Coconut Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup coconut milk or whole milk
• 1/4 cup coconut greek yogurt (or regular yogurt or sour cream)
• 7 ounces shredded sweetened coconut
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2 Tbsp heavy cream or coconut milk
• 1 1/2 - 3 cups powdered sugar (it depends upon consistency and personal preference; I generally use 2 cups)
• 7 ounces toasted coconut

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 325. Cream butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Lastly, add in the vanilla and almond extracts.

2. 2

   In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt (trust me--sifting makes a big difference in the texture of your cake; you can skip the step, but your cake will not be as light and fluffy. It'll have a denser texture).

3. 3

   In a small bowl, mix coconut milk and coconut yogurt together. Then in 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk mix to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in 7 ounces coconut.

4. 4

   Fill each muffin cup to the top, and bake 25-35 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

5. 5

   Meanwhile, for the frosting, cream together cream cheese, butter, and extracts. Once smooth, add in the heavy cream, and cream until fluffy. Next, add in the confectioners sugar, 1/2 c at a time, and mix until smooth. If the frosting is too stiff, add in more cream. If it is too runny, add in more powdered sugar.

6. 6

   Lastly, when toasting the coconut, make sure you keep a weather on it. I burnt my first batch. Burned coconut does not smell like toasty coconut. Over low heat, toast the coconut in a sauce pan while stirring constantly. Honestly, the process will be done in a couple of minutes.

7. 7

   When the cupcakes are cooled, spoon on the frosting, and top with toasted coconut.