Welp, the weather doesn’t seem to remember that it’s spring this weekend. Chance of wintery mix early in the week…what the F*! 😊 Well, just because mother nature is confused, we are not. It is spring and we will think it and eat it until it comes! One bite of my Coconut Lemon Cupcakes and sunshine will just beam right out of you. Well not exactly, but you will visualize sunshine and warmth and light springy air and let the lemony, coconutty goodness wash those pesky wintery mix blues away!
These sweet tarts really do elicit happy thoughts! Did you know that the color yellow scientifically (per the information superhighway) truly does send happy thoughts to the brain? I know right, they say you should paint your baby’s room yellow to make them happy. Um, screw that I am painting my whole place yellow and making me (no babies here) happy! 😉 Heck, I am doubling down after the craziness that is our world these days and just going to eat all yellow too. Ha-ha, but yes, the color yellow is good for you (allegedly). So, when you see a beautiful cupcake, topped with that bright yellow lemon zest, yellow cake and creamy (lemony) frosting, your brain tells you that you are happy and then your tastebuds confirm it.
These cupcakes are delish though. The (yellow) cake is tender and kissed with coconut from the use of coconut milk, a light- handed use of coconut extract and shredded sweetened coconut to give texture and more yummy coconut flavor throughout. Then because these are coconut lemon cupcakes, we have to add that signature sour, in a tamed down way, by using lemon curd to fill the cupcakes. Coconut and lemon are like, yin and yang, salt and pepper, peas in a pod, Sonny and Cher, well not exactly, bad example there, but you get my drift. Meant to be! Finally, because I really like to drive home a theme, more lemony curd laced delicately through the sweet American buttercream to finish things off with a bang or pucker or both…!
Just look at that shredded coconut baked right in! So coconutty!
Piled high with that coconut and lemony creamy American buttercream.
Garnished with more coconut goodness with toasted flakes because we can.
Filled with lemon curd to really take things to the next lemony level in the best possible way.
So, stay away from the weather forecasts for the coming days. Put on every piece of yellow clothing you own and bake up some springtime happiness with my Coconut Lemon Cupcakes! Heck, it’s the weekend, so pair these suckers with a lemon tini and anticipate the warm to come while you enjoy the rush of flavors on your tongue!
Happy Weekending & Puckering Up!
Diane
- For the Cupcakes:
- 1 and ⅔ cups A.P. Flour
- 1 tsp. of baking powder
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter - room temp
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs - room temp
- ¼ cup sour cream - room temp
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. coconut extract
- ½ cup canned light coconut milk
- ¼ cup sweet almond oil (can sub vegetable oil)
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- store bought jar of lemon curd
- For the Buttercream:
- 4 sticks unsalted butter - room temp
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 5-6 tbsp. of full fat canned coconut milk
- zest of one lemon
- ¼ cup lemon curd (store bought or homemade)
- For the Garnish:
- Toasted coconut flakes (store bought)
- zest of a lemon
- For the Cupcakes:
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake pan with 12 liners and a second pan with 2 liners. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl add all of your dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Set a side.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the sugar with the mixer running on low until incorporated. Speed up mixer and beat until butter and sugar is light and fluffy. Another 3-4 minutes. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Add the sour cream and beat. Add the eggs one a time and beat after each addition. Add the vanilla and coconut extracts and mix. With mixer running on slow, add half of the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Slowly add in the coconut milk and beat until combined. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until no flour bits remain. Don't over mix. Add the almond oil and mix to combine. Last, add the shredded coconut and mix so it is incorporated throughout the batter.
- Using a larger ice cream scoop, drop the batter scoops into the prepared pans. Level off the tops with off-set spatula or knife. Bake in pre-heated oven one pan at time on the middle rack for 16 to 18 minutes, rotate pan halfway through cooking. Remove from oven when toothpick inserted comes out clean. Repeat with second pan. Allow cupcakes to cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and allow to cool completely on rack.
- Fill the Cupcakes:
- Using a small pairing knife, cut a small circle in an angled inward fashion out of the top of the cupcake and pull out. Slice the very tops out of each circle and save next to each of the cupcakes. Using about a tsp. of lemon curd, fill each cupcake almost to the top of the holes. Replace the cupcake tops back on their corresponding cupcakes.
- For the Buttercream:
- In the bowl of a clean stand mixer with paddle attachment, add the butter and salt and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. With mixer running on slow, add the powdered sugar one cup at a time mixing after each addition. After the second cup, add the coconut milk and vanilla extract, beat until incorporated. Add the last cup of powdered sugar and beat until fully combined and smooth. Add the lemon curd and mix until combined. If you want a creamier consistency, add more coconut milk one tablespoon at a time. Last, add the lemon zest and mix.
- Frost and Garnish the Cupcakes:
- I used the same size ice cream scoop I used for the batter to scoop onto the top of the cupcakes. I took an off-set spatula to flatten and smooth out some. You can frost anyway you like.
- Top each of the frosted cupcakes with more lemon zest and some toasted coconut flakes.
- Serve room temp.
- Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze ungarnished for up to 3 months.
- Enjoy!
Leave a Reply