Coconut Cupcakes

  4.6 – 438 reviews  • Mixer Recipes
Level: Intermediate
Total: 2 hr 5 min
Prep: 1 hr
Inactive: 30 min
Cook: 35 min
Yield: 18 to 20 cupcakes

Ingredients

  1. 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  2. 2 cups sugar
  3. 5 extra-large eggs at room temperature
  4. 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  5. 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
  6. 3 cups flour
  7. 1 teaspoon baking powder
  8. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  9. 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  10. 1 cup buttermilk
  11. 14 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut
  12. 1 pound cream cheese at room temperature
  13. 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  14. 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  15. 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
  16. 1 1/2 pounds confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with the remaining coconut.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 of 19 servings
Calories 800
Total Fat 52 g
Saturated Fat 35 g
Carbohydrates 79 g
Dietary Fiber 4 g
Sugar 59 g
Protein 8 g
Cholesterol 156 mg
Sodium 230 mg

Reviews

Kristen Osborne
I don’t know why anyone would want to create a muffin top, as these are not muffins. I fill each wrapper 3/4 full intentionally so they don’t overflow. Most professional cupcake shop don’t make cupcakes with muffin tops. I suggest you Fill to 3/4, and they will bake right up to the top of the wrapper to create a flat top. This is perfect to pipe a large dollop of frosting and add a pinch of coconut. They look like professional cupcake shop cupcakes. I’m giving the recipe five stars for taste and texture, but disagree with overfilling the wrappers. Also, decreasing the amount of batter to 3/4 full yields 36 cupcakes, which (in my opinion) calls for doubling the frosting recipe to create the best result.
Chelsea Baldwin
I would like a nice muffin top on this. Can someone give me some input on that? Also, I willl be making these a few days early. Should I refrigerate them or leave them out. Is okay to frost them early or should I wait until the day I use them. Thanks so much. Looking forward to making this recipe this weekend. Also, any put on size of cupcake tins to use?
Kathy Barr
Amazing!! Everybody went crazy for them. The cake was moist and flavorful and forget about the frosting, it was a little and a little sweet, and absolutely perfect.
Scott Blair
These cupcakes were ideal for my Dad’s birthday! Spot on as always Ina!
Barbara Mercado
Love this recipe. I make them every year for my birthday. My Mom always made me a coconut cake. This way I can share easily with my family and friends.
Karen Woods
Ever time I serve these cupcakes I get rave reviews. They are dense and moist and delicious. I’ve even added some vanilla ice cream on the side at dinner parties. Today I made them (24) for Fourth of July- I’ll freeze them til the big day. I’ll color the coconut so it will be red white and blue.
David Peterson
I made the recipe exactly as written but cut it in half using 3 large eggs, not XL as instructed. (I’ve made the full recipe and it was just more than I needed this time). Using my muffin scoop (about 2 1/4 inch diameter), the half recipe made 16 regular sized muffins but didn’t create the “muffin top” that this recipe is known for creating. They’re easier to get out of the pan without the muffin top so that was fine. I’m not a huge fan of almond flavoring but it just works in this recipe so I’m glad I used it. Cut the frosting recipe in half as well and then loaded them up with coconut! Amazing five star recipe. Ina is a rockstar. 🙂 
Kenneth Brown
Such a wonderful cupcake!!!!!  I only did 1/2 of the icing recipe.  It was enough for the cupcakes.  I will make these whenever I am serving cupcakes!!!  
Gerald Ramirez
Delicious. Batter made 24 regular cupcakes. I used 1/2 tbsp coconut extract in frosting, only used 1.5 cups confectioner sugar and it came out great. There was some frosting left over (about 2 cups) even after heavily frosting cupcakes. Luckily I have frosting lovers in the house. This recipe is a keeper. 
James Kelly
The cupcakes were great, but filling to the top with batter is too much batter. I had muffin tops. I would put slightly less batter. Also the recipe says it makes 18-20. I made 22 cupcakes, but with less batter in each one, I could have made 24 easy. Also, I had a lot of left over frosting. I would half the frosting ingredients. Great recipe though. I will definitely make them again. 

 

Leave a Comment