Caramel Coconut Macaroon Cupcakes! Girls Night In!

Who has not had a coconut macaroon? Not a macaron, those are French, and completely different. Macaroons are delicious little mounds of coconut with a chocolate bottom, so good! Well how about a coconut macaroon cupcake with the addition of caramel! Even better, reminiscent of those delicious girl scout cookies! (which are not allowed in my house, they have been banned due to over consumption)

I created these for a girl’s night in. We headed out to our girlfriend’s house in the burbs, yes you heard me right, the burbs! She got rid of the kiddos for the evening, we packed our overnight bags, and bottles of wine and hit the road. We like to try and get together and have dinner and wine and girl time. Sometimes it’s easier for us to head out to her since she has the small humans. Sometimes we order food in, or make a meal, but this time we were doing an all apps all the time dinner. Which I love, I mean the apps are usually the best part of the meal. I made my delicious buffalo chicken dip and I was in charge of dessert. I love to come up with new fun ways to re-create classic treats. So, I thought, how good would a coconut macaroon cupcake be? Then I thought, how good would a coconut macaroon caramel cupcake be, even better! I am nuts for caramel, just makes everything better, throw it in chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cake, vanilla cake, steak…;) You do you. Just eat caramel. Anyway, the combination of the toasted coconut, vanilla cake, chocolate and caramel were divine. They pair well with a nice rose’, or cabernet, or bubbles or a beer if you’re my other friend! 🙂

Just look at that delicious caramel oozing out! Who could say no to that? For a quick and easy homemade caramel sauce I always use this salted caramel recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction.

Our girl’s nights in are always a blast and always full of food, fun, laughter and wine of course! I can’t tell you how much wine, but it’s a lot, I can’t tell you how many cupcakes we ate, but it was a lot. There may have even been some cupcakes for breakfast, no judgement!

So, give these coconut macaroon cupcakes a try for your next girl’s night in! Trust me, they will be the hit of the night and the morning!

Enjoy!

Diane

Coconut Macaroon Cupcakes

 

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Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

16 mins

Total time

41 mins

 

Light full of coconut goodness, packed with caramel goodness and topped off with more toasted coconut and a chocolate caramel drizzle will have you in macaroon nirvana!

Author: Diane

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• For the Cupcakes:
• 1⅔ cups cake flower
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ cup light coconut milk room temp, shaken
• 3 egg whites
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter – room temp
• ¼ cup Mascarpone – room temp
• Caramel sauce - I use this recipe for a quick/easy sauce
• 1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened) divided
• Chocolate ganache for drizzling (store bought or homemade)
• For the Buttercream:
• 2 sticks butter room temp
• 3½ to 4 cups confectioners sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 to 5 tbsp. full fat canned unsweetened coconut cream

Instructions

1. For the cupcakes:
2. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with liners and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine your dry ingredients and whisk to combine, then set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth about 2 minutes. Slowly add in the sugar and continue to beat for another 3 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
5. Add the mascarpone and beat until combined.
6. Beat the egg whites until slightly foamy. Add to the butter sugar mixture in three pours. Beat after each addition until incorporated.
7. Combine the coconut milk and vanilla extract, stir to combine.
8. Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Add half of the wet mixture and combine. It will curdle some, that’s ok. Add another third of the dry and mix. Then add the rest of the wet mixture and combine. Last, add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Do not over mix.
9. Using an ice-cream scoop or about ⅓ cup, fill each cupcake liner ⅔rds full. Gently even out tops with offset spatula or knife. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
10. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in pan then remove to cool completely on a rack.
11. Take half of the caramel sauce and mix in about ¼ cup to ⅓ cup of unsweetened shredded coconut with the caramel, set aside.
12. Take the remaining coconut and place in a dry large skillet over medium heat. Toast lightly until golden brown. Careful not to burn, remove from heat on a plate.
13. Take the cooled cupcakes and cut a small hole out of the top of the cupcake, reserve the top. Fill each cupcake with about tbsp. of the caramel/coconut sauce. Replace the cupcake tops back on the top.
14. For the Buttercream:
15. Cream the butter until smooth in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium/high speed. Slow down the mixer and slowly add a cup at a time of confectionaries sugar. Increase speed after each addition to fully incorporate. About half-way through add your coconut cream and vanilla extract. Beat to combine. Add more coconut cream one tablespoon at time to reach your desired consistency.
16. Decorate:
17. Fill a large pastry bag with the buttercream fitted with the tip of your choice, I used a large French tip for these. Drizzle the tops of each cupcake with the remaining caramel sauce and the chocolate sauce. Sprinkle each cupcake with some of the toasted coconut. Store decorated cupcakes in an airtight container at room temp for 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5.
18. Enjoy!

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