Make Ahead Easter Cupcakes

Easter is around the corner. Eeek! So today I baked our desert in advance before things got rushed. I love these cupcakes. If you'd rather use your favorite chocolate or strawberry frosting, then by all means go right ahead. 

What I love the most is that they freeze so nicely. Just remember to take them out of the freezer about 45 minutes to an hour before serving. The instructions for freezing them is at the end of the recipe. Freezing cupcakes might surprise you, but a lot of bakeries freeze cupcakes when they have a huge order. Most cupcakes and many frostings freeze nicely and when thawed, no one would know they aren't freshly baked!

I'll point out one important thing, though. Don't decorate them with candy until you are ready to serve. Candies don't always freeze well and I know from experience that the colors are likely to bleed onto the frosting, which isn't pretty. 

I used colorful jelly beans to top these, but you could also use mini-chocolate bunnies or pastel candy-coated chocolate eggs.

Coconut Cupcakes

Makes 12-15 cupcakes

Cupcakes

1 ½ cups flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon sea salt

½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened

¾ cup sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

½ cup coconut milk

1/3 cup shredded sweetened coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Place cupcake liners into wells of a cupcake baking tray.

In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Set aside. Cream the butter with the sugar well. Beat in the eggs. Beat for at least two minutes. Add the flour mixture ½ cup at a time. Beat on low after adding, then increase speed. Add the coconut milk, the vanilla, and the shredded coconut. Beat four to five minutes.

Spoon into cupcakes liners about ¾ full. Bake 20 minutes or until they are barely golden and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack.

Frosting

6 tablespoons butter, softened

4 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

2-3 tablespoons coconut milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/3 – 1 ½ cups powdered sugar

shredded sweetened coconut

Beat butter, cream cheese, coconut milk, and vanilla until thoroughly mixed. Beat in the powdered sugar 1/3 cup at a time, beating on low speed after each addition. When all of the powdered sugar has been added, beat on high for four to five minutes.

Spread on cooled cupcake with a knife. (Don’t worry too much about how they look because the shredded coconut will hide flaws.) Place a kitchen towel or parchment paper under the cupcakes. Sprinkle the coconut on them, patting very lightly. Refrigerate. Take out of refrigerator one hour before serving to bring to room temperature.

If you bake them ahead of time, you can freeze them. Place parchment paper on a tray or baking sheet. Note: You can use a baking sheet, but it will likely turn dark in color forever. Place each cupcake on it so that it is not touching the others. Place in the freezer in a level location. When they are frozen (overnight or in several hours), place in freezer bags to store until you need them.

We love pictures of dough beating!

Fill 3/4 full.

They will be barely golden after baking.

Pat on coconut over a disposable sheet of wax paper or aluminum foil.

When frozen, place in freezer bags and store in freezer.

Happy Easter!

Coming April 30th!

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