Few things recall the tropical charm of the Caribbean more than the piña colada. There's something about the combination of coconut and pineapple that really takes me away, I love that flavor. So I thought I'd try it out as a dessert! I personally think it's even more perfect because you're actually eating it as a cake, which is pure heaven.
When I first started making these cupcakes, I used to make the cake with pineapple flavor and the buttercream with cream of coconut. I figured that eating them together would be enough to get that piña colada taste, but I would always eat the buttercream first and then the cake... and I ended up with two totally different flavors. Then I went online and saw a recipe that perfectly combines the two, and they came out amazing!
The buttercream is what really makes these cupcakes. Mine usually turns out a little runny because I don't like to make it with a ton of sugar; I really don't know how people can eat buttercream that is soooo sweet, eeeck. On top of that, adding the pineapple juice and coconut cream makes it a bit liquid, so if you want a firmer cupcake, pile on the sugar. I also stopped adding rum a while back because I couldn't taste the difference, but if you really want to have it, knock yourself out. However you want to make them, these piña colada cupcakes rock!
¡Buen Provecho!
Ingredients
- For the Cupcake Batter
- 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1-3/4 cups white sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup cream of coconut
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- For the Buttercream
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 8-oz cream cheese package, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons pineapple juice
- 2 teaspoons cream of coconut
- 1 teaspoon White Rum optional
- 2 cups powdered sugar or to taste
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Directions
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Then, beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth.
- Add 1/3 of the flour mix and beat until well blended. Then add ½ the amount of buttermilk and mix until well blended. Repeat the process, ending with 1/3 of the flour mixture. Make sure to scrape the sides with a spatula to get rid of any dry lumps.
- Line a cupcake pan with liners. Fill them about 2/3-3/4 of the way with the batter. Bake at 350 ºF for about 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
- To make buttercream, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth, about 2-3 minutes at medium speed.
- Add pineapple juice, cream of coconut and rum (optional). Beat again for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add ½ the amount of powdered sugar. Start mixing at low speed and increase to medium, beat for 2-3 minutes. Then, add the rest of the powdered sugar and beat until well blended. ** Add more sugar if you want your buttercream to be firmer.
- Fill a pastry bag with the buttercream. Add the tip of your choice and pipe it on top of each cupcake. Garnish with pineapple and cherries.
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