Coconut Cupcakes

Coconut Cupcakes. I have wanted to make these since January when I found these cupcake holders. I searched for the perfect coconut cupcake recipe and I think I found it! Thank you to the Barefoot Contessa....be warned, this recipe is full of butter, sugar, and cream cheese. Enjoy at your own risk.

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Coconut Cupcakes

Ingredients

3/4 pounds unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups of sugar
5 extra-large eggs, room temperature
1&1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1&1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
3 cups of flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut, divided

frosting

1 pound cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1&1/2 pound confectioner's sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Using a paddle attachment of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy (5 minutes). With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add vanilla and almond extract and mix well.

In a separate bowl sift together the dry ingredients. In three parts, alternating with the buttermilk, add to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until combined. Fold in 7 ounces of coconut.

Line muffin pans with papers. Fill liner to the top with batter. (I filled just under and made about 24 cupcakes) Bake for 25-35 minutes until light brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes . Remove to baking rack and cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. Using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer on low speed, combine butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and almond extract. Add confectioner's sugar (I added a few cups at a time)and mix until smooth.

Frost, sprinkle with remaining coconut and enjoy!

{Source: Barefoot Contessa}

There you have it, I hope you enjoy. These cupcakes were a lot of work, but very tasty! I should say I really wanted to participate in the last "Poetic Winter Challenge"...calm. However, with 5 kids and a house for sale, not much in my life these days constitutes calm. LOL. So I decided, to call these cupcakes, Calming Coconut Cupcakes. Does that work for you? As I have said before, taking time to do the things I like, baking, arranging flowers, photography, helps me relax and calms me. So if that counts as calming I hope you enjoy the fruits of my labor. Have a great weekend and as always thanks for looking!

PS: you will be seeing those little pink roses next week!