Full House Coconut Cupcakes Lemon Curd Filling Coconut Lemon Buttercream Frosting Toasted Coconut Food

LEMON COCONUT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon zest and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Beat just until combined. Fold in coconut., Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18-22 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, grated lemon zest, vanilla and lemon juice until fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth; stir in 1/4 cup coconut. Frost cupcakes; sprinkle with remaining coconut. Garnish with shredded lemon zest if desired.

COCONUT CUPCAKES WITH WHIPPED COCONUT MOUSSE FILLING AND COCONUT BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the convection oven to 325 degrees F or a standard oven to 350 degrees F.
• In large mixer bowl, cream together the granulated sugar and butter until light and fluffy with a heavy duty mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix thoroughly after each addition. Add the coconut extract and mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add half of the flour to the mixer bowl along with 1/2 cup of the half-and-half. Mix until the flour is mixed in, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the rest of flour mixture and the other 1/2 cup half-and-half. Mix until the batter is smooth and all of the flour lumps are gone. Fold in the coconut flakes.
• Fill 24 cupcake liners half full and bake for 20 minutes in the convection oven or 28 minutes in the standard oven. The tops of the cupcakes should be lightly browned. Check the cupcakes to make sure no batter sticks to a wooden toothpick when inserted into the cupcake. Cool the cupcakes completely.
• For the mousse filling: In large mixer bowl, beat the heavy cream, half-and-half, coconut extract and pudding mix until light and fluffy using a heavy duty mixer. It should have the consistency of whipped cream. Gently fold in the coconut using a plastic spatula. Put the filling in a pastry bag or zipper bag with a corner cut off.
• For the coconut buttercream: In large mixer bowl, beat together the butter and half of the powdered sugar using heavy duty mixer. Add the half-and-half and the rest of the powdered sugar, along with the coconut extract, and mix well. If the frosting is thicker than you would like, add 1 teaspoon of additional half-and-half at a time, mixing well after each addition, until the frosting reaches the correct consistency. The thickness may depend on the humidity levels in your region. Put into a pastry bag.
• To assemble: Make a hole in the middle of each cupcake using a sharp knife. Be sure and leave a small amount of cake in the bottom of the hole. Fill the cupcakes with the mousse filling. Frost with coconut buttercream. You may top the cupcakes with more flake coconut or toasted coconut as desired.
• Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.

LEMON-FILLED COCONUT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 (2 1/2-inch) muffin cups with paper liners; set aside.
• Spread 1 cup coconut on a baking sheet. Toast for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on wire rack.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, coconut milk, oil, and yellow food coloring; beat with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds. Scrape down the side of bowl. Beat on medium for 2 minutes more. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups and cool completely on wire rack.
• For lemon filling:
• In a medium bowl, stir together 1/2 cup whipped cream frosting and the lemon curd until combined.
• With a sharp knife, make a 1/2-inch slit in the top center of each cooled cupcake. Place lemon filling in a disposable piping bag; snip a small end off one corner of the bag, and pipe filling into cupcakes.
• In a medium bowl, stir the coconut extract into the remaining whipped cream frosting and frost the cupcakes.
• Toss together the toasted coconut and the remaining 1/2 cup untoasted coconut. Sprinkle the coconut mixture over the frosted cupcakes.