Cupcakes

coconut cupcakes

I baked a batch of chocolate cupcakes for a party and was about to frost them with vanilla, when I was inspired by a can of Coco López Cream of Coconut. I love the flavors of chocolate and coconut together, so I went for it.

coconut cupcakecoconut cupcake

The snow white frosting was a basic buttercream with coconut extract and a healthy dose of that coconut cream. I added a pinch of fresh coconut flakes on each.

You can use coconut milk to make frosting, but that would be different. I used coconut cream, not milk, for a rich, sweet, coconuty frosting.

Recipe: Coconut Frosting

Makes enough for about 2 dozen cupcakes (depends on icing method)

3/4-1 pound powdered sugar
1 stick butter, softened
1 teaspoon coconut extract
3+ tablespoons coconut cream
sweet coconut flakes

Begin by beating your butter, then slowly add the powdered sugar. Add the extract, then the coconut cream. Add more cream or powdered sugar to reach desired consistency. Top with coconut flakes after frosting cupcakes.

This is not an exact recipe, as you can see, use it as a guide!

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For Sugar Rush for Relief, I baked two different types of cupcakes—vanilla and pumpkin. I made regular vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream and pumpkin cake with cinnamon-, clove- and nutmeg-spiced frosting. (If you are looking for a recipe, the pumpkin were similar to these without the cranberries and with the additional spices in the frosting.)

spiced pumpkin cupcakes

I’d love comments from any who bought them at the bake sale, as it’s the first time I’ve baked and packaged a big batch. I hope they were a pleasing addition to your Thanksgiving dessert table. Thank you for supporting New York Cares!

vanilla cupcakes by amelie

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Ah, the PB&J… Lots of kids love it, and why not? It’s a sandwich with jelly in it that somehow you can call “lunch.” I never really understood how we get away with that, but who am I to argue?

I volunteered to make cupcakes for a birthday party, but was at first unsure what to bake. Then I learned that the birthday boy and his daughter have been trying to create the perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I thought I’d see what they thought of a cupcake version.

Annie’s Eats version of Martha Stewart’s Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes sounded good and well tested, so I decided not to try to come up with my own. A minor change, I substituted plain yogurt for sour cream, as I’ve been making my own and always have plenty on hand. I used Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Smucker’s Organic Concord Grape Jelly and Strawberry Preserves. I chose these as the most accessible (ie. in my local grocery store’s PB&J section) that had the least ingredients and were made with sugar, not high fructose corn syrup.

constructing PB and J

To get jelly inside the cupcakes, I cut a cone out of each with a paring knife and put in a spoonful of grape or strawberry goodness.  I then trimmed the pointy end of the cone and popped it back on top. When I frosted the cupcakes, I piped in a circle, leaving space in the center for even more jelly.

These cupcakes tasted exactly like a PB&J sandwich. Can they be lunch?

peanut butter cupcakes
Do you prefer strawberry or grape?

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I baked these particular carrot cupcakes for a friend’s graduation party. Her dissertation focuses on art depicting Mary Magdalen, which should explain the cupcake toppers.

I knew time would be tight, so I prepared them in stages. Earlier in the day before the party, I grated the carrots and sealed them in an airtight container and measured out and mixed my dry ingredients (sugar in one container, flour mixture in another). I was back to bake them after dinner, giving the cupcakes some time to cool, then sealing them up for the night.

Unlike some mixer attachments, I use my slicer/shredder often. It’s great for grating 1 lb. carrots.

That just left the frosting—and creation of the cupcake toppers—for the day of the party. I confess, I didn’t follow my own advice and tried piping on the frosting. Things got a lot easier when I turned to an offset spatula. For the toppers, I printed 2 copies of 2×3-inch images and taped them back-to-back onto toothpicks. (I actually used flag toothpicks, which provided a stable base.)

And, there you have it, Mary Magdalen Carrot Cupcakes!

Cupcake Recipe

Recipe: Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes plenty for 2 dozen cupcakes (exact amount needed depends on icing method)

1 stick unsalted butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound powdered sugar

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese, then add the vanilla. Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until desired consistency.

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Carrot cake is my most requested cupcake, and I’ve had fun experimenting with the classic ingredients (see Carrot Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cupcakes and Carrot and Crystallized Ginger Cupcakes). This time, however, I’m not messing with the original. These are straight up carrot with raisins. Add nuts, if you must.

Note: When I first started baking carrot cupcakes (pre-blog), I used Ina Garten’s Food Network recipe. The recipe below is loosely based on that recipe. Key differences are that I use butter instead of vegetable oil and cook a shorter time.

Read the Story of this Batch!

Recipe: Carrot Cupcakes

Makes 2 dozen cupcakes

2 1/2 sticks butter
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 pound grated carrots
1 cup golden raisins

Preheat oven to 350° F and line muffin pans with 24 paper liners.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla, then mix in the eggs, one at a time.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add half of this flour mixture to the mixing bowl, reserving half, and mix completely.

Add the grated carrots and raisins to the remaining flour and mix well, then add to your batter in the mixture. Mix until just combined, do not over mix.

Fill cups with batter about 3/4 full. Bake at 400° F for 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350° F and cook for about 20 minutes more. Cooking time varies, so start checking after 10-15 minutes. The cupcakes are ready when a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven, let cool 5 minutes in pans, then remove and cool completely on racks.

Variations: I've made these replacing the raisins with crystallized ginger or even chocolate chips. I've also used other fruits and vegetables such as zucchini or apple, reducing the amount of carrot. Lots of possibilities!

Frosting Recipe

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