Pineapple Coconut Cupcakes

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes or until a tooth inserted in the center comes out clean
plus cooling time
Yields: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

1-2/3 cups of all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup of brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup cane sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 large egg

1/2 cup of full fat coconut milk

almost 1/2 cup of pineapple juice ( from a crushed pineapple jar, save the pineapple for later)

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

FROSTING

1/2 cup of unsalted butter, softened to room temp (1-2 hours)

3 cups of powdered sugar

1/4 cup of heavy cream

2 Tablespoon of coconut milk

1/2 teaspoon of coconut extract

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

handful of toasted coconut

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350, Line 12-count muffin tin with cupcake liners. Set aside.

Cupcakes: In a medium bowl add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl melt butter slowly on stove over boiling water, let cool. Then whisk in both cane sugar and brown sugar, no clumps. Whisk in egg, pineapple juice, coconut milk and vanilla extract until combined.

Slowly, mix in the dry ingredients into wet ingredients until no lumps remain. Fill cupcake liners a little more than halfway, about 2/3 full. Bake for 18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let rest for 5 minutes in cupcake pan then move to cool on wire rack fully before frosting.

Once cupcakes are cooled, using a pastry tool or small knife scoop out a little cavity in the center of the cupcake and fill that hole with a spoonful of crushed pineapple. What a fun, fruity surprise for your guests to enjoy!

Make the frosting: while the cupcakes bake, beat the butter on medium speed, make sure it has softened. Beat for about 2-3 minutes until creamy. Add powdered sugar, cream, coconut milk, vanilla and coconut extract, beat for 4 minutes. You will think it might be finished, but keep beating at high speed.

Add frosting to cooled cupcakes and add some toasted coconut as topper.