Ingredients
Scale
Coconut Cupcakes
- 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure almond extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 ½ cups shredded unsweetened coconut (I like Bob’s Red Mill)
Marshmallow Frosting
- ½ cup water
- 1 ½ cups, plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 5 large egg whites
- ½ + 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
Assembly
- 1 pint Ciao Bella Key Lime Graham Gelato
- 2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut (Again, I like Bob’s Red Mill)
- 20 small graham crackers
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Make the cupcakes. Line 20 muffin cups with paper liners. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, or alternatively in a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, being sure to fully incorporate each before adding another. Add extracts and mix to combine.
- Alternately add the flour and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour, with the mixer continuously running on medium-low. Once the batter is almost mixed, stir by hand to make sure all of the ingredients are incorporated before folding in the coconut.
- Using a regular sized ice cream scoop, scoop batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until cupcakes spring back when touched and a toothpick comes out with only a few moist crumbs. Cool completely in pan.
- Make the frosting. In a small saucepan, combine water, 1 ½ cups sugar, and corn syrup over medium heat. Stir frequently until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is clear. Once this happens, attach a candy thermometer, raise the heat to medium-high, and stop stirring. Allow the mixture to come to 240 degrees F on the candy thermometer. In the meantime, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-high until frothy. Add the cream of tartar. Continue beating on medium-high until the egg whites form soft peaks. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar, before resuming beating until stiff peaks form.
- When the egg whites have formed stiff peaks and the sugar mixture has reached 240, remove the syrup from the heat and turn the mixer to medium-low. Slowly and immediately begin drizzling the syrup into the egg whites, trying not to get it on the side of the bowl. If the whites are done whipping before the syrup is done, turn them off until the syrup reaches 235, then turn them back on to make sure they are fluffy. If the syrup is done before the whites, turn the heat down or remove it from the heat for a minute or so.
- Once the syrup is drizzled into the whites, turn the mixer back up to medium-high and beat for about 7 minutes, until the bottom of the bowl is cool and the frosting is thick, glossy, and sticky. Put in refrigerator with plastic wrap pressed directly on top of the frosting until completely cool.
- Assemble the cupcakes. Using a small paring knife, hollow out the center of each cupcake. (Snack time!) Fill the centers with ice cream, pressing down to fill it as full as possible. Top with a heaping helping of frosting, an ice cream scoop can be used for this since it’s too sticky to be piped. Sprinkle with toasted coconut and stick a graham cracker in the frosting. Enjoy immediately so the ice cream doesn’t melt. May be stored in the freezer, wrapped in plastic and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to one month. Thaw at room temperature for just a few minutes.
Notes
Cupcake recipe adapted from Ina Garten
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour