Coconut Cupcakes
Photo from the web
* For the cupcakes:
* 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room
temperature
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 eggs, at room temperature
* 1/2 cup plain (unflavored) yogurt
* 1/2 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
*
For the vanilla frosting:
* 12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room
temperature
* 3 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
* 2 tablespoons heavy cream
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut
Directions:
Before you start
Be sure an adult is nearby to help.
Preheat an oven to 375°F. Line a 12-well muffin pan with paper liners.
Mix the batter
In a bowl, using a wooden spoon, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla on medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one is added. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a spatula.
Add half of the flour mixture and beat on low speed just until blended. Add the yogurt and beat until smooth. Add the rest of the flour mixture and the coconut and beat just until blended. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl with the spatula.
Fill the cups
Using 2 large spoons, one to scoop and one to push, fill each lined cup mostly full with batter.
Bake and cool the cupcakes
Put the pan in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
Using oven mitts, remove the pan from the oven and set on a cooling rack for 20 minutes. Tip the cupcakes out of the pan onto the rack and let cool completely.
Frost and decorate the cupcakes
In a bowl, using the electric mixer, beat together the butter, confectioners' sugar, cream, vanilla and salt on low speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Pour the 2 cups coconut into a shallow bowl.
Using an icing spatula, frost the top of each cupcake, mounding the icing in the center. Holding the bottom of each cupcake, roll the frosted top in the coconut. Makes 12 cupcakes.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kids Baking, by Abigail Johnson Dodge (Oxmoor House, 2003).
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