Coconut Cupcakes

I'm into coconut these days. Last week I made buco pie layered with custard, it is so rich and yummy it was gone in a matter of days. I have also been curious as to why coconut cake and cupcakes are becoming very popular. I decided to bake some to see what the fuss is about.

I didn't like the recipe in my cupcake cookbook and found Martha Stewart's recipe which really appealed to me. I adapted the recipe using less sugar and very little butter because the recipe also has shredded coconut as well as coconut milk and I thought using all butter would make the cupcakes too rich. I also toasted dried coconut chips instead of fresh. The cupcakes are very very good, they're soft and the taste of coconut is perfect, not too strong nor too weak, and I love the toasted coconut garnish which adds crunch and more flavor to the yummy cupcakes. It's almost like baked puto, IMHO, I really like them. The following recipe for the cupcake is Martha's in its entirety but the White Mountain Frosting which in my opinion is easier to make is from another cookbook. Click on Martha's name for her frosting recipe.

Coconut Cupcakes
adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe
3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 sticks butter, room temperature
2¼ cups sugar
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup coconut milk
8 large egg whites
1¼ cups shredded fresh coconut
roasted coconut chips, for garnish

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 standard 12-cup muffin pans wit paper liners; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour, beat until just combined. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; set aside.
• In the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy. With mixer running, gradually add remaining ¼ cup sugar, beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 4 minutes. Do not overbeat. Gently fold a third of the egg white mixture into the butter-flour mixture until combined. Gently fold in remaining egg white mixture; stir in shredded coconut. Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each with a heaping ¼ cup batter.
• Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until the cupcakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack. Invert cupcakes onto a rack, flip and let cool completely, top sides up. Frost cupcakes, swirling to cover. Cupcakes may be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Garnish with toasted coconut just before serving.

White Mountain Frosting
½ cup sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla

• Mix sugar, corn syrup, and water in a medium saucepan. Cover and heat to rolling boil over medium heat. Uncover and boil rapidly to 242° on candy thermometer. As the mixture boils, beat egg whites in a large bowl just until stiff peaks form. Pour hot syrup very slowly in thin stream into egg whites, beating constantly on medium speed. Add vanilla, beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.

dried coconut chips

love those toasted coconuts