Coconut Cupcakes With Chocolate Ganache Filling Topped With Caramel Buttercream Frosting And Toasted Coconut Recipes

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL COCONUT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second pan with 3-4 liners - this recipe makes about 15-16 cupcakes. Set aside.
• Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
• Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and solid coconut oil together on high speed until smooth and creamy - about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed together. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the egg whites, vanilla extract, and coconut extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, then beat in the sour cream. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just incorporated. With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour in the coconut milk and shredded coconut until combined. Do not overmix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no large lumps stuck at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick with a few lumps of shredded coconut.
• Pour/spoon the batter into the liners - fill only 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides. Bake for 19-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan to cool completely.
• Using a sharp knife, cut a circle/hole into the center of the cooled cupcake to create a little pocket about 1 inch deep. This piece you removed will be the shape of a cone. Set it aside. Place about 1 teaspoon of caramel inside the cupcake- or however much will fit. Slice off the pointy end of the "cone" piece of cupcake you removed so that it can fit on top of the filling. Repeat with all cupcakes.
• Prepare frosting and frost cooled cupcakes. I used the Wilton #12 round piping tip. Top with any leftover caramel and toasted coconut, if desired.

COCONUT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in 7 ounces of coconut.
• Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Fill each liner to the top with batter. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. 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 cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth.
• Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with the remaining coconut.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Line muffin pans with 12 paper liners. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time. Mix in the chocolate syrup and vanilla. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Don't overbeat, or the cupcakes will be tough.
• Scoop the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 30 minutes, or until just set in the middle. Don't overbake! Let the cupcakes cool thoroughly in the pan.
• For the ganache, cook the heavy cream, chocolate chips, and instant coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally.
• Dip the top of each cupcake in the ganache. Decorate with candied violets, if desired. Do not refrigerate.

CHOCOLATE PORTER CUPCAKES, PORTER GANACHE, CARAMEL CORN CRUNCH, TOASTED MERINGUE

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a mini cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
• Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. Set the bowl aside.
• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the sugar and oil together, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and then add the vanilla and coffee extracts and 1 egg at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
• Whisk your porter beer and cocoa together in a separate bowl and set aside.
• Turn the mixer to low and add your sour cream. Continue with the mixer on the lowest speed and add the flour mixture and cocoa mixture, alternating between the two, beginning and ending with the flour.
• Fill the prepared liners half full with the batter and bake for 30 minutes. Cool.
• For the ganache: In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the porter beer to 130 degrees F. Pour the beer over the white chocolate in a clean medium bowl. Whisk until incorporated. Transfer the ganache into a sauce bottle for use. Hold at room temperature until the cupcakes are cooled.
• For the caramel corn crunch: In a microwave-safe bowl, heat your peanut butter and milk chocolate for 30 second increments until melted. Stir with a spoon between heating. Crush the caramel corn in a food processor until fine. Pour the chocolate mixture over the caramel corn. Stir with a spoon until incorporated. Chill in the refrigerator until set. Scoop with a number 70 ice cream scoop on to a plate lined with waxed paper. Reserve at room temperature until assembly.
• For the meringue: Combine the sugar and egg whites in a saucepan. Whisking constantly over low heat, bring the mixture to 110 degrees F. Pour the egg mixture into a standing mixer fitted with a whip attachment. Whip until it reaches room temperature; the mixture should be light, fluffy and shiny. Add the vanilla extract and salt. This recipe should be done just prior to assembly.
• To assemble: Push the caramel corn filling into the middle of each porter cupcake. Fill in the hole with the porter ganache. Chill until set.
• Fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip half full with the meringue. Pipe on top of the cupcake. Toast the meringue with a kitchen torch. Garnish with caramel corn.

CARAMEL GANACHE

Steps:

• Whisk 4 ounces chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate into the warm caramel sauce until smooth. Drizzle over vanilla ice cream.

COCONUT-FILLED CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For filling, place egg white and salt in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Combine coconut and flour; set aside. Beat egg white on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating on high until glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Gradually fold in coconut mixture, about 1/4 cup at a time; set aside., In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk and water. Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full. Drop filling by teaspoonfuls into center of each cupcake. Cover with 2 tablespoons batter., Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake portion comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For glaze, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; stir in shortening and chocolate chips until melted. Beat until thickened. Spread over cupcakes and garnish with toasted coconut and chocolate curls.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
• Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating briefly after each addition. Mix in chocolate syrup and vanilla extract. Add flour; mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Scoop batter into the prepared muffin cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 30 minutes; do not overbake. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• While cupcakes are cooling, combine chocolate chips, heavy cream, and instant coffee granules for the ganache in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring between, until melted.
• Dip the top of each cupcake in the ganache. Do not refrigerate.

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH GANACHE FILLING(ATK)

Steps:

• FOR GANACHE FILLING: Place chocolate, cream, and confectioners' sugar in medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave on high power until mixture is warm to touch, 20 to 30 seconds. Whisk until smooth; transfer bowl to refrigerator and let stand until just chilled, no longer than 30 minutes.
• FOR CUPCAKES: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard-size muffin pan (cups have ½-cup capacity) with baking-cup liners. Place chocolate and cocoa in medium bowl. Pour hot coffee over mixture and whisk until smooth. Set in refrigerator to cool completely, about 20 minutes. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
• Whisk oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla into cooled chocolate-cocoa mixture until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
• Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Place one slightly rounded teaspoon ganache filling on top of each cupcake. Bake until cupcakes are set and just firm to touch, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before frosting, about 1 hour.
• TO FROST: Mound 2 to 3 tablespoons frosting on center of each cupcake. Using small icing spatula or butter knife, spread frosting to edge of cupcake, leaving slight mound in center.