Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• 0.8 cup butter unsalted room temperature
• 1.3 cup sugar 
• 3  eggs room temperature
• 1 cup coconut milk canned (full fat is best)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 2.3 cups flour 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder 
• 0.5 cup desiccated coconut sweetened
• 0.5 cup butter room temperature (1 stick)
• 1 package philly cream cheese room temperature
• 0.5 cup powdered sugar sifted
• 0.3 cup desiccated coconut sweetened

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• whisk
• wire rack
• toothpicks
• muffin liners
• muffin tray

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Beat butter and sugar: Beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy again, another 3 minutes, scraping down the sides halfway through to ensure even mixing.
4. Beat in eggs, one at a time:
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds each. Be sure to scrape down the sides after each egg to ensure even mixing.
6. Combine dry ingredients:
7. Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl.
8. Combine coconut milk and vanilla: Stir together 1 cup of a well shaken can of coconut milk and a teaspoon of vanilla in a separate bowl.
9. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the butter sugar mixture and mix, then add 1/2 of the coconut milk mixture.
10. Continue alternating with the wet and dry mixtures, ending with the dry. Stop mixing once just as the ingredients become incorporated; do not over-mix!
11. Fold in the sweetened desiccated coconut.
12. Fill cupcake liners:
13. Place cupcake liner papers into muffin tins. Scoop the batter into the cupcake papers about one half to three-quarters of the way full.
14. Bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes, rotating the pan after the first 15 minutes to ensure even baking.
15. Check with a toothpick to see if the cupcakes are done. If the toothpick comes out of the cupcake clean, then they're ready.
16. Allow the cupcakes to cool for a minute or two in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
17. Beat cream cheese and butter: Beat the cream cheese for a minute. Then add the butter and beat an additional 3 minutes. Scraped down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
18. Add powdered sugar: Slowly add the powdered sugar, taste as you go adding more sugar until you have reached the desired sweetness.
19. Add coconut, spread onto cupcakes: Fold in the coconut.
20. Spread onto cooled cupcakes.
21. Sprinkle on a bit of extra shredded coconut on top to serve.