Coconut Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I decided to make these cupcakes on my sister's recommendation. She found the recipe on a blog, but the original comes from The Washington Post and was featured in the Cupcake Wars in 2008. She claimed these were so incredibly fantastic I would just melt. I tried the cake. Good consistency and tasty. I tried the icing. Great creaminess. I tried them TOGETHER. And yes, they are by far, now one of my FAVorite cupcakes EVER! I cannot say it enough, these are SOOOooo delicious!!


Coconut Cupcakes:

• 2 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp cake flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp nutmeg
• 12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 cup sweetened, flaked coconut

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in a medium-sized bowl.

Place butter in stand mixer; beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add half the sugar and beat for 1 minute. Add the rest of the sugar and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape sides of bowl as needed.

Add the eggs to the butter one at a time; beating for 45 seconds in between each egg. Then add the vanilla.

Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the dry ingredients in, in 3 seperate additions, alternating with the sour cream (in 2 seperate additions). Add coconut last; mix until just combined.

Pour batter into cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 the way. Bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Frost once cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 tbsp butter, softened
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 tbsp heavy cream (may substitute coconut milk)
• 2 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened, flaked coconut

Using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until well-combined, about 1 minute. Add vanilla and heavy cream; continue beating on medium speed. Add powdered sugar in increments; combine first with spatula to minimize the mess. Once smooth, frost cupcakes and roll in coconut flakes.