Piña Colada Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

By nicole Published: July 3, 2012

• Yield: 36 cupcakes
• Prep: 45 mins
• Cook: 25 mins
• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins

Adapted from http://gimmesomeoven.com/pina-colada-cupcakes/

Ingredients

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1⅛ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
• ⅜ cup light brown sugar
• 1½ tablespoon dark rum plus extra for brushing on the top of cooling cupcakes
• 3 eggs room temperature
• 1½ cup cream of coconut
• 1⅛ cup fresh pineapple finely chopped or canned, strained and juice reserved
• 16 ounces cream cheese room temperature
• ¼ cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar add to achieve your desired thickness
• ½ cup cream of coconut
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• maraschino cherries for garnish, optional
• grated coconut for garnish, optional
• pineapple wedges for garnish, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare two cupcake pans with 36 liners.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, then add rum and cream of coconut and mix until combined. Add dry ingredients, half at a time, mixing and scraping down bowl between additions. Mix only until flour is just incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in bits of pineapple.
3. Use a large cookie scoop to fill cupcake pans with batter until each is 2/3 full. Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove and cool for 20-30 minutes. For extra flavor, while the cupcakes are still hot, you can brush them with rum and/or pineapple juice.
4. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until smooth. Add in powdered sugar, then cream of coconut and vanilla. Chill until firm enough to pipe or spread, about 30 minutes. Mix in extra powdered sugar if needed for thickness.
5. Once the cake has cooled, pipe (or spread) coconut cream cheese frosting onto each cupcake. Then top with a maraschino cherry, pineapple wedge, and/or shredded coconut if desired.