Toasted Coconut Cupcakes

Cupcakes are just awesome. They are portable, pretty and perfectly portioned. And most importantly, they are always topped with frosting.

Take these, for example. I made them for the teachers at Hazel's school when the PTA provided dinner the night of parent/teacher conferences. Because if anyone deserves a fabulous cupcake with, oh, I'll just go ahead and tell you, 23 grams of fat, it is elementary school teachers. Butter. All the way.

Toasted Coconut Cupcakes
2 3/4 cups butter, at room temperature, divided
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons each vanilla and almond extracts, divided
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon each baking powder, baking soda, and salt
1 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut, plain or toasted (I toasted mine for a few minutes in the oven as it heated), divided
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 3/4 cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream together 2 cups butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in 1 1/2 teaspoons each vanilla and almond extracts.

2. In another large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter and sugar mixture in 3 batches, alternating with coconut milk. Stir 1 cup flaked coconut into the batter.

3. Fill 30 paper-lined muffin cups (1/2-cup capacity) in two or more muffin pans about 2/3 full with batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing muffins from pans. Cool completely.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, 3/4 cup butter, and 1/2 teaspoon each vanilla and almond extract until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Frost cupcakes and sprinkle with remaining coconut. Makes 30 cupcakes (enough to fit in my cupcake caddy for the teachers plus 6 left over for my family.)

Recipe adapted from Sunset, June 2006