Buttermilk

Coconut cupcakes with curry-chocolate frosting

February 15, 2012
4
4 Ratings
  • Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes
Author Notes

Coconut and curry belong together, so let's add some chocolate and put them in a cupcake! One important thing to note is that you should use the best curry powder you can find and that the strength of the curry flavor grows with time. If you will be waiting to serve these, you may want to consider decreasing the amount of curry powder based on the amount of time before serving.

The coconut cake recipe is inspired by the one used at Hominy Grill. —JessicaBakes

Test Kitchen Notes

These were AMAZING! The cupcakes were moist and delicious with nice coconut flavor. The frosting had just a touch of curry flavor and one of the taste testers said it was almost like hint of coffee flavor. I used a madras curry mix that blended well. I took them to a birthday party and the first words out of everyone's mouth after tasting them were "oh my God" but in a good way. They were awesome. This frosting was a great complement but I would definitely use the base again and even play around with the frosting with other flavors that complement the coconut. Delicious!!! —There'sAlwaysPie

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Ingredients
  • Coconut cupcakes
  • 2 cups AP flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
  • 5 eggs yolks, at room temp
  • 3 egg whites, at room temp
  • Curry chocolate buttercream
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 3/4 cup toasted sweetened shredded coconut
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prep two muffin pans with paper or foil liners.
  2. Mix the flour, salt and coconut in one bowl. In another bowl, mix the buttermilk, coconut milk and baking soda.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter for 1 minute at medium speed before adding the sugar and creaming for an additional 3 minutes. Add the egg yolks and beat well, about 2 minutes, until a thick mixture is formed. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk mixture.
  4. Using a clean bowl and the whisk attachment (make sure there's absolutely no fat on either or the whites won't whip up properly), whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until medium peaks form.
  5. Gently fold about 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it up, then fold the rest in just until combined.
  6. Spoon the mixture into the cupcake tins and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
  7. To make the frosting, in a mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter for 3-4 minutes on medium speed. Turn off the mixer. Sift 3 cups of the powdered sugar and the cocoa into the mixing bowl. Turn your mixer on the lowest speed until the sugar and cocoa are mixed in, then increase the speed to medium, add the vanilla, salt, cream and curry powder, and beat until well incorporated. Feel free to add more powdered sugar if your frosting needs to be stiffened up a bit.
  8. Frost the cupcakes as you normally would, and top with a small sprinkle of the toasted coconut.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

4 Reviews

Homemadecornbread April 11, 2012
These cupcakes were great. They cake had a lush texture and a rich flavor with plenty of coconut. The curry added a nice complexity to the frosting. One small thing about the frosting recipe - the steps say to add salt, but none is noted in the frosting ingredients so I used just a pinch of salt and that worked out fine.
Rachel Z. March 1, 2012
I made them with unsweetened coconut flakes and they were wonderful-- not too sweet! what a great recipe!
There'sAlwaysPie February 27, 2012
These are AMAZING! The cake is so moist and delicious and hint of curry in the frosting is perfect.
JessicaBakes February 27, 2012
Thank you!!