Description
Ina Garten’s classic coconut cupcakes blend sweet tropical flavors with rich cream cheese frosting. Bakers can create these delightful desserts by following simple mixing and baking techniques that guarantee delicious results.
Ingredients
Scale
- 5 extra-large eggs (room temperature)
- 375g (13.2 oz) all-purpose flour
- 400g (14.1 oz) sweetened shredded coconut
- 400g (14.1 oz) sugar
- 340g (12 oz) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 240ml (8 fl oz) buttermilk
- 225g (8 oz) cream cheese (room temperature)
- 680g (24 oz) icing sugar (sifted)
- 1–½ tsps vanilla extract
- 1–½ tsps almond extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat Preparation: Set oven to 160°C (325°F) on fan setting and prepare muffin trays with paper liners, ensuring even coating.
- Butter Mixture Creation: Utilize stand mixer to cream butter and sugar until pale and voluminous, approximately 5 minutes, achieving a light, fluffy texture.
- Egg Integration: Gradually introduce eggs to the butter mixture, incorporating vanilla and almond extracts, mixing on low speed and scraping bowl sides for uniform consistency.
- Dry Ingredient Combination: Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a separate bowl, guaranteeing even distribution of leavening components.
- Batter Development: Alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk to the butter mixture in three stages, gently mixing until just combined to maintain batter’s delicate structure.
- Coconut Infusion: Fold shredded coconut into the batter, ensuring even distribution without compromising the mixture’s airiness.
- Baking Process: Fill muffin cups generously with batter and bake in preheated oven for 25-35 minutes, monitoring for golden-brown tops and clean toothpick test.
- Cooling Stage: Allow cupcakes to rest in pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to wire rack for complete cooling, preserving their delicate texture.
- Frosting Preparation: Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth, then incorporate vanilla and almond extracts, gradually adding sifted powdered sugar for light, airy frosting.
- Final Presentation: Once cooled, lavishly apply cream cheese frosting and garnish with remaining shredded coconut for an elegant, textured finish.
Notes
- Measure Precisely: Use exact measurements for ingredients to ensure consistent texture and taste in every batch.
- Room Temperature Matters: Allow butter, eggs, and buttermilk to reach room temperature before mixing for smoother, more even batter.
- Gentle Folding Technique: When adding coconut, fold gently to maintain the batter’s light and airy structure, preventing dense cupcakes.
- Cooling is Crucial: Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting to prevent melting and ensure a perfectly smooth cream cheese topping.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 60g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 17g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 63g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 125mg