Name: Lemon Coconut Cupcakes
Yield: 24 servings
Ingredients: 2 ½ cups (625 mL) cake and pastry flour; 1 ½ cups (375 mL) sugar, divided; 1 Tbsp (15 mL) baking powder; ½ tsp (2 mL) salt; 1 Tbsp (15 mL) finely grated lemon zest; ¾ cup (175 mL) buttermilk; ⅓ cup (80 mL) vegetable oil; ¼ cup (60 mL) lemon juice; 2 large eggs, separated; 1 ½ tsp (7 mL) vanilla extract; ¾ cup (175 mL) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 4 - 6 cups (1-1.5 L) icing sugar, sifted; 6 Tbsp (90 mL) coconut milk; 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract; ½ tsp (2 mL) coconut extract; sweetened flaked coconut, for decor; CHIPITS White Chocolate Chips, for decor; 1 recipe Lemon Cupcakes; 1 recipe Coconut Frosting; piping bag with a #21 small star tip; 12 large marshmallows, cut in half; 48 brown REESE'S PIECES, or CHIPITS Dark Chocolate Chips; 24 red or pink candies, for the tongue; 24 HERSHEY'S Creamy Milk Chocolate Drips (for the nose)

Yields

24 servings

Choose from two different kind of frostings to top these fluffy muffins.

Recipe courtesy of Chef Anna Olson, Ontario SPCA National Cupcake Day spokesperson – Winter 2015.

ingredients

Cupcakes

2 ½

cups (625 mL) cake and pastry flour

1 ½

cups (375 mL) sugar, divided

Tbsp (15 mL) baking powder

tsp (2 mL) salt

Tbsp (15 mL) finely grated lemon zest

cup (175 mL) buttermilk

⅓

cup (80 mL) vegetable oil

cup (60 mL) lemon juice

large eggs, separated

1 ½

tsp (7 mL) vanilla extract

Coconut Frosting

cup (175 mL) unsalted butter, at room temperature

- 6 cups (1-1.5 L) icing sugar, sifted

Tbsp (90 mL) coconut milk

tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract

tsp (2 mL) coconut extract

sweetened flaked coconut, for decor

CHIPITS White Chocolate Chips, for decor

Puppy Decor

recipe Lemon Cupcakes

recipe Coconut Frosting

piping bag with a #21 small star tip

large marshmallows, cut in half

brown REESE'S PIECES, or CHIPITS Dark Chocolate Chips

red or pink candies, for the tongue

HERSHEY'S Creamy Milk Chocolate Drips (for the nose)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

directions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and line 2 muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.

Step 2

Sift the flour with 1 cup (250 mL) of the sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the lemon zest.

Step 3

In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, oil, lemon juice, egg yolks and vanilla. Whisk this into the dry mixture until well-blended and set aside while whipping the whites.

Step 4

Using electric beaters or a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, whip the egg whites until they are frothy and then gradually add the remaining ½ cup (125 mL) of sugar while whipping. Continue to whip until the beaters hold a soft peak when lifted (this will take about 3 minutes, and the whites will be very glossy). Fold the whites into the batter in 2 additions until evenly blended.

Step 5

Spoon the batter (using an ice cream scoop is easiest) into the prepared muffin tins and bake for 15-17 minutes until the cupcakes spring back in the centre when gently pressed (the cupcakes will not brown much).

Step 6

Allow the cupcakes to cool in the tins before frosting.

Step 7

Beat the butter and 2 cups (500 mL) of the icing sugar with electric beaters or using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until blended. Add the coconut milk, vanilla and coconut extract and beat in.

Step 8

Add 2 more cups (500 mL) of icing sugar, beat on low speed and then beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, adding more icing sugar as needed until the frosting holds its shape when the beaters are lifted (the variation in amount of icing sugar is due to how soft the butter is, and how warm and/or humid the weather is).

Step 9

Spoon or pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes and sprinkle with coconut and CHIPITS White Chocolate Chips. Do not refrigerate the cupcakes, if preparing ahead.

Step 10

Pipe a little frosting to adhere a marshmallow half onto the cupcake, to make the muzzle. Place it at “6 o’clock” on the cupcake.

Step 11

Pipe frosting up the sides of the marshmallow to cover the top of the muzzle, and the remaining surface of the cupcake until covered.

Step 12

Press two brown REESE’S PIECES or CHIPITS Dark Chocolate Chips upright (not flat) just above the marshmallow muzzle for the eyes.

Step 13

Place a HERSHEY’S Creamy Milk Chocolate drop on the muzzle as the nose and tuck a pink or red candy under the muzzle as the tongue.

Step 14

For the ears, pipe an upside down “L” on each side of the eyes.

Step 15

The cupcakes will keep, wrapped and unrefrigerated, for 2 days.

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Lemon Coconut Cupcakes