Red Raspberry Filled Coconut Cupcakes

I am excited to post my first truly Royal cupcake. It is glamorous and delicious with its Ruby red candy topper and red carpet paper liner, this one is sure to be a Grammy winner for best flavor. I got the pleasure of enjoying most of these to myself since, along with peanut butter and chocolate, my sweet southern man doesn't like coconut either. The inspiration for this cupcake came from our wedding cake, which was indeed coconut because he did not tell me of his coconut dislike until after we got married. At our cake tasting, he said he could tell the coconut was my favorite, so he kept his mouth shut and let me have what I wanted. I think I found a good man, wouldn't you agree? Well here it is, the recipe you've been waiting for. Bakes away! Enjoy!

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Bake Time: 22-24 minutes

Makes: 18 cupcakes

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INGREDIENTS:

Coconut Cupcakes

1 1/2 Cups Sugar

1/2 Cup Butter (softened)

2 Lg Eggs (at room temp)

1 1/2 Tsp Coconut Extract

1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 Cups Flour

1 Tsp Baking Powder

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

1 Cup Buttermilk*

4 oz (a little over a cup) Unsweetened Shredded Coconut

*I use The Saco Pantry Cultured Buttermilk Blend that is easy to work with and stores for much longer in the fridge than liquid buttermilk

Royal Red Raspberry Filling

6 Tbsp Raspberry Jam (seedless)

1/4 Tsp Almond Extract

Candy Rubies

1/2 Cup Wilton Red Chocolate Candy Melts

Wilton Jewels Candy Mold

Coconut Almond Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 Cup Butter

4 oz Cream Cheese

3 Cups Powdered Sugar

1 Tsp Coconut Extract

1 Tbsp Almond Pie Filling

1 Tbsp Unsweetened Original Almond Milk

Red Sugar Sprinkles (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 18 muffin cups with red paper liners. Set aside.

2. In stand mixer, beat sugar and butter on medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each egg. Then add coconut and vanilla extracts.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add to wet mixture, alternating buttermilk and dry mixture. Beat on low speed until all combined. Add in the shredded coconut. Use a spatula to make sure coconut is not stuck on the side of the mixing bowl.

4. Fill baking cups 2/3 full and bake 22-24 minutes, until golden on the top. Cool before cutting out a small circular piece of the middle. Reserve cake pieces to replace after filling.

5. For filling, combine jam and extract. Use your finger to hallow out space in the hole in the cupcake. Fill each one with about 1 tsp of the jam mix. Replace cake piece to frost.

CANDY RUBIES:

1. Use microwave safe bowl to melt candies. Pour into jewel mold. Refrigerate for 5 minutes and then set at room temp for 10 minutes while making the frosting. If jewels do not come out easily, let set longer.

FROSTING:

1. Beat together butter and cream cheese. Add coconut and almond extracts. Beat in almond pie filling. Sift in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Add milk and blend until smooth.

2. Use piping bag to frost cupcakes. Once frosted, sprinkle with red sugar and top with candy Ruby jewel. Enjoy!

#Dessert #Sweets #RoyalTreats