It’s a new year and we’re back with a new installment of Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes Club! This month’s recipe was chosen by Jennifer of Cinema Cupcakes – coconut cupcakes! I like coconut so I thought I’d enjoy these, but I had no idea just how amazing they’d be! Best. Cupcake. Ever. Yes, a strong statement, but well deserved. I baked these with my friend Kayte via a Twitter bake along and after she’d tried them, she also declared them “hands down my favorite EVER,” so I’m not alone in my opinion of these treats.
The cupcakes get their coconut flavor from two ingredients – sweetened shredded coconut and coconut milk. The sweetened shredded coconut is ground in a food processor and combined with the dry ingredients which are then added to the wet ingredients alternately with the coconut milk. I made half of the recipe and wound up with 9 good sized cupcakes, which baked for 22 minutes. I sampled my first cupcake before I made the frosting, and I enjoyed it so much I thought about skipping the frosting altogether. I never, ever skip frosting on cupcakes but I loved the flavor of these so much I didn’t want to mask it with anything. In the end, I made the frosting but only so my cupcakes wouldn’t look so naked. The cupcakes are light and fluffy with a very tender crumb and lots of coconut flavor!
The frosting recommended for these cupcakes is a simple seven minute frosting. I made 1/3 of the recipe and had plenty for my cupcakes. I skipped the coconut extract because I didn’t have any and I briefly considered adding almond extract but ended up leaving it plain. The frosting was tasty and it was easy to mound on the cupcakes. I toasted some sweetened shredded coconut and topped a few of the cupcakes just for fun. I tried a cupcake with the frosting and it was good, but I think I still preferred these plain. The next time I make them that’s just the way I plan to eat them!
Big thanks to Jennifer for hosting this month and choosing my new favorite recipe! If you’d like to give these cupcakes a try, you can find the recipe here or in the book.
Lemon Bars
Glazed Grapefruit Cake
Orange Sherbet
Meyer Lemon Pound Cake
I agree! These cupcakes were really good. The frosting was a bit too sweet for me, so I would rather have the untopped cupcakes. YAY for Martha Stewart Cupcake success!
I completely agree. A great cupcake. I with I hadn’t piled mine with frosting.
Love your platter of cupcakes!
Wow, your cupcakes look awesome! As always, of course. I kind of skirted the coconut cupcakes, since I don’t know anyone that likes coconut, but I’m so glad you liked them!!
I too thought these tastes best without the frosting. But I have to say they look super cute with that dollop on top.
I saw all of the tweets about these cupcakes yesterday & I was so excited to see them on your blog. I love coconut, and wow, best cupcakes ever? I’m making these for Dudley’s birthday fiesta next weekend. I can’t wait to try them!
Holy Cow! Those cupcakes look divine!! I love coconut. YUMMY!!!
These were really good, weren’t they. I made them last year with the 7 minute frosting and loved them, but also good with the pecan/coconut frosting. I love your little papers. And yes they are good sans frosting.
Your review makes me wish I had at least tried one of these! I will definitely have to make again, if they are the best cupcake ever. So glad you loved them. They look delicious!
Wow, sounds like yours were yummy! I would love a sample. Mine weren’t so good! I think it’s the altitude.
Sounds like they were a hit for you.
Those look really good. I’m glad to find a good review (I didn’t taste mine).
They look wonderful… and that frosting looks so light!
I’m with you – best cupcake ever – except maybe the chocolate malted ones that I love just as much
Always fun baking with you on Twitter…these were the BEST, weren’t they? Mine are gone, guys enhaled them, but I did get one. Dangerous little things, these cupcakes. Yours look wonderful, love that you toasted some of the coconut!
I’m glad you enjoyed these. I wasn’t too crazy about them. Maybe next time!
Your cupcakes look wonderful! I love the cute liners.
After reading your review, I am sorry I didn’t make these!
Wow – it sounds as though you really, really liked these!
Seeing the tweets about these cupcakes made me go out and buy coconut milk so I can make them this weekend Yours are so beautiful (as always). I’m happy (relieved?) they are so good without the frosting.
I agree on how good that these were! These were my favorite from our Cupcake Club so far. Love the toasted coconut on top and the liners are so cute too!
So pretty (especially the toasted coconut ones) and a great recipe, too. I thought the 7-minute frosting was a little too sweet – it did overwhelm the coconut flavor of the cupcakes.
I agree, these were definetly the best coconut cupcakes EVER! I wish I had topped mine with toasted coconut, it looks delicious.
I love this cupcake. Yours look spectacular.
Very cute cupcakes… The frosting looks pretty, but sounds like it would be too sweet for me. Does a cupcake without icing count as health food?
Tracey – that frosting looks so nice and glossy… wonderful! I skimped and went with buttercream – but yours looks so fresh and delicious. I’ll have to try that frosting next time!
i’m nearly to the bottom of the blog roll for MSCc and it looks like this was, hands down, an overall fave from the book so far! yours are so glossy and just …lovely!
i think this one will have a bit of competition next month with the S’mores cupcakes!
I think I made these when I first started my blog – the recipe was in a MS Living magazine. They were amazing! So unbelievably moist! I’ll have to make them again…
The actual recipe on the website doesn’t ever say to grind up the coconut in the food processor. I found these lacking in coconut flavor.
Hi Alison,
I’m sorry these weren’t a favorite for you. Unfortunately, the person who started the group has asked us not to post the recipes from the book on our sites so when possible, I try to point readers to the recipe on Martha’s site. There was a minor difference in the instructions on this one – in the book the coconut was pulsed in the food processor until fine and then whisked into the dry ingredients. Otherwise, the recipe was the same. Thanks for stopping by!