Coconut Snowball Cupcakes

Have I mentioned my love of coconut? It has always been my favorite dessert flavor – in cake, pie, ice cream, chocolate, I’ll take it. Lately I’ve been enjoying it for breakfast in the form of oh-so-delectable coconut butter dolloped on my morning bowl of oatmeal. I realize, however, that some of you are reading this and gagging. In fact, some people probably didn’t even bother to read this post after they saw the title. Yes, unfortunately, coconut is a love-it or hate-it ingredient. Because it is so detested by so many, I’m always happy to find a fellow coconut lover like my sister-in-law. When I find those people, I’m free to go crazy with the coconut with no fear that they’ll turn their noses up at what I make. These cupcakes were a birthday treat for one such friend, Caroline. Is it wrong of me to admit that I began to appreciate our friendship even more when I discovered her feelings about coconut?

Those Baked guys really know what they’re doing around a kitchen. After falling in love with the Baked brownie I found these cupcakes. The recipe manages to cram more coconut flavor than you ever thought possible into one little cupcake. Coconut is folded into the cake batter (I might even be tempted to throw a little coconut extract into it next time for an extra boost). The cupcakes are filled with a coconut pastry cream. The remaining pastry cream is folded into the frosting and the cupcakes are sprinkled with some extra coconut for good measure. A little fussy? Yes. But worth it for the true coconut lover.

Printable version of Coconut Snowball Cupcakes

Coconut Snowball Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes

For the coconut cupcakes
2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup ice water
2 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
For the coconut pastry cream
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the coconut frosting
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup coconut pastry cream

To assemble the cupcakes
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Make the coconut cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two 12-cup cupcake pans with paper liners.
Sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a large bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening together until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, add the egg, and beat until just combined. Turn the mixer to low. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the ice water, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl, then mix on low speed for a few more seconds.
In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Do not over-beat. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Fold the shredded coconut into the batter.
Fill the cupcake liners about three-quarters full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pans and place them on the rack to cool completely.

Make the coconut pastry cream
Set a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, bring the half-and-half to a simmer. Add the unsweetened coconut, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes to let the coconut steep. Strain and discard the coconut.
In another medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, flour, and salt until the mixture is pale, about 1 minute. Whisk half of the warm half-and-half into the egg yolk mixture, then pour that mixture into the remaining half-and-half in the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 6 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the vanilla. Strain the pastry cream through the sieve and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate the coconut pastry cream for about 1 hour, or until chilled.

Make the coconut frosting
In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the sugar and flour together. Add the milk and cream and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil and has thickened, about 20 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed until cool. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter; mix until thoroughly incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Add the vanilla extract and 1/2 cup of the freshly made coconut pastry cream and continue mixing until combined. If the frosting is too soft, put it in the refrigerator to chill slightly, then mix again until it is the proper consistency.

Assemble the cupcakes
Fill a pastry bag fitted with a medium tip with the remaining coconut pastry cream. Puncture the center of a cupcake with the tip and squeeze approximately 1 teaspoon of coconut pastry cream into the cupcake. Repeat for all cupcakes.
Frost the top of each cupcake with the coconut frosting and sprinkle with shredded coconut.

From Baked: New Frontiers in Baking