Coconut Cupcakes

These easy Coconut Cupcakes are irresistibly fluffy, packed with coconut flavor, and topped with a rich, tangy cream cheese frosting. They're foolproof to make with minimal effort. Perfect for any occasion!

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Coconut Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe Ingredients

• Salted Butter
• White Sugar
• Large Eggs
• Pure Vanilla Extract
• Coconut Extract
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Unbleached All Purpose Flour
• Buttermilk
• Sweetened Coconut Flakes
• Cream Cheese
• Powdered Sugar
• Milk

​This coconut cupcake recipe is such an easy recipe for fluffy cupcakes with rich coconut flavor. This is going to be your new go-to cupcake recipe!

How to Make Easy Coconut Cupcakes

1. First, preheat oven to 350°F and line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners or grease them extremely well with nonstick cooking spray.
2. With a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with hand mixer, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. This will take 3-4 minutes.
3. Next, beat in the eggs, one at a time. Followed by the vanilla extract and coconut extract.

4. Then, add the dry ingredients: baking powder, salt and all purpose flour. Mix on low speed just until combined and still crumbly.
5. Now, add the buttermilk and beat on low until combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
6. Increase mixer to medium speed and beat the batter for 30 seconds.

7. Fold in the coconut flakes.
8. Using a large scoop or a scant ¼ cup measuring cup, fill the cupcake liners or muffin cups ¾th full. This recipe makes exactly 12 cupcakes.
9. Bake cupcakes in preheated oven on center rack for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

10. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 2-3 minutes then remove to wire rack and cool completely.
11. While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare the cream cheese frosting.

How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting

1. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or with large bowl and hand mixer, cream together the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy.
2. Then add in the vanilla extract and half of the powdered sugar and beat well.
3. Add the remaining powdered sugar and milk, beat well until incorporated.
4. Now increase the speed on the mixer and beat for about a minute until the frosting is creamy and fluffy.

5. Using a medium scoop or 2 tablespoons, scoop heaping dollops of frosting and place on top of cooled cupcakes.
6. Then take each cupcake and place it frosting side down in a bowl of coconut flakes. Gently rock it back and forth so the coconut adheres to the frosting.
7. Let the cupcakes rest for about an hour so the frosting has time to set before serving or storing.

Serving Coconut Cupcakes

These cupcakes are perfect for any occasion or celebration! Here are some ideas:

• Birthday Parties
• Holiday Gatherings
• Game Days
• Bring to work and treat your co-workers
• Baby Showers
• Game Nights with friends
• End the weekend with a special treat after Sunday dinner
• Casual Dinners with friends or family

If you have some coconut lovers in your circle don't miss my other yummy coconut recipes: Coconut Brownies, Chocolate Coconut Candies, Coconut Oatmeal Cookies and Chocolate Chunk Coconut Cookies. All full of coconut flavor and so dang good!!

Storing

Storing: The frosting has cream cheese so it has a risk of spoiling, so ideally the cupcakes should be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container when not being served. They'll be fine left out the day you are serving them because the amount of sugar in the frosting acts like a preservative. The fridge can dry out baked goods and nobody wants to eat a hard, dried out cupcake so I would only store them in the fridge for a day or two after they've been served.

Freezing: You can also store any leftover cupcakes in the freezer and take out 2-3 hours before needing them. The freezer will preserve the freshness of the cupcakes and not dry them out. To store cupcakes in the freezer, place the cupcakes in a freezer safe air tight container that is tall enough to not touch the frosting. I've heard people mention that the frosting can split when thawed but I have never experienced that with my cream cheese frosting recipe.

Tips for Easy Coconut Cupcakes

• Gather all the ingredients before you start making the recipe. It is so much easier to bake when all the ingredients are ready.
• Read the recipe from start to finish before you start. I am speaking from experience.
• Use room temperature ingredients. It helps the batter come together better, and also helps with even baking.
• Always fluff your flour and then spoon and level it to measure. Doing this will prevent too much flour being added and ultimately making the cupcakes too dry. To fluff your flour, just scoop it and dump it a few times and then measure it out, or give it a fluff using a whisk.
• Do NOT over mix the batter, the cupcakes will be tough instead of tender. Mix just until the batter is smooth.
• If your oven tends to bake unevenly, you can rotate the cupcake pan a little over half way through the baking time. It helps with even baking.
• Double the recipe for parties! This recipe doubles perfectly to make 24 cupcakes.

More Cupcake Recipes:

• Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
• Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
• Red Velvet Cupcakes with Beet Powder
• Coffee Cupcakes with Mocha Buttercream