Mocha Coconut Frappucino Cupcakes

Earlier this summer, I found the Mocha Coconut Frappucino on the menu at Starbucks and I tried it.

Bad.idea.  I could seriously drink them every day, all day (which is saying a lot because I never finish an entire Starbuck’s drink and I slurp these down).

Anyway, it got me on a coconut kick and I purchased boxes of Keurig (yes, boxes.  They are a limited edition so I stocked up), coconut creamer, and anything else “coconutty” I could get my hands on.

When this recipe popped up on my favorite cooking blog, I couldn’t get to the store fast enough to buy the ingredients.

They were more amazing than they sounded, and even my non-sweet loving boyfriend couldn’t get enough of these (another item he requested for me to make again for him and/or his parents).

So without further adieu, here is my recipe, slightly adapted from the original here at How Sweet It is (She uses dark chocolate – I used milk - and takes gorgeous pictures so definitely visit her blog and check out the original recipe!)

Mocha Cupcakes

makes 12 cupcakes

• 1 1/8 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons instant coffee powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, whisk egg and sugar until smooth and no lumps remain. Add milk, butter and vanilla, and mix until combined. Sift dry ingredients together and add to wet mixture. Mix until batter is smooth, then stir in sour cream. Fold in chocolate chips and mix. Line a muffin tin with liners and using a 1/4 cup measure, add batter to each cup. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.

Coconut Frosting (Note:  This makes a lot of frosting.  Since I like light frosted cupcakes, I had a TON left over.  Next time I will play with halving this to see if I can reduce the amount :))

• 2 sticks of butter, softened (1 cup)
• 3 2/3 cups powdered sugar + more if needed
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons of coconut extract
• 1-2 tablespoons of coconut milk
• 1/2 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut, toasted

Cream butter in the bowl of an electric mixture until completely smooth and creamy. With the mixer on low speed, add in powdered sugar slowly. Gradually increase mixer speed and add vanilla and coconut extracts, then beat for 2-3 minutes, scraping down sides and bottom of the bowl. Continue to whip for another 4-5 minutes, continuously scrapping. If frosting is too thick, add coconut milk 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is reached If it’s too thin, add powdered sugar gradually until it thickens. Fold in shredded coconut and mix until just combined. Frost cupcakes, then sprinkle toasted coconut on top.

Mocha Coconut Drizzle

• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
• 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
• 1-2 teaspoons coconut milk

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, then add in one teaspoon of coconut milk. Really mix to combine, as you want it to be glaze-like and easy to drizzle. If too thick, add a drop of coconut milk and stir again. If it accidentally gets too thin, just add a bit more powdered sugar and mix.