Pina Colada Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting and a Pineapple Flower

I thought this would be a great first blog...

Pina Colada Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting and a Pineapple Flower

Yes, I know, it's a long title but I couldn't leave any of it out.  What was my inspiration you ask? It was a Tuesday.  That's about all the inspiration I needed to make these beauties.  I had pinned the pineapple flower a while back on my Pinterest account and kept going back to it, so pretty:)  This is the result.  I modified a recipe I found online for Pina Colada cupcakes at A Spicy Perspective.  The frosting is from Pat and Gina Neely over at Food Network.  I love combining many recipes to make just the perfect thing for my taste!


If you try it please comment and let me know how yours turned out, how you tweaked it or what not.


Cupcake Recipe:


(have all ingredients at room temp)


1 cup sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter
3 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
1 1/2 c ap flour
1/2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 c unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 c shredded coconut
1/2 c crushed pineapple, drained (you could use fresh, but I didn't)


Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line 2 muffins tins with paper cups. In a large bowl beat butter and sugar til light and fluffy, 3-5m.  Add in eggs 1 at a time til fully incorporated, then vanilla.  In a smaller bowl combine dry ingredients.  Add into the butter/cream mixture the dry ingredients with coconut milk alternating each, beginning and ending with dry.  Scrape down sides of mixer and give a final, quick stir.  Add in coconut flakes and pineapple and give a quick stir just to incorporate, making sure to not over mix.  Scoop batter into paper cups about 3/4 full, I like to use an ice cream scoop.  Bake for 15-18m.  Cool completely before frosting.


Frosting Recipe:


(again have all ingredients at room temp)


2-8 oz pkg cream cheese
1 stick butter
2 t vanilla extract
6 c powdered sugar
1-2 c coconut flakes


In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese and butter til light and fluffy, add in vanilla and beat til well incorporated.  In another smaller bowl sift powdered sugar 1 c at a time, adding each cup into frosting and blending well with each addition.  You made need more or less sugar depending on how thick you like your frosting, that's why I like to add it 1 c at a time.  Lastly add in coconut flakes stirring just to incorporate.  Spoon the frosting into a gallon size ziploc bag and chill frosting for about an hour before frosting cupcakes.


I ended up making the frosting at night, then frosting the cupcakes the following morning, if you do this, too, then set out frosting for a bit to soften up.


When you're ready to frost cut a hole in the corner of the bag as big as you want the frosting piped on, I like mine pretty big.  Using a circular motion, starting on the outer edge of the cupcake pipe on your frosting til you come to the center and lift up and away.  It doesn't have to be perfect because the flower is going on top.  I found that the shredded coconut on the frosting made the frosting come out a bit funny anyway, no worries:)


Pineapple Flowers:


Peel a fresh pineapple.  Using an 1/8 t measuring spoon scoop out the little "eyes" in the sides of the pineapple.  Slice super thin and place on a single layer on a silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake at 225 degrees for at least 30 m.  This could take up to an hour or more depending on how thin you slice your pineapple.  Don't worry, just be patient and keep checking on them so the edges don't burn.  After you pull them out of the oven and while still warm (in other words, move fast!) place each flower in the cup of a cupcake tin to curl the edges up a bit as they dry.  I left mine over-night like this.