- 2
Ingredients
- For the Cupcakes:
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/3 cups milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- For the Caramel Buttercream:
- 2 1/2 cups light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, (put 2-3 tablespoons aside)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3-4 cups confectioners’ sugar
Preparation
Step 1
Makes 2 dozen standard cupcakes or 4-5 dozen minis
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with liners.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
Reduce speed to low, and add vanilla and eggs one at a time, scraping bowl after each addition. On low speed, alternately add flour mixture and milk. Start and end with the flour mixture, continue to mix until smooth. Stir in coconut.
Pour into prepared pans. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (bake 10-13 minutes for minis). Let the cupcakes cool for 5-10 minutes then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely
To make the frosting, bring sugar and cream to a rolling boil using a medium sized heavy bottomed saucepan. Boil for one minute. Add baking soda, and boil another minute. Remove from heat. Add the butter but do not stir. Let the mixture cool in the fridge for 1-2 hours. As tempting as it is to stir make sure the mixture is completely cool first. It will look like a thick gummy caramel paste.
Pour mixture into a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat well. Gradually add powdered sugar alternately with 2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream. Beat for a few minutes until the consistency is creamy.
Decorate with crushed Caramel deLites, coconut, or ½ a Caramel deLite cookie…or all!