Moist Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Ermine Frosting

These delicious Coconut Cupcakes are moist, soft, and full of coconut flavor. I use the reverse creaming method for the cupcake batter, which produces a delicate soft crumb and a level top when they bake. The cupcake batter is made with coconut milk, giving the cupcakes an all-natural coconut flavor. Then, they're topped with a soft, creamy coconut frosting also made with coconut milk.  It's a double dose of coconut in these melt-in-your-mouth cupcakes that will have your family asking for more.

These cupcakes were originally made for my mom. She loves coconut and every year I make a coconut cake for her birthday. One year I made coconut cupcakes for her and they were a hit. She loved them and so did everyone else.

If you love coconut you’re absolutely going to love this homemade cupcake recipe with silky smooth coconut buttercream frosting. If you’d like to make a coconut cake instead of cupcakes try this coconut cake recipe or my coconut cake with lime curd filling.

Why These Cupcakes Will Become a New Favorite

The basis for these cupcakes is my Vanilla Cupcake recipe which I tested multiple times to ensure fluffy cupcakes with a nice rise and a moist flavorful interior. 

• All Natural Coconut Flavor. This recipe uses coconut milk instead of regular milk, and part of the butter is replaced by the fat in the coconut milk giving these cupcakes a wonderful coconut flavor.
• Moist & Tender. The combination of coconut fat and butter fat produces a moist and tender cupcake. 
• The Reverse Creaming Method. Using the reverse cream method not only reduces the development of gluten, so the cupcakes stay soft, but it makes these cupcakes even easier to make.

Ingredients for Coconut Cupcakes

Here is what you’ll need for this easy coconut cupcake recipe:

• Unbleached All-Purpose Flour: I prefer the texture that I achieve with all-purpose flour. The texture is a little more dense and cakey whereas cake flour is a little more airy. This is one place where my kitchen scale earns its counter space – weighing the flour has prevented many dry cupcake.
• Granulated Sugar: Don't be tempted to reduce the sugar here! When I tried cutting back during testing, I ended up with rubbery cupcakes that weren't worth the calories. The right amount of sugar is crucial for sweetness and that tender crumb that makes these cupcakes so good.
• Unsalted Butter: This is where these cupcakes differ from recipes that use oil. My mom has always loved the flavor butter brings to her birthday coconut cake, so I stayed true to that in these cupcakes. The butter flavor complements the coconut perfectly – something a neutral oil just can't deliver.
• Coconut Milk:  Here's where my big "aha moment" came during recipe development! I wanted all all-natural coconut flavor without relying on extracts, and full-fat coconut milk was the answer. But this ingredient required some math – 2/3 cup adds about 30 grams of fat to the recipe. After a couple of tests where my cupcakes sank in the middle and tasted underbaked, I realized I needed to adjust the butter to account for all this added fat. Eight tablespoons proved to be the right amount to balance with the coconut milk.

How to Make Coconut Cupcakes

Before you start mixing make sure the butter and eggs are at room temperature. For baking purposes, room temperature is between 65 - 68°F degrees. The fat in the coconut milk often solidifies at the top of the can, so place the top of the can in warm water to melt the coconut fat before opening the can.

Step 1: In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs and 1/3 cup of the coconut milk. Line the muffin pan with paper liners.

Step 2: Place all the dry ingredients including the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on low speed.

Step 3: Add the butter and coconut milk.

Step 4: Mix the batter on medium speed until it's creamy. Be careful not to overmix.

Step 5: Add the egg mixture in two batches beating after each addition until the eggs are incorporated.

Step 6: Divide the cupcake batter between the 12 cupcake liners. Each cupcake should be about 2/3 full.

Step 7: Bake the cupcakes for 20-22 minutes. The tops will be light golden brown and slightly domed.

Step 8: Remove the cupcakes from the oven. Let them cool in the muffin pan for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes to a wire rack to finish cooling to room temperate before frosting them.

How to Make Coconut Buttercream Frosting

This frosting is the best creamy coconut frosting you'll ever taste. Because of the coconut milk, it has a delicious sweet coconut flavor with the richness of regular buttercream. The buttercream contains the following ingredients:

• Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness to the frosting
• Flour and Cornstarch: These two ingredients thicken the slurry and form a paste that gives the buttercream structure and body.
• Coconut Milk: Original ermine frosting is made with milk, but I have discovered that you can substitute other liquids (like coconut milk) for the milk with very delicious results. The coconut milk tastes amazing in this recipe and if you love coconut, you'll love this frosting.
• Kosher Salt: The salt balances the sweetness of the recipe.
• Unsalted Butter: The butter gives this frosting its rich, creamy texture. Definitely use unsalted butter. Salted butter will make the buttercream too salty.

Step 9: Combine all the ingredients except the butter in a 3-quart saucepan. Cook these ingredients over medium heat whisking constantly until the mixture is thickened.

Step 10: Cool the slurry to room temperature, then add the butter.

Step 11: Whip the slurry and butter with the whisk attachment for about 8 minutes on medium-high speed until it is light and fluffy.

This frosting is so good and so easy to make, that if you've never made it before, I think it will become a new favorite.

How to Frost the Cupcakes

Once your coconut cupcakes are cooled to room temperature, it’s time to frost them. Pipe the frosting on top of the cupcake with a piping bag and my favorite Wilton 1M Tip. Other frosting or buttercream options include:

• Swiss Meringue Buttercream
• Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (aka American Buttercream)

After frosting the cupcakes, top the buttercream with coconut flakes or sweetened shredded coconut, toasted or untoasted.

How to Store Coconut Cupcakes

Store unfrosted cupcakes at room temperature for up to 2 days in an airtight container.  Store the cupcakes at room temperature for 1 to 2 days after frosting them.

Pro Tips for Making This Recipe

• For the best results weigh the flour and the butter.  Too much flour or too little butter will result in dry cupcakes.  Using a scale will ensure the best results for your cupcakes.
• The butter and eggs should be a room temperature to ensure that the batter emulsifies properly.  Cold butter won’t fully incorporate and cold eggs will result in a dense rubbery texture.
• Don’t overfill the cupcake liners.  The cupcakes will overflow when baked and possibly stick to the pan.  
• Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting them.  Otherwise, the frosting will melt and slide off to the side.

Troubleshooting Your Cupcakes

• If your cupcakes are dry it's either because too much flour was added or they were overbaked.
• If they cupcakes sink in the center it may because you overmixed the batter, added too much baking powder, or used coconut milk that had a much higher fat content.
• If the cupcake are dense it may be because you used cold eggs, overmixed the batter, or used too much flour.

If you make these delicious coconut cupcakes please leave a rating and a comment below.

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Moist Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Ermine Frosting

5 from 10 votes

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cooling Time: 2 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

These coconuts are a coconut lover's dream. A moist coconut cupcake is topped with a delicious coconut frosting and then topped with a sprinkle of sweetened coconut.

Servings: 12 cupcakes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Cheryl Norris

Equipment

• ▢
  12-cup Muffin Pan
• ▢
  Cupcake Liners
• ▢
  Digital Scale
• ▢
  5-Quart Stand Mixer

Ingredients

Coconut Ermine Frosting

• ▢ 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
• ▢ 1-1/2 tablespoons (15 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
• ▢ 5 teaspoons (14 grams) cornstarch
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon Diamond kosher salt
• ▢ 3/4 cup (180 ml) coconut milk
• ▢ 14 tablespoons (197 grams) unsalted butter room temperature (65-68 degrees F)

Coconut Cupcakes

• ▢ 2 large (100 grams) eggs room temperature
• ▢ 2/3 cup (161 ml) coconut milk room temperature (65-68 degrees F)
• ▢ 1-1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated sugar
• ▢ 1-2/3 cups (212 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon Diamond kosher salt
• ▢ 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter room temperature (65-68 degrees F)

Cupcake Topping

• ▢ 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

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Instructions

Make the Coconut Ermine Frosting

• This recipe makes 3 cups of frosting, enough to frost 12 cupcakes.
• In a 3 or 4-quart nonreactive pan whisk together the sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt. Slowly whisk the in the coconut milk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly and scraping the corners of the saucepan, until the mixture boils and is very thick, about 6-10 minutes. When the mixture starts to boil whisk it for 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a wide bowl or glass pie plate and let cool completely, about 2 hours.
• Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter (which should be between 65-68°F) on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5-minutes.
• Turn off the mixer, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the cooled coconut milk-flour mixture. Mix on medium speed until combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Scrape the buttercream into a smaller bowl and cover with plastic wrap until ready to frost the cupcakes. Wash out the mixing bowl and make the cupcakes. The frosting can sit at room temperature for up to 2 days, if your kitchen is not hot (>75°F)

Coconut Cupcakes

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line the muffin pan with cupcake liners.
• The fat in coconut milk tends to solidify at the top of the can. To ensure a homogenous mixture, place the can of coconut milk upside down in a container of hot water to melt this solid layer of coconut fat. When you open the can, stir the milk to ensure it is well combined before measuring out 2/3 cup for this recipe.
• In a small bowl combine the eggs and 1/3 of the coconut milk and whisk the ingredients together. Cut the butter into 8 pieces.
• Add the sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. With the paddle attachment mix the dry ingredients on medium-low for 30 seconds to thoroughly combine them.
• Add the butter and remaining coconut milk and mix on medium speed until the butter and coconut milk are thoroughly incorporated and the batter is creamy, about 1 minute. Be careful not to overmix. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
• Add the egg mixture in two batches, mixing on medium speed until the egg mixture is thoroughly incorporated each time. Scrape the sides and bottoms of the bowl and fold the batter by hand to ensure all the batter is mixed together.
• Divide the batter evenly between the 12 cups of the muffin pan, about 60 grams each. Each muffin tin should be about 2/3 full.
• Bake the cupcakes for 20-22 minutes until they are done. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing the cupcakes from the pan to a wire rack. Let the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting them.
• If making the cupcakes one day in advance before frosting them, store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature.

How to Decorate the Cupcakes

• Using a Pastry Bag: Fit your pastry bag with a open star tip or your favorite decorating tip and fill it with frosting. Starting at the outside edge of the cupcake, pipe frosting in a swirl with the tip about 1/4" to 1/2" above the cupcake, exerting even pressure on the bag continuously. Finish the swirl in the center of the cupcake by removing the pressure and lifting up the tip slightly as you near the center. If you’re new to decorating cupcakes it may take some practice.
• Using a Knife or Offset Spatula: Use a large tablespoon to add about 2 tablespoons of frosting onto the cupcake. Use the back of a spoon, a non-serrated butter knife, or a small offset spatula to spread the frosting to the edge. While pressing down on the frosting slightly, move your spoon or knife in a spiral pattern from the outside edge of the cupcake to the center of the cupcake, to create a pretty spiral or swoop.
• Top the frosted cupcakes with sweetened shredded coconut.

How to Store the Cupcakes

• Unfrosted Cupcakes: If not frosting and serving the cupcakes the same day as they're baked store the cooled cupcakes in an airtight container for up to two days.
• Don't store the cupcakes while they are still warm. The condensation will cause the paper liners to peel from the cupcakes if stored while
• Frosted Cupcakes: Once the cupcakes are frosted they can be stored at room temperature for 1 day. The cupcakes taste best if consumed the same they are frosted.

Notes

Coconut Milk: When buying coconut milk check the nutrition label and make sure you are buying coconut milk that is 11g fat per 1/4 cup serving. Do not use low-fat or non-fat coconut milk for the cupcake recipe or the cupcakes will be dry. The amount of butter in this recipe has been adjusted to account for the amount of fat in the coconut milk.

Weigh the Ingredients: You’ll get the best and most consistent results if you weigh the ingredients, especially the flour

Nutrition

Calories: 444kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 164mg | Potassium: 96mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 687IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 2mg

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