Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

I want to go everywhere I haven't been, and back to everywhere I have been.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Mini Cupcakes With Coconut Frosting


What is your favorite part of a cupcake -- the cake...or the frosting?

For me, it's all about the frosting.

But, I've got to tell you...the cake part of this equation is pretty darn good on it's own. Without the frosting, they'd make for some pretty fabulous muffins. 


I came up with this combination when I was trying to figure out what to bring to a get-together with Mr. Goo Shoes' oldest friends. The four men have been friends since their childhood days in Brooklyn...and the wives, well, we have developed our own special friendship over the years. 


Every few months, we get together at one of our homes. We usually gather at about 4pm, and wrap up around midnight. Eight hours is never enough time to cover everything we have to talk about. The ladies discuss everything under the sun, but the guys tend to tell the same stories over and over again...

...like how they used to stand on a street corner in Brooklyn, singing and dancing to The Isley Brothers' "SHOUT" to keep warm while they waited for the school bus.

"You know you make me wanna (Shout!)
Kick my heels up and (Shout!)
Throw my hands up and (Shout!)
Throw my head back and (Shout!)
Come on now (Shout!)

Or, when they drove down Flatbush Avenue and mooned everyone out of the car window (why do I tell you these things)?
    
Oh, how I would pay LOTS of money to travel back in time to witness those scenes!

Now I know this crowd loves coconut cake, but because we always have enough desserts to feed not just all of Brooklyn, but the other four boroughs as well, I didn't want to bring a big cake. Cupcakes were the answer. Mini cupcakes, actually. This way everyone could have a little bite of this, and a little bite of that.


When I'm looking to make a rich cake, I head to my bookcase straight to Rosie's All-Butter, Cream-Filled, Sugar-Packed Baking Book, by Judy Rosenberg. Rosie's never lets me down...and it didn't this time, either. The recipe for Coconut Fluff Babycakes sounded perfect.

I'm sure the frosting in Rosie's cookbook would have been fabulous (everything in that cookbook is a-MAZ-ing), but I was trying to replicate a cream-cheese based frosting from a cake we all love, and I found one on allrecipes.com


A few pre-baking notes  -- 
  • I used Bonne Maman Cherry Preserves, because it is my favorite.  I used just the jam part...I didn't want any lumps of cherry in the middle of the cupcake.
  • For the frosting, I cut the original recipe in half (it made 5 1/2 cups). The recipe below is for half of the original recipe. If you like gobs of icing, you may want to make the full recipe.
  • You can make the cupcakes in advance and freeze them; then frost when you are ready to serve them. 

Coconut Fluff Babycakes 
Recipe from Rosie's All-Butter, Cream-Filled, Sugar-Packed Baking Book, by Judy Rosenberg

Yield: 24 mini cupcakes

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk
2 large egg whites
3-4 teaspoons fruit preserves

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.

Line 24 mini muffin cups with paper liners.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a small bowl. 

Cream the butter, oil, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and the vanilla in a medium-size bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light in color. Stop the mixer once during the process to scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Lightly stir one-third of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture with the spatula. Then turn the mixer to low speed and blend partially. Scrape the bowl. Add half of the milk, and blend it in with several broad strokes of the spatula. Then fold in the remaining dry ingredients by hand, followed by the remaining milk. Turn the mixer to low speed and blend until the batter is velvety. 

Beat the egg whites in another bowl with the electric mixer on medium-high speed until frothy.  Gradually add them remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form.  

Using the rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter.

Fill each cupcake liner half full with batter. Then place 1/8 teaspoon of the preserves in the center of the batter, and fill the liner with more batter so that it reaches almost to the top of the liner. 

Bake until risen and set, 15 minutes.   Cool in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes. Then remove them from the pan and set them on racks to cool completely, about 40 minutes.

Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe from allrecipes.com by Lilster

 Yield: 2 3/4 cups   

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coconut flavoring
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted (optional)


Beat the cream cheese and butter in a mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, one cup at a time, alternating with heavy cream. Beat in the salt, coconut flavoring, and vanilla extract. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and spreadable. Add additional confectioners' sugar if necessary to thicken the frosting, or more cream to thin. Stir in the coconut. Spoon  coconut (toasted, if desired) over the frosted cupcakes.



These cupcakes are SO good, they made me want to SHOUT...kick my heels up and...oh, sorry, I just got a little carried away.  I caught my self just short of mooning people on the Garden State Parkway, however.  I'm a lady...after all :)






LINKING WITH:
The Scoop
A Return To Loveliness 
Tweak It Tuesday 
Wow Us Wednesdays  
Home and Garden Thursday 
Simply and Sweet Fridays
Feathered Nest Friday 
Be Inspired
Ladies Only Blog Share
Tickled Pink Times 2 
Best of the Weekend 
Fabulously Creative Fridays 
Bouquet of Talent  
Share Your Creativity
Metamorphosis Monday 
Totally Talented Tuesdays 
Whimsy Wednesdays 
Recipe Sharing Monday 
Foodie Friends Friday 

32 comments:

  1. What fun that you get together and revisit all those wonderful moments in your lives. Those cupcakes and icing sound beyond delicious. It makes me want to SHOUT out a big thanks! xo Diana

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    1. We have the best times at those get-togethers. Lots of laughs! But most importantly, as we tell our son, REAL friendships! And, oh, yes, the cupcakes are good!

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  2. Those look delish! And the zebra-patterned cupcake wrappers were not lost on me :-) I am sure they matched your house perfectly!

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    1. I meant to mention those wrappers, Beth! Glad you picked up on it! Yes, they look very nice in my house :)

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  3. Amy, those look just scrumptious! Your time together must be just wonderful and you are building even more memories! Sounds like a blast to me! Glad I found your blog, I'll be back!
    Nancy

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    1. Thanks so much, Nancy! Those get-togethers are wonderful! It's great showing our kids what true friendship is really about. So glad you found my blog, too!

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  4. Those look SOOOOOO good! If I made them though I'm the only one who would eat them at my house, because no one else likes coconut. But I do! I'm watching my diet these days, so unfortunately, decadent cakes like that aren't being purchased or made by me these days. I may have to break that rule for a special occasion though.

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    1. I hear you, Kelly! I think all this blog baking has not been good for my waistline. I'm trying to bake only when I have a place to bring them, or company coming. It's funny about coconut - people love it or hate it!

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  5. These look delicious Amy and I love hearing about the stories from "back in the day". And I am glad you stopped short of the mooning part. We must maintain our dignity, no? lol Pinning these!

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    1. Everyone should be thanking me for skipping the mooning part! Not a pretty sight! Thanks for pinning, Claire!

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  6. It's so funny that you use "Bonne Maman" jam! The cupcakes look yummy and I so wish you could bring me some this week, as I'm way too busy to bake... I mean, what's an ocean? Can't you cross it real quick?

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    1. It's funny, Magali, until I went to Paris, I had no idea that Bonne Maman was "the" jam over there. It's a little pricey here, but worth it to me. Believe me - I would LOVE to cross the ocean right now and bring you some!

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  7. You crack me up Amy - your posts are so delightful. Those baby cakes look sooooo delicious and I love your cupcake liners too. I have some of those so I should get busy and fill them with this recipe! Looks like a great recipe!

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    1. Aw, thanks, Rosella. Glad you notice my zebra liners --The cupcakes are so tasty, but they look extra special in those liners!

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  8. What a fun time. The cupcakes look amazing.

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    1. We always have a blast together. I really look forward to those get-togethers. The cupcakes are delish!

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  9. OMG! This look amazing. SHOUT going on here too.
    Wait.... are those leopard-like cupcake holders? They look like it at first glance.... lol!
    Are you going to share these with us at Simply BeBetsy?

    Where have you been anyway? No cards, flowers....chocolates.... nothing. hahaha oh geez, i have to go to work. Hugs ~ denise

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    1. Thanks, Denise, they are Zebra liners! You know how I love all things animal print! Forgive me, but I have been so crazed lately. Been away on a short vacation, and got WAY behind in my blog reading, and party hopping - it's a wonder I can even get a post out! Also trying to figure out how to introduce some advertising on my bog...I'm so confused! I need to spend some time getting familiar with your new format, and registering with your "featured bloggers." I promise I'm still true to BeBetsy! :)

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  10. Oh dear! It's me talking up there on that message and not BeBetsy. Damn these multiple accounts.
    Let me just say, on behalf of BB, that these are certainly the most amazing, coconut, mini, preserved-stuffed cakes ever in the history of the world. That's what we're talking about.

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  11. Loved your post today. Also, may I suggest you take those cherry lumps that you did not use in the cupcakes and make pork roast with tart cherries. I am just saying, it is pretty darn good.

    I pinned these because there is someone here that thinks they may be their favorite.

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    Replies
    1. Oh, yum, that pork roast with tart cherries sounds like a good idea! Thank you for pinning...I hope that "someone" enjoys them!

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  12. LOVE coconut, in pies, cakes, muffins and macaroons! Your mini cupcakes with coconut frosting fit the bill, and I would have no problem gobbling them up in one big bite! Thanks for sharing this gorgeous recipe; another, for my coconut dependency!

    Poppy

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    1. I didn't know you were in Coconut Anonymous -- me, too! One of my favorite things is coconut ice cream. Wish I had some now.

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  13. Amy, these look SO good!! I love cream cheese frosting! You know I am pinning these! And nice touch with the zebra stripe looking wraps!

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    1. Ah, Michelle, thank you for noticing the zebra wraps! But, really, thank you for pinning!

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  14. OH, these look amazing and dangerous! ;) I appreciate you sharing with Home and Garden Thursday,
    Kathy

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    1. Thanks, Kathy, yes, dangerous because they are so tiny, they're so easy to keep popping into your mouth!

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  15. Those cupcakes are so adorable! Thank you for sharing them with us at Best of the Weekend. Pinned to our party board. :)

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