Easy Gourmet Cupcakes: Pineapple Coconut Cream Cupcakes

In the mood for something creamy, dreamy, and oh so tropical? Let my easy breezy Pineapple Coconut Cream Cupcakes transport you to cupcake paradise. Welcome to the second installment of my series on easy gourmet cupcakes.

Let my Easy Gourmet Pineapple Coconut Cream Cupcakes transport you to cupcake paradise!

These Easy Gourmet Pineapple Coconut Cream Cupcakes will make you think you've died and gone to cupcake heaven. So creamy. So sweet. So worth the calories.




These easy cupcakes are made with a pineapple cake mix, filled with pineapple preserves, and frosted with creamy dreamy Coconut Cream Frosting - one of my favorite frostings of all time. They're finished off with a sprinkling of coconut and a gorgeous bright red cherry.

Start by doctoring a pineapple cake mix and baking up a batch of perfect pineapple cupcakes.




When your cupcakes have cooled, use the back end of a wooden spoon to make a hole in the center of each cupcake.

Fill a Ziplock freezer bag with pineapple preserves, twist closed, and snip off 1/3 of an inch off of one corner.




Squeeze preserves into the center of each cupcake until you see it coming up out the top.

Now, whip up my fabulous coconut cream frosting. Coconut butter is the secret ingredient to the creamiest and coconutiest frosting you will ever have. You may need to go to a specialty food store to find it. I got mine at Whole Foods. I know that Sprouts also carries it.

Cream a stick and a half of unsalted butter with a healthy scoop of coconut butter for 30 seconds.

Scrape down the bowl and beat in 3 cups of powdered sugar.

Scape down the bowl again and beat in 2 tablespoons of coconut milk.

Scrape the bowl down again and beat in 3 more cups of powdered sugar.




Beat in more coconut milk 1 tablespoon at a time until your frosting is the right piping consistency - not too stiff, not too soft.




Then, scrape down the bowl one more time and beat on high for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.

Snip off the corner of another Ziplock freezer bag a little smaller than your frosting tip. Insert the tip, stand the bag up in a tall cup, and fill with frosting.




Pipe frosting onto each cupcake and immediately sprinkle with shredded coconut. Top each cupcake with a maraschino cherry.

Get ready for your batch of creamy dreamy Pineapple Coconut Cream Cupcakes to make you the talk of the town.

Easy Gourmet Pineapple Coconut Cream Cupcakes
Makes about 24 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

For the pineapple cupcakes:
1 16.5 oz box pineapple cake mix
2/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 cup milk
4 eggs
* These ingredients are based on a cake mix that calls for 3 eggs, 1 cup of water, and 1/3 cup of oil. I added an extra egg, subbed whole milk for the water, and subbed melted butter for the oil, and then doubled the amount of butter.

For the coconut cream frosting:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup + 3 Tbsp coconut butter
6 cups powdered sugar
4 to 8 Tbsp coconut milk

1 10.5 oz jar pineapple preserves for filling
1/2 cup shredded coconut to top
24 maraschino cherries to top

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 cupcake pans with 24 cupcake liners (My batter actually made 27 cupcakes).
2. In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients for the cupcakes and mix well using a hand mixer, whisk, or wooden spoon. The batter should be smooth.
3. Scoop a scant 1/4 cup of batter (or use a size 20 cupcake scoop) into each liner.
4. Bake cupcakes for the time recommended on your cake mix box for cupcakes. Check them at the earliest time by inserting a toothpick into the center of one of the cupcakes near the center of the oven until it comes out clean.
5. Let cupcakes cool in pans for 15 minutes and then remove from the pans to cool completely.
6. When your cupcakes are cooled, use the end of a wooden spoon to make a hole in the center of each cupcake being careful not to punch through the bottom.
7. Fill a Ziplock freezer bag with your jarred pineapple preserves, twist the top closed (you can use a twist tie, if you like), snip off a 1/3 inch off of one corner, and squeeze filling into each cupcake until you see the filling coming up out of the top of the cupcake.
8. For the coconut cream frosting, beat the butter and coconut butter for 30 seconds.
9. Scrape down the bowl and beat in 3 cups powdered sugar.
10. Scrape down the bowl again and beat in 2 Tbsp coconut milk.
11. Scrape down the bowl and beat in 3 more cups powdered sugar.
12. Scrape down the bowl again and beat in coconut milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you get a good pipable consistency - not too stiff, not too soft.
13. Scrape down the bowl again and beat on high for 3 minutes until frosting is light and fluffy.
14. Snip off one corner of another Ziplock freezer bag a little smaller than your piping tip. Slide in your piping tip and set bag in a tall cup to easily fill with frosting.
15. Twist the top of your bag closed and pipe frosting onto each cupcake.
16. Immediately sprinkle with shredded coconut and top with a cherry.