Coconut-Vanilla Cupcakes with Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting

so… the other day, i had a sudden craving, no, NEED, to eat something sweet, creamy and soft… so i decided to make these delicious, moist cupcakes.

the secret ingredient in the cupcakes is the coconut milk, which has a higher fat content than regular milk, which gives the cupcakes a decadently rich texture. combined with the slightly tangy, creamy frosting, and the texture of the coconut flakes, this is heaven in little, deliciously edible mounds!

for an even more decadent treat, you could try filling the cupcakes with the frosting, or toasting the coconut topping.

in the summer months, you should keep these refrigerated, because the frosting does have a tendency to be a bit runny in hot weather.

recipe makes 18 to 36 cupcakes, depending on size of mold.

ingredients for base cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour*
• 2 1/4 tsp baking powder* 
• 1/2 tsp salt* (* indicates that these ingredients should be mixed and sifted twice) 
• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature 
• 1 1/3 cups dark brown sugar, packed 
• 3 large eggs at room temperature 
• 1 vanilla bean, scraped (if unavailable
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract 
• 1 cup pure coconut milk, at room temperature (available in the asian section of the grocery store) 
• 1 cup unsweetened dessicated coconut flakes 
• 1 cup sweetened dessicated coconut flakes

ingredients for frosting:

• 4 cups powdered sugar 
• 2x 8 oz packets of cream cheese, softened to room temperature 
• 1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup) 
• 1 vanilla bean, scraped (or 1 tbsp vanilla extract) 
• 2 tbsp coconut extract

decoration/topping:

• sweetened dessicated coconut, spread out on a platter cupcakes (can be done a day before and set aside)

instructions:

1. preheat oven to 350F, with a rack positioned in the middle (or middle-top if you have 4 levels in your oven) of the oven. 
2. line cupcake molds with paper cupcake liners. 
3. in a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with a whisk until creamy & slightly fluffy (the old fashioned way - if you’re pressed for time, you can use a beater). 
4. add the sugar in 1/3 cup increments, while beating the butter, making sure that all the sugar gets incorporated. 
5. add the eggs, one at a time, incorporating thoroughly. 
6. add the coconut milk vanilla bean to the butter-sugar-egg mixture, incorporating thoroughly. 
7. now take 1/3 of the dry mixture (sifted flour, baking powder & salt) and beat it into the wet ingredients. r
8. epeat two more times, until all the dry ingredients are now incorporated. 
9. add the dessicated coconut. 
10. ladle the batter into the lined cupcake molds, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 full (or the mixture will overflow and you’ll have ugly cupcakes). 
11. bake at 350F, for 18-25 minutes, until edges are golden brown & a toothpick/chopstick inserted into center comes out with a few crumbs attached to it. 
12. frosting - while the cupcakes are baking, prepare the following: beat the butter until creamy. 
13. add cream cheese, half a package at a time, until it forms a creamy mixture. 
14. add the sugar in four parts, incorporating thoroughly. add the coconut & vanilla extracts (or coconut extract & vanilla bean). 
15. place in a piping bag and set aside in the refrigerator until the cupcakes are ready. 
16. when cupcakes are completely cool, pipe frosting (using a plain, small-to-medium piping end) onto the cupcakes in a swirl. 
17. roll cupcakes gently in sweetened dessicated coconut.