Pina Colada Cupcake Recipe

These are my favorite, so far out of all the cupcakes I have made - well, at least for the mood I'm in lately anyway. But whatever the case, they really are delicious.

Sandi Oh's Pina Colada Cuppies

First we'll start with the coconut cupcake, which I found on Epicurious - Before you start with the cupcakes, you'll need to reduce coconut milk:

2 cans unsweetened coconut milk.

Bring to boil in a large deep saucepan over med-hi heat (milk will boil up in pan). reduce heat to med-lo and simmer until reduced to approx 1 1/2 cups (I actually got 1 2/3 cups exactly both times I did this - which is perfect because it gave me exactly enough to make 1 batch of cuppies and a double batch of frosting). Stirring occasionally, it takes 25 - 30 minutes. Remove from heat, cool completely and refridgerate up to 2 days ahead.

Coconut Cupcakes:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 1/4 tsp b powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted room temp butter (I accidently added 2 sticks the second time I made these, and they were just a little richer - so you decide)

1 1/3 cups sugar

3 large eggs

seeds from 1 vanilla bean, or 1 1/2 tsp vanilla (I used 1/2 vanilla bean and 1/2 tsp good vanilla)

1 cup reduced coconut milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, line 18 cupcake tins.

Sift together the dry ingredients into seperate bowl.

Cream the butter until fluffy then slowly add the sugar and beat again 2 - 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well between each addition (and as always, scrape your bowl when you need to). Add the last egg with the seeds from the vanilla bean (or extract) and beat well.

Add the cup of coconut milk, mix well. Add 1/2 the flour mixture and mix until blended, then add the remaining flour and mix until blended. (okay, so that's the original directions. I just did the dry, wet, dry method which worked just fine too - just don't overmix your flour). Bake 18 - 20 minutes.

Next comes the Pineapple Buttercream (a new favorite), which is a recipe that I adapted from Fields of Cake, one of my favorite blogsites.

1/4 cup dark rum

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

2 sticks unsalted room temp butter

1 stick salted room temp butter

1/2 box (or 1/7 oz) instant vanilla pudding

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup pineapple filling (see my previous blog)

1/2 - 1 cup powdered sugar

In small sauce pan stir together rum and b. sugar and cook over med heat until sugar is dissolved (I just brought it to a boil). remove from heat and let cool.

In stand mixer with whip attachment, cream both butters until light and fluffy. Add pudding and

rum mixture (make sure you dip your fingers into the rum mixture and savor a piece of heaven while your at it) and mix on low to blend, then turn mixer up and beat 5 - 8 minutes. Bring mixer back to low and add cream and 1/4 cup pineapple, mix to incorporate. Turn mixer back up and beat again for a few minutes. Turn down again and add sugar (I like 1 cup, but you decide how sweet you want it...it does have the brown sugar from the rum and the filling itself). Once again bring mixer back up and beat for another few minutes. When done fold in the other half of the pineapple.

I found at times the frosting looked a little coagulated, but keep beating. It ends up great.

Next is the Coconut Buttercream (OMG...it's sooooo good)

(also from Epicurious)

2 sticks unsalted room temp butter (I actually use 1 stick salted and 1 stick unsalted)

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup reduced coconut milk (from above)

seeds from vanilla bean or 1 1/2 tsp vanilla (good quality)

1/8 tsp salt

beat butter until fluffy, add sugar, milk, vanilla and salt and mix on med low until well blended and scraping bowl as needed. Increase mixer to med high and beat until light and fluffy.

I have to double this recipe when I make it because it's sooooo fantastic.

Now to assemble cupcakes.

1. Take cooled cupcakes and fill with pineapple buttercream, by either cutting a cone in the middle and filling or by taking a size 12 decorating tip and shoving it in the middle of your cupcake and filling until it oozes out the top. The cone method is more tedious, but you get more filling - but then you lose part of your yummy cupcake. I just used the tip, and tried to get as much as I could in the cupcake before it cracked.

2. Top with coconut frosting. I did sprinkle a little bit of sweetened coconut on top after this.