Buttery Cupcakes With Coconut Topping Recipes

VANILLA BEAN-COCONUT CUPCAKES WITH COCONUT FROSTING

Steps:

• For reduced coconut milk:
• Bring coconut milk to boil in large deep saucepan over medium-high heat (coconut milk will boil up high in pan). Reduce heat to mediumlow; boil until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, stirring occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat; cool completely. Transfer to small bowl. Cover; chill (coconut milk will settle slightly as it cools). DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
• For cupcakes:
• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line eighteen 1/3-cup muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar; beat on medium-high speed until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in seeds from vanilla bean and remaining egg. Add half of flour mixture; mix on low speed just until blended. Add 1 cup reduced coconut milk; mix just until blended. Add remaining flour mixture; mix on low speed just until blended. Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake cupcakes until tops spring back when gently touched and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes in pans to rack; cool 10 minutes. Carefully remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely on rack.
• For frosting:
• Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, 1/3 cup reduced coconut milk, seeds from vanilla bean, and salt. Beat on medium-low speed until blended, scraping down sides of bowl. Increase to mediumhigh and beat until light and fluffy.
• Using pastry bag fitted with large star tip, pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes. (Alternatively, top each cupcake with 2 tablespoons frosting. Using small offset spatula, swirl frosting over top of cupcakes, leaving 1/2-inch plain border.) Sprinkle with coconut. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight containers; chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.
• Available at many supermarkets and at Indian, Southeast Asian, and Latin markets.

COCONUT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 standard 12-cup cupcake/muffin pans with liners. Set aside.
• Sift the cake flour into a large bowl. Sift in the baking powder. Add the salt and whisk to combine.
• Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until pale and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs 2 at a time and beat until combined after each, about 1 minute. Beat in the vanilla and coconut extracts.
• Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with half of the milk after each addition, starting and ending with the flour and mixing on low speed until just combined and no streaks of flour remain after each addition, about 1 minute.
• Spoon the batter evenly among the 24 cupcake liners. Bake until springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Place the pans on a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
• For the glaze and topping: Add the confectioners' sugar to a medium bowl. Stir in the milk and whisk to form a glaze. If the glaze is too runny, whisk in a little more confectioners' sugar. If too thick, whisk in about another teaspoon of milk.
• Turn a cupcake upside down and dip the top into the glaze. Place the cupcake, right-side-up, on a serving platter. Sprinkle the top with coconut flakes to cover. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.
• Enjoy immediately or store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.