Vanilla Bean-Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting for Easter

Cupcakes for Easter!  These are rich and decadent.  They should be, there’s almost a pound of butter between the cake and frosting.  But it’s Easter, so live it up.

This recipe comes courtesy of epicurious.com.  Happy Easter!

Vanilla Bean-Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting

Reduced coconut milk:

• 2 13-to 14-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk* (preferably organic)

Cupcakes:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• Seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup reduced coconut milk (see above), room temperature

Frosting:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup reduced coconut milk (see above), room temperature
• Seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, lightly toasted (for garnish)

For reduced coconut milk:  Bring coconut milk to a boil in a LARGE DEEP saucepan, not a small pan like I did.  It pays to read the directions all the way through.

Reduce to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.   Boil until the coconut milk is reduced to 1 1/2 cups.  Cover and chill.  Can be prepared 2 days in advance.

See my little saucepan?  And the puddle of coconut milk underneath it?  Now I’ve got some clean up to do.

For the cupcakes:  Preheat oven to 350°.  Sift the dry ingredients.  One of my favorite baking tools is my tamis.  It makes sifting so easy.  Just add all of your dry ingredients in the middle of the tamis lined with parchment.  Then give it a few taps and it’s done!

A lovely vanilla bean.  Save the empty pods and put them in a bag full of sugar.  Then you’ve got vanilla sugar.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffly.  Add the eggs, one at a time, incorporating each egg first before adding the next egg.  Add the vanilla seeds and coconut milk.  Add half of the sifted dry ingredients until just mixed together.  Add the remaining dry ingredients until just incorporated.  Fill lined cupcake tins with batter, you should be able to fill 18 cups.  Bake for 20 minutes, the tops should be lightly browned.

For the frosting:  In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, cream butter until light and fluffy.  Add the coconut milk, vanilla bean and powdered sugar.  Continue to whisk until the frosting is light and fluffy.  Fill pastry bag with frosting fitted with a piping tip.  Frost the cupcakes, leaving a rim of cake exposed.

Aren’t they pretty?

When we were kids… coloring Easter eggs.   That’s John, me in the middle and Chris on the right.  Veronica wasn’t feeling so good.   I hope Mom has some eggs for us to color today.  I don’t care if I am moments away from being 50 years old, I still want to find an Easter basket, or some plastic eggs filled with goodies in the backyard.  Dad, are you going to hide something on the roof for John to find?

See?  There’s Veronica, trying to get some sleep while the rest of us are apparently trying to prevent that from happening.

Check this picture out of all four of us Schwartz kids.  Doesn’t Chris look just like the E-Trade baby?  Apparently riding the dog is FROWNED UPON in this ESTABLISHMENT!  Good stuff.