Coconut Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Coconut lovers: These moist and tender Coconut Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting will thrill your palate with your first nibble. The decadent mound of cream cheese frosting guarantees that these will be unforgettable!
If you love a Coconut Cake Recipe, these delectable cupcakes provide built-in portion control. Though, I’d never fault anyone for going back for seconds. They’re just that irresistible!!!
Why You Must Make these Coconut Cupcakes
My mother had an immense influence as far as my palate is concerned. I was the oldest of four daughters. A rule follower. She’d eat sardines, I’d eat sardines. She’d eat chicken hearts, I’d eat chicken hearts. She’d eat liver, er…I’d, uh, taste liver.
When I was a wee first-grader, Mrs. McGinnis asked our moms to send in two favorite recipes which she used to compile a cookbook. One of my mom’s contributions was Mounds Bars; and, to this day, I treasure the stained mimeographed pages with our block print signatures. I think I could have eaten my weight in those rich, coconut gems back in the day. Maybe even now.
Ina Garten Coconut Cupcake Recipe
This recipe was one of the first I made from Ina Garten’s original Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. Way back in 1999. Before many of my food blogger friends were even out of first grade. Before the Barefoot Contessa had her own Food Network TV show. When dinosaurs still roamed the land. Well, maybe that’s just me showing my age.
There must be something in the double X chromosomes as none of the guy folks in the family are as gung-ho about coconut as Katie and me. We were happy to hoard these babies in honor of Mother’s Day. Girl power and all that. Coconut Desserts for the win! And now for some more recipes from some of my very favorite food bloggers so you can treat the wonderful mothers in your life to some deliciousness. I know my mom would approve of me sharing a mini version of Coconut Cake. In fact, she’d eat one for breakfast!
How to Make Coconut Cupcakes from Scratch
- Have all your ingredients at room temperature for the best results. It’s much easier when you don’t have to cream the butter when it’s cold from the refrigerator. So butter, eggs, cream cheese, and buttermilk should be taken out of the fridge at least an hour before you start mixing.
- Use the paddle attachment for mixing this cupcake batter. You do not want to whip air into the mixture.
- PRO-Tip: If you’ve ever forgotten to purchase buttermilk, you can easily make it at home. To a one-cup liquid measuring cup, add either a tablespoon of lemon juice or a tablespoon of vinegar. White vinegar or apple cider vinegar provides the most neutral flavor. Fill the rest of the cup with milk. Let rest for 5 minutes or so and it will start to thicken and curdle. Use as directed.
- The acid in buttermilk helps to tenderize the gluten in the flour resulting in a softer crumb.
- Purchase shredded, sweetened coconut for this recipe, not unsweetened.
- PRO-Tip: I like to use a large, 1/4 cup scoop to dish out the cupcake batter. This helps ensure the cupcakes are approximately the same size.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in a couple of the cupcakes comes out clean. You can also test by gently pressing your finger on top of the cupcake. If the cake bounces back up, the cupcakes are done. If the indentation remains, they need more baking time.
More Delicious Mother’s Day Recipes
Check out all the marvelous recipes to celebrate Mother’s Day below. There’s something for everyone…and a couple of coconut dessert recipes for me!!!
More Coconut Desserts You’ll Love:
- Coconut Macaroons
- Classic Hummingbird Cake with Coconut
- Samoa Cheesecake
- German Chocolate Brownie Pie
- Homemade Samoa Bars
- Classic Carrot Cake
- Chocolate Dipped Macaroons
- Coconut White Chocolate Truffles
- More of the Best Cupcake Recipes
- More of the Best Dessert Recipes
This recipe was first shared in May 2014. Photos and text were updated in 2020.
Coconut Cupcakes Recipe
Moist and tender coconut cupcakes topped with a decadent mound of cream cheese icing!
Ingredients
For cupcakes:
- 6 ounces butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 7 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut
For the frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 6 ounces butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 3/4 pounds powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325º.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry.
- Mix until just combined. Fold in 3½ ounces of coconut.
- 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.
- Cool in the pan on a rack for about 15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely.
- In your mixer with the paddle attachment, slowly mix together the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and almond extract.
- Add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
- Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with the remaining coconut.
Notes
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1 cupcakeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 721Total Fat: 43gSaturated Fat: 28gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 152mgSodium: 501mgCarbohydrates: 81gFiber: 2gSugar: 62gProtein: 7g
73 Comments on “Coconut Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting”
It is interesting how our tastes are so influenced by our parents. There are certain things I don’t ever make because my Mom didn’t like them and never made them. And my Dad likes some quirky things that his mom likes too. These cupcakes look fabulous – I may just have to make them for my birthday next month!
so sweet! Moms are the best <3 and so are coconut cupcakes!
LOL. Sure glad someone else was around when dinosaurs were roaming the earth. And mighty glad that you garnered this gorgeous cupcake recipe =)
P.s. Very mouthwatering photos, Liz! Wish I could grab one just about now =)
Cupcakes and coconut … such joyful, soulful words! And your recipe shows how beautifully those two things can synchronize and make my soul dance & sing!
Lucius images! Useful links of Mother’s Day recipes. Thanks a bunch for this fun post 🙂
They look beautiful Liz, I love how you can just about see the top of the cupcake underneath the icing and I also love the shredded coconut on top. Lovely!
I’m coo coo for coconut too! I would NOT be able to resist these cupcakes and I’m all over those Mounds Bars.
your cupcakes look perfect. I’d like one right now!
Great post Liz! You made me smile, laugh and hungry all at the same time.. Beautiful cupcakes. Take Care, BAM
No wonder my mother and I didn’t get along all that well. I wouldn’t eat liver, hearts OR sardines. She would eat anything not tied down – she had the most curious palate. I became more adventurous as I got older but frankly, I’d still go for the cupcakes. These are beautiful.
Sweet memories, Liz! Aren’t those the best. Looving these coconut beauties! 🙂 ela
These look so beautiful! Absolutely gorgeous! (What? No raspberries? I do see you slipped in a red knife. Tee hee hee.) Love Ina! I have everyone of her books – and I hear she has a new one coming out this year. Love the story as well.
These cupcakes look so dreamy and beautiful, Liz.
My mom and I share a love of coconut as well. She’d love these beautiful cupcakes as much as I would! 🙂
Lizzy your cupcakes always look beautiful!
And look delicious!
Xo
Oh my, but your opening made me smile. I just idolized my mom, and if she ate it, well then I ate it. She loved sauteed liver, so I loved liver – well until I was about 10 anyway. She loved Mounds Bars and so did I. To this day I still enjoy them. Coconut Cake remains one of my favorite desserts, and so these are really tempting to me. Your cupcakes are beautiful, really a glory to behold. May I say, “Yes, please!” to this one.
It is hard to go wrong with Ina. But I’m not sure you ever go wrong, either! Ah, Liz. You have the knack!
These look absolutely heavenly, Liz!
Being the second oldest of five daughters, I wasn’t as obedient as my older sister. And if my mother had put sardines, chicken hearts and liver in front of me, I’d only have eaten the liver! I would however, have eaten several of these cupcakes. These are so pretty, Liz, and I love the look of the frosting with the coconut xx
Coconut is one of my favorite flavors (in case you couldn’t tell from my blog lol). These cupcakes look so elegant for Mother’s Day.
These look so good. I love coconut. My mom does too! I think most of the foods I won’t eat are because of my mom too. Peas are just a no, no with her and with me.