Almond Cupcakes with Chocolate Coconut Frosting have a light and moist cake with a lusciously rich frosting. The shredded toasted coconut just takes these cupcakes to a whole new level.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium high speed until well combined and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until well combined. Add the vanilla, almond extract, and coconut milk and beat until combined. On low speed gradually add in flour mixture, and mix until just combined.
Use a spring-loaded scoop or spoon to divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin tin cups. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack.
For the frosting:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Sift the cocoa powder and powdered sugar over the butter and beat on low speed until combined. Add the coconut milk and coconut extract and beat until on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, adding more coconut milk to thin the frosting as needed.
To assemble:
Use an offset spatula to spread a thick layer of frosting over each cupcake. Sprinkle with the toasted coconut just before serving.
Notes
To toast the coconut, place about 1 cup of shredded unsweetened coconut on a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet and toast in a 350°F oven, turning a few times, for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until golden and fragrant.From Sunset and The Little Red House