Almond Joy Cupcakes

By carvalhohm

Ingredients

• 1 box chocolate cake mix
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3 eggs
• 1 small box sugar free/fat free chocolate cake mix
• 1 small (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk (you can use any kind)
• 2 1/4 cup shredded coconut, divided
• 1 pkg Baker’s Dipping Chocolate or half a bag of chocolate candy melts
• 24 whole almonds
• Buttercream frosting (recipe and ingredients follow)

Details

Servings 24
Adapted from thedomesticrebel.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin tins with 24 paper liners. First, in a medium bowl, mix together 2 (two) cups of the coconut and the entire can of milk until combined. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat together cake mix, water, applesauce, and eggs until well blended, about 2 minutes. Beat or stir in pudding mix until combined. Evenly portion batter into the muffin tins.

2. On top of each mound of batter, place a rounded teaspoon of coconut mixture. The coconut mixture will bake into the cake and end up toward the middle or bottom of the cake. I found that some of the milk cooked into the cake which was fine for me, but if you prefer a gooey center, I would suggest skipping this part, coring out your baked chocolate cupcakes, and adding the coconut mixture after they’re baked and cooled, then proceed with frosting.

3. Bake cupcakes approximately 16-18 mins or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely. Prepare frosting.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

2/3 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 tsp milk
Approx. 4 cups powdered sugar

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and vanilla until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add in powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until a stiff but spreadable consistency is reached. Add milk, one teaspoon at a time, if frosting becomes too thick.

2. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes. Place frosted cupcakes in freezer for about 30 minutes to harden frosting. Meanwhile, prepare your dipping chocolate or candy melts according to package directions.

3. Once cupcakes have been briefly chilled and frosting is cold and solid, carefully dip tops of cupcakes into the melted chocolate.

Sprinkle with remaining coconut and top, gently, with an almond. If you wanted, you could toast the remaining coconut, but I kept mine plain. Store cupcakes covered in fridge.