Wednesday 18 August 2010

Coconutty Craziness




Ina Garten's Coconut cupcake recipe is the best, most coconutty recipe I have ever tried. Most people only sprinkle the coconut on top of the cupcakes once frosted; Ina, however puts a good 7oz in the cupcake batter itself. Herein lies the secret to the uniqueness of her recipe. It is so easy and so delicious you'll want to make them for every party you throw.

Ingredients: (Though the recipe says it makes 18-20 cupcakes, my batch came out to 26 large cupcakes)

  • 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 5 extra-large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 14 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut (very hard to find in the UK)

For the Frosting:
  • 1 pound cream cheese at room temperature
  • 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extra
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
  • 1 1/2 pounds confectioners' sugar
Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in 7 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. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on low speed, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth.

Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with the remaining coconut (you won't use the entire 70z of remaining coconut but do be generous).