recipe 😊!

    Print
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    Coconut Cupcakes


    • Author: Fadela
    • Total Time: 45 minutes
    • Yield: 12 cupcakes
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    Recipe for coconut cupcakes, with a coconut flavored cupcake base and a coconut ganache (for 12 cupcakes)


    Ingredients

    Coconut cupcakes

    • 100 g Butter - unsalted and softened
    • 150 g of Sugar - granulated
    • 2 Eggs - room temperature
    • 1 tsp of Vanilla extract
    • 135 g Coconut cream
    • 150 g Flour - all-purpose or cake flour
    • 1 tsp. baking powder - about 6 g
    • ¼ teaspoon of salt
    • 30 g grated coconut - unsweetened

    Coconut ganache 

    • 200 g white chocolate chips
    • 120 g Heavy cream - full fat and hot
    • 120 g Heavy cream - full fat and cold
    • 100 g Coconut cream - full fat and unsweetened

    Instructions

    Coconut ganache 

    1. The day before, place the finely chopped white chocolate in a large bowl.
    2. Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan until it simmers, then pour it all at once over the chopped white chocolate.
    3. Let it stand for a while, then mix with a spatula until the chocolate is completely melted (if there are still pieces of chocolate, place the mixture in a saucepan with a little water and melt in a double boiler)
    4. Then add the cold heavy cream and the coconut cream and mix again with a spatula to incorporate them.
    5. Blend with an immersion blender to smooth the ganache, then cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.

    Coconut cupcakes

    1. Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C and prepare a standard cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
    2. In a large bowl, whisk the softened butter with the granulated sugar for 3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
    3. Add the eggs, vanilla extract and coconut cream and mix again for a good minute to incorporate.
    4. Finish by adding the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, salt and shredded coconut and fold in with a rubber spatula just until the mixture is smooth.
    5. Fill the cupcake cases ¾ full with the mixture.
    6. Bake the cupcakes for 15 - 18 minutes. (Check for baking by sticking a toothpick into the center of a cupcake, if it comes out clean it's done)
    7. Let the cupcakes cool a bit before removing them from the pan and letting them cool completely on a wire rack.
    8.  

    Assembly:

    1. Take the cool coconut ganache out of the fridge and whip it with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes until thick and creamy.
    2. Place the ganache in a piping bag fitted with a 1B tip or similar and decorate the top of the cupcakes with the ganache.
    3. Sprinkle a few coconut flakes on top and enjoy or place in the fridge.

    Equipment

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    Stand mixer

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    Hand mixer

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    Notes

    Storage: 2-3 days in the refrigerator in a storage box or under a plastic wrap and up to 3 months in the freezer in a covered box.

    Substitute coconut cream: In cupcakes, you can replace coconut cream with coconut milk, heavy cream, plain yogurt, buttermilk or simply semi-skimmed milk.

    In the ganache, you can replace the coconut cream with the same amount of heavy cream to add to the hot ganache or mascarpone cheese to add when whipping the frosting.

    • Prep Time: 30 minutes
    • Cook Time: 15 minutes

    Keywords: coconut cupcakes, raffaello cupcakes,

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    Hello and welcome to my blog! Fully addicted to cakes, blogging and beautiful pictures! I share with you on this blog some tips and my favorite recipes which i hope will help you to enjoy your loved ones !

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