Coconuty goodness....

Throughout this cupcake adventure, I have been sharing cupcakes with friends, family, and coworkers. In going through potential cupcake ideas with a couple of coworkers, I mentioned that I needed to hurry up and do a coconut cupcake. She asked me why, and I said, "It's Easter time...that's when you have coconut cake." She seemed confused by this. I think she even asked me why. I didn't have an answer....I just knew that if I was going to do something that heavily relied on coconut flavor, I would need to do it soon. Well, today is Easter - which means this was the week that the coconut was going down.

This cupcake was inspired by the same cookbook that inspired the carrot cake cupcakes from last week. It was a gift from my uncle, who I can never thank enough for buying for me. The cookbook itself does not focus on any specific aspect of baking, it is merely a plethora of recipes that I will need to experience. The recipe I made this week was actually for a coconut cake, but since this is a CUPCAKE challenge, we had to make them little. 

Just a heads up - this recipe is probably the most challenging, thus far. It was kinda time consuming, and there were a few trial and error's that had to be experienced, before it was good enough. If you decide to try it, have fun. The outcome definitely makes up for the time it takes to bake them. Happy Easter!

Coconut Cupcakes

Inspired by Sono Baking Company cookbook

For the batter:

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3 large eggs, separated & at room temperature

2 tbsp granulated sugar

1/2 c unsalted butter, room temperature

2 c confectioners' sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 c coconut milk

2 tbsp cream of coconut (we will talk more about this in a few...)

1 teaspoon coconut extract

For Pastry cream

4 large egg yolks

1/2 c sugar

1/4 c cornstarch

2 c milk

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

3 tbsp unsalted butter, cold

1 c shredded, sweetened coconut

For the coconut buttercream frosting:

2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp coconut extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
16 tbsp ulsalted butter, cut into chunks & softened
1/4 c cream of coconut
3 c confectioners' sugar
2 c sweetened shredded coconut (toasted, if you'd like)

Prep your oven by setting temperature to 350 degrees. Prep your muffin tins with your favorite Eastery cupcake liners, and set aside.

You will begin by making the cake. Combine the flour and baking powder in a small bowl, then set aside. In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk the egg whites until they are frothy. Slowly add the granulated sugar and continue to whisk, until stiff peaks form. Scrape the meringue into a clean bowl, then set that aside. 

Wash out your bowl and swap your whisk attachment for a paddle attachment. Cream your butter, confectioners sugar, and salt together until light and fluffy. This will be kinda thick, so scrape down your bowl after about a minute of mixing. Once your butter mixture is fluffy, add your egg yolks, one at a time, making sure they are well combined after each addition. Beat in your coconut milk, cream of coconut, and your coconut extract. 

So, have you asked yourself what cream of coconut is, yet? I didn't think much of it, until I failed to find it in any of the FIVE grocery stores I looked in. I Googled it and saw a few different brands, so didn't figure it would be tough to find. Well, I should have researched it a little bit more, to find that is is commonly use to make pina coladas. What does this mean to us? You should go to the liquor section of your grocery store, or better yet - go to a liquor store. After traveling to all those stores (not even remotely close to my home) on a whim I went to the liquor store 2 blocks away from my house & asked if they had cream of coconut. To my delight, and frustration, the sales clerk said "We sure do!" and he grabbed a can for me. Geez louise......Well, at least I found it.

Anyway, the can will most likely need to sit in a bowl of warm water to loosen up, so make sure you do that. The end result will be a liquid that resembles the consistency of sweetened condensed milk, just a bit more translucent.

After you have beat in your coconut milk, cream, and extract, start adding your dry ingredients to the wets. Once all of your flour is combined, remove it from your mixer. Ever so gently, scrape your meringue into your batter. Don't mix, don't stir, don't whisk -- FOLD. Be patient, this may take a while. The end batter is still very thick, but it will result in a wonderful cake.

Once the meringue is incorporated, grab your ice cream scoop and fill your cupcake liners 2/3 full. For the first time, I had to smooth out the tops of the cupcakes, to make sure that they baked even. You'll see what I mean when you see how thick the batter is. Just give it a quick swipe with a spatula and you'll be all set.
Bake these puppies for 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool them for 10 in the pan, then remove them to the cooling racks.

While these cool, start your pastry cream. Whisk the egg yolks, 1/4 c of sugar, cornstarch, and 1/2 a cup of milk. Set aside. In a medium saucepan combine the rest of the sugar and milk, and the salt. Bring to a simmer, making sure you whisk constantly. Once it's warm to the touch, temper your egg yolk mixture by slowly pouring a small amount in, while whisking QUICKLY. (Key word is quickly. You don't want to scramble your egg yolks) Once you've done this, pour in the remaining warm milk mixture and whisk thoroughly. Using a mesh strainer, strain your custard mixture back into the saucepan and bring to a boil. Whatever you do, do NOT stop whisking, or you will be sorry. Once your mixture begins to boil around the edges, watch the center. The first signs of a bubble popping up in the middle, start counting your alligators. (One alligator, two alligator, three, alligators, etc) Count 10 seconds (or 10 alligators) then remove from heat.

Transfer the cream to your stand mixer, and using the paddle attachment, mix at medium speed for 2-3 minutes, in order to slightly cool your mixture. Beat in vanilla extract. With mixture still running, cut your butter in, a little at a time, until it is completely incorporated. Add your coconut and continue to mix. Transfer the pastry cream mixture to a separate bowl then press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto cream, to avoid a crust from forming on top. Chill for 1-2 hours.

For the buttercream, combine cream, extracts, and salt in a small bowl. In your mixer bowl, beat butter and cream of coconut at medium-high speed, until smooth. Reduce your mixer speed, then slowly add your confectioners' sugar. Beat until smooth, approx 4 or 5 minutes. Add your cream mixture, and increase your mixer speed to medium-high. Beat until light and fluffy, which for me was about 7 minutes.

After pastry cream has chilled, remove from refrigerator, and give it a few stirs. Since this recipe was originally for a cake, I had to get the pastry cream inside the cupcake. Two years ago I got a cupcake corer from Sur La Table and I had never used it. What better time than now? All you have to do is push it into the cupcake, then give it a twist. Like magic, a little plug of cupcake pops out. Needless to say, I ate most of these cupcake plugs (hee hee) Fill a pastry bag with your cream, and squirt into the cupcake, until it begins to overflow. Do this for all of the cakes, then pipe your frosting over the hole. Garnish your cupcake with coconut, toasted or not toasted. I opted to toast, to add a darker, nuttier flavor - and a splash of color to contrast the white. To toast, dump coconut onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake at 350, stirring often. It took me about 10 minutes to get my coconut well toasted.

Sprinkle over top of cupcake, then enjoy!!