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Pineapple Coconut Cupcakes with Buttermilk Cream Cheese Frosting

adapted from Southern Living

Ingredients

  • 24 paper baking cups

Cupcakes:

  • 3 large eggs
  • 8 oz sour cream
  • 1/3 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon coconut extract or coconut emulsion*
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1- 18.25 oz white cake mix

Pineapple Glaze:

  • 1-20 oz can of crushed pineapple undrained
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 5 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Buttermilk Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 4 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1 16-oz. package powdered sugar
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • dash of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set rack in center of oven. Place liners in cupcake tin.
  2. Beat eggs at medium speed with mixer for 2 minutes. Add sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla and coconut extract. Mix well. Add cake mix and sugar, beat on low speed until combined and sugar is no longer grainy, about 1-2 minutes.
  3. Using a scoop (cookie, ice cream or small measuring cuplace batter into muffin tin lined with cupcake liners . Fill each cup about 3/4 full.
  4. Bake at 350 for about 15-17 minutes. Remove from oven to cool.
  5. While cupcakes are baking make Pineapple Glaze.

For the Pineapple Glaze:

  1. Stir together the first three ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes or until mixture starts to thicken. Make sure to cook until all of the cornstarch is dissolved, and the mixture starts to take on a glossy or translucent appearance.
  2. Remove from heat, stir in butter and vanilla.
  3. When the cupcakes are still warm, using a spatula, spread the pineapple glaze on top of the cupcakes. Try to spread the glaze on so the middle of the cupcake is mounded with the glaze a bit.
  4. Glaze all of the cupcakes. If there is any leftover glaze, go over the cupcakes again lightly, using remaining glaze. Set aside.

For the Frosting:

  1. Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar alternately with buttermilk, beating at low speed until blended after each addition. Add vanilla, and salt beating until blended.
  2. The frosting should be soft, and not stiff. After the cupcakes have been glazed, frost with buttermilk frosting.
  3. Immediately after frosting, top with a bit of coconut.
  4. If you would like to pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, reduce the amount of buttermilk to two tablespoons.