White Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream

These cupcakes almost caused me to miss my flight yesterday.

I tried to resist baking them, it didn’t work. I tried to make healthy meals and think skinny thoughts. That didn’t work either. Ugh… do cravings for cupcakes ever go away?

The answer is no.

I decided at the last minute that I needed to make these for a friend before he dropped me off at the airport (thank you food). I frantically began digging in my cupboards where I found white chocolate and coconut. It must have been hiding from me since typically I eat both by the handful while watching episodes of Top Chef.

Eating food, watching food, making food… you may call it obsessive. I call it a triple threat.

I’m happy to report the cupcakes were successfully out of the oven within a half hour! BUT… I had totally forgot about the frosting!

At this point I had to be at the airport in two hours and strawberry buttercream was on my brain. I quickly whipped it up, and scooted to my flight just in time. With frosting on my shirt too. Classy.

I just wouldn’t have felt complete leaving with incomplete cupcakes.

All my panic was totally worth it though. I mean, take a look at this frosting! I would eat this for 17 days straight if I could. I could dip anything in it. Eat it by the spoonful. Bottle it up and serve it as the next great condiment. Bathe in it.

You get the point right? It’s strawberry bliss. And it’s completely wonderful any which way.

Another wonderful thing about these cupcakes: brown butter.

Have I convinced you to get into this yet? It changes the flavor of all baked goods, makes them even more wonderful. It has a distinctive nutty aroma and flavor. It made these cupcakes exceptional. I promise you’ll fall in love.

It’s your turn to get your cupcake panic on. You know what to do.

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White Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream

byby :Monique of Ambitious Kitchen

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Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

ServesServes 12

Incredible white chocolate coconut cupcakes with a thick, fluffy strawberry buttercream frosting. The perfectly dense cupcakes have a rich flavor thanks to brown butter and truly melt in your mouth. 

Ingredients

• 1 stick of butter
• 3/4  cup sugar
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2  cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4  cup buttermilk (I like Silk Coconut milk too.)
• 1/2 cup coconut
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• For the strawberry buttercream
• 2  stick of butter, softened
• 1/2 cup strawberries, pureed
• 4-5  cups powdered sugar

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium saucepan, brown your butter.* Once you have browned your butter, place in a bowl and set aside to cool about 5 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. 
• In a separate large bowl, beat together the brown butter and sugar. The sugar will appear slightly grainy, which is completely normal. Beat in the eggs one at a time until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add in the vanilla and beat again.
• Turn your mixture to low, and add the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk (or coconut milk). Mix until just combined. Gently fold in the coconut and white chocolate chips.
• Line a muffin pan with paper liners and fill each to the top. Bake for 18-23 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes then remove to a baking rack and cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on low speed, cream together the butter and strawberry puree. 
• Add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Place in the refrigerator until cupcakes are ready to frost. Makes 12 cupcakes

Recipe Notes

If you are unsure how to do this, check out this site for step by step directions.