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a plate of piña colada cupcakes

Fluffy Piña Colada Cupcakes

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  • Author: Salima Benkhalti
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x
  • Category: desserts
  • Method: baked
  • Cuisine: Puerto Rican, American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Bake some sunshine into your life with these fluffy piña colada cupcakes! Made with a moist pineapple upside down cake inspired batter and a coconut cream cheese frosting, these sweet treats bring the tropical island to your kitchen.


Ingredients

Scale

For the Fluffy Pineapple Cupcakes:

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup butter (1 stick), room temperature 
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup buttermilk 
  • 1 tsp lime zest 
  • ½ cup crushed pineapple, drained

For the Coconut Frosting: 

  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 16 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1 tbsp heavy cream
  • 7 cups confectioners sugar
  • 2 tsp coconut extract

Optional Garnishes:

  • maraschino cherries to garnish
  • coconut flakes to garnish 
  • extra lime zest to garnish
  • extra pineapple slices to garnish

Instructions

  1. Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and spraying the cupcake tin with a nonstick spray.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt.) Whisk them together until evenly combined.
  3. In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs until evenly combined. 
  4. Start incorporating the dry mixture and buttermilk into the large mixing bowl with the wet ingredients, adding a bit of each at a time, mixing until smooth, then adding more of each until all of the ingredients are evenly combined. 
  5. At this point, gently fold in the lime zest and pineapple. Pour the batter into the cupcake tin, just until they are almost completely full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. 
  6. While the cupcakes cook, make the frosting. Start with a medium sized mixing bowl and with your hand mixer beat together the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Next, blend in the confectioners sugar until smooth. Finally, beat in the coconut extract. Set aside until the cupcakes are ready to be frosted.
  7. Once the cupcakes are fully cooked, remove from the oven and chill on wire racks until completely cool before frosting. Top with coconut flakes, lime zest, maraschino cherries and pineapple slices for a bit of flair.