Cupcake Challenge: Beach Cupcakes

This is week #2 in the Cupcake Challenge going on over at Hoosier Homemade! This week we were to take a fun summertime activity and turn it into a cupcake. I chose to represent the beach. My daughter loved playing in the water and sand and this made me think of her. It's even coconut flavored!

These cupcakes were actually very easy to make. First I spread on the icing with an angled spatula. Then I dipped a portion of the cupcake into blue sugar. I then spread the remaining portion with a mixture of graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar. The beach towel is a piece of Fruit-Stripe gum that I cut to size. The final touch was to add a paper umbrella.

Please take the time to visit Hoosier Homemade and see all of the other participants in Cupcake Challenge.


Coconut Cupcakes
(Makes approx. 24 regular cupcakes)

2/3 cup butter, softened
1 ¾ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ teaspoons coconut flavoring
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups coconut milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins and set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat until well blended. Mix in coconut flavoring. Add the dry ingredient mixture in thirds alternating with two additions of coconut milk. Beat until all ingredients are well blended.

Scoop ¼ cup of batter into each cupcake liner. Bake 13-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 4 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Coconut-Rum Buttercream
(Makes enough for 24 regular cupcakes)

½ cup vegetable shortening
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon rum
6 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup coconut milk

Stir rum into the coconut milk and set aside. In a large bowl, cream together shortening, salt and 2 cups of the powdered sugar. Add remaining sugar alternating with the coconut milk mixture until desired texture is reached. You will probably not need all of the liquid. Beat on high for 10 minutes until creamy and fluffy.