Bake up this coconut cupcake recipe to enjoy with your afternoon Mate Cocido, coffee, or Tea! These coconut cupcakes with coconut milk are moist, fluffy, exceptionally tender, and full of coconut-y flavor.
It's topped and decorated with a creamy, luscious coconut cream cheese frosting.
If your family has a sweet tooth like mine and is always looking for new cake recipes, check out my Orange Sheet cake, Vanilla Bundt Cake, Lemon Pound Cake, or Marble Bundt Cake.
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✏️Camila Made Tip: If you’re a vanilla fanatic like me, I highly recommend purchasing this gallon of clear vanilla and throwing in some vanilla beans. I added a whole bunch to mine to make it more concentrated. Then, keep it in your pantry for when you need it. This delicious vanilla bean blend is perfect for any sweets, such as cake, cookies, and so on; when you run out, buy another gallon and refill it.
This homemade vanilla bean extract or flavoring, whatever you want to call it, can be made with vodka instead of clear vanilla, and let it concentrate for 3 to 6 months before use. I like to use clear vanilla so I can use it right away.
How to Make Coconut Cupcakes
Note: The full instructions are provided in the recipe card below.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle. Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle—line two nonstick 24-cup cupcake pans with paper liners.
Lightly spray the top of the pans with a nonstick cooking spray with flour, such as Baker's Joy or Pam Baking Spray with flour, just in case the cupcake tops stick to the pan.
Sift together the flour, cornstarch, and baking soda to remove any lumps in a large bowl; set aside. Whisk together the coconut milk and lemon juice; set aside.
Combine the unsalted butter, sugars, pure vanilla, coconut extract, clear vanilla, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
On medium speed, beat until light and fluffy for about 5 minutes; stop and scrape the bowl, and paddle with a rubber spatula as necessary.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, on medium speed until well combined, about 2 to 3 minutes, and scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Turn the speed down to low and beat in one-third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the coconut milk mixture; scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Next, add another one-third of the flour and coconut milk mixture. Beat in the remaining flour mixture, scrape down the bowl, and beat again until the batter is combined. Quickly mix in the shredded coconut; do not overmix.
Give the batter a few final folds with the spatula to ensure the batter is well mixed and smooth; there should be no streaks of fat or liquid. Evenly spoon the coconut batter into the prepared cupcake pans, filling each cup about three-fourths full.
Give the pan a few taps on the counter and bake the Coconut Cupcakes until lightly golden, about 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the coconut cupcakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely for about 1 hour.
How to Make Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
Sift the powdered sugar and powdered milk in a large bowl to remove any lumps; set aside. In the stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter, salt, clear vanilla, coconut extract, coconut milk, and pure vanilla.
Mix on low speed until combined, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners' sugar mixture, mixing at low speed to combine.
Once the confectioners' sugar mixture is mixed in, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes; adding 1 tablespoon extra coconut milk if needed for desired consistency.
If your frosting is a bit soft, cover it with saran wrap and place it in the fridge for a few minutes; this will help your frosting firm up.
If desired, place the coconut cream cheese frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip, or cut a ½-inch opening at the base of the bag and frost the cupcakes as desired.
If desired, sprinkle with the shredded coconut, pressing it gently to adhere, and serve. Store the coconut cupcakes at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Related Recipes:
- Coconut Sheet Cake
- Vanilla Sheet Cake
- Coconut Sheet Cake
- Chocolate Sheet Cake with Mocha Frosting
- Orange Sheet Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
📖 Recipe
Easy Coconut Cupcakes
Tools
Ingredients
For the Coconut Cupcakes:
- 312.5 g (2-½ cups) all-purpose flour, spooned into a measuring cup and leveled-off
- 30 g ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1-⅔ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup canned full fat unsweetened coconut milk shaken
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice , from 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla
- 4 large eggs at room temperature.
- 1-½ cups shredded unsweetened or sweetened coconut
For the Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 226 g (8 oz) of full-fat cream cheese at room temperature
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon powdered milk optional
- 1-½ cups unsweetened or sweetened shredded coconut , plus topping
- 1 to 4 tablespoons canned unsweetened coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon coconut extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or clear vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line two nonstick 24-cup cupcake pans with paper liners. Lightly spray the top of the pans with a nonstick cooking spray with flour, such as Baker's Joy or Pam Baking Spray with flour, just in case the cupcake tops stick to the pan.
- Sift together the flour, cornstarch, and baking soda to remove any lumps in a large bowl; set aside. Whisk together the coconut milk and lemon juice; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the unsalted butter, sugars, pure vanilla, coconut extract, clear vanilla, and salt.
- On medium speed, beat until light and fluffy for about 5 minutes, stop and scrape the bowl, and paddle with a rubber spatula as necessary. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, on medium speed until well combined, about 2 to 3 minutes, and scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Turn the speed down to low and beat in one-third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the coconut milk mixture; scrape down the sides of the bowl. Next, add another one-third of the flour mixture, followed by the remaining coconut milk mixture.
- Beat in the remaining flour mixture, then scrape down the bowl and beat again until the batter is just combined. Quickly mix in the shredded coconut; do not overmix.
- Give the batter a few final folds with the spatula to ensure the batter is well mixed and smooth; there should be no streaks of fat or liquid. Then, evenly spoon the coconut batter into the prepared cupcake pans, filling each cup about three-fourths full.
- Give the pan a few taps on the counter and bake the Coconut Cupcakes until lightly golden, about 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the coconut cupcakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely for about 1 hour.
How to Make Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
- Sift the powdered sugar and powdered milk in a large bowl to remove any lumps; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter, clear vanilla, coconut extract, coconut milk, and pure vanilla.
- Mix on low speed until combined, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light, about 1 minute. Next, add the confectioners' sugar mixture, mixing at low speed to combine.
- Once the confectioners' sugar mixture is mixed in, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes; adding 1 tablespoon more coconut milk if needed for desired consistency. If your frosting is a bit soft, cover it with saran wrap and place it in the fridge for a few minutes; this will help your frosting firm up.
- Place the coconut cream cheese frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip, if desired, or cut a ½-inch opening at the base of the bag and frost the cupcakes as desired. If desired, sprinkle with the shredded coconut, pressing it gently, so it adheres, and serve. Store the coconut cupcakes covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
