Dining In - Fluffy Coconut Cupcakes

Fluffy Coconut Cupcakes - Chef Chloe Coscarelli

Simply put, these are heavenly cupcakes. Super moist and super sweet. I made them for my friend's birthday, but let my non-vegan boyfriend do the taste testing. He was overwhelmed by how good they were and kept begging for more! It's a simple recipe to follow and the ingredients are fairly standard and easy to find. The key is subtle coconut flavoring added throughout with coconut milk,  coconut oil, and shredded coconut for a topping if you choose. I really enjoyed the frosting because it had a thicker consistency than some I've made in the past. No big surprise the recipe is from vegan cupcake goddess Chloe Coscarelli. This one isn't in her original cookbook Chloe's Kitchen, but you can find it on her website, and something tells me she'll include it in her upcoming desserts cookbook, Chloe's Vegan Desserts. 

With Monkeys for a Little Extra Fun & Color!

Fluffy Coconut Cupcakes
1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut milk (I used the canned Light variety available at Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Fluffy Coconut Frosting

Fluffy Coconut Frosting
1 cup coconut oil (solid, this stuff can get expensive, but I've had good luck finding it for less at Trader Joe's in the oil section)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-5 tablespoons non-dairy milk

Fluffy Coconut Topping
2 cups shredded coconut flakes
Food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake trays with paper cups, you'll end up with 14 cupcakes so you may need 2 dozen-cupcake pans.

In a large bowl sift together flour, sugar, baking soda and powder, and salt. 

In a separate medium bowl mix together coconut milk, oil, vanilla, and vinegar. Add wet mixture to dry and stir until combined, don't over mix the batter. 

Scoop batter into cupcake liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake in oven for 16-18 minutes, check with a toothpick. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

To make frosting, beat coconut oil with a handheld mixer until smooth. Add in powdered sugar while mixer is blending, add in vanilla, and one tablespoon of non-dairy milk at a time, until you have the desired consistency. I used 3 tablespoons of milk to get there. Frost your cupcakes!

Fluffy Coconut Cupcakes - Pre-Frosting

To make coconut garnish, mix coconut flakes with a drop or two of food coloring and stir with a spoon until color is distributed. Roll cupcakes in or sprinkle coconut onto the frosting. Take a bite, you're done!