Pina Colada Cupcakes with Coconut Buttercream Frosting

Like my Keylime recipe, I use a box mix in this recipe as this was the first time I made it and I just wanted to test out how much pineapple and coconut milk to use for flavour before I sub in a scratch recipe of my own. Once I tweak the recipe I will change it on my blog! Until then though, this recipe is really good, the cupcakes are super moist.
This recipe makes 24 cupcakes.

Cupcakes
1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist White cake mix
1 1/4 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs whites
1/2 cup pureed pineapple

Coconut Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons coconut milk
yellow food colouring (at your discretion)
sweetened coconut for topping

Prepare
- preheat oven to 325F for non-stick cupcake tray (350F for glass or shiny metal)
- In your mixer, combine all the cupcake ingredients, mix on low for 30 seconds and then medium for 2 minutes
- pour into paper cup lined cupcake tray
- bake for 16 to 21 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean
- In your mixer, cream butter, vanilla, and coconut milk, then add powdered sugar. Once combined, start adding food colouring a few drops at a time until you achieve the desired colour, scraping edges while mixing.
- Once the cupcakes are completely cool (30 minutes out of oven) frost and top with sweetened coconut.

Keylime Cupcakes with keylime cream cheese frosting

These cupcakes are super moist, with just the right amount of lime flavour. I have made them a few times and everytime they FLY off the plate.
I suggest investing in a citrus hand juicer, it will make your life a lot easier when making these cupcakes, because juicing a bunch of tiny key limes by hand is not a fun job! I promise you will make them more than one time, so the juicer will be worth it. You may cringe to see that I use a box cake mix, but I tried this recipe making a scratch recipe and they just weren't the same.


Key Lime Cupcakes with Keylime Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes 24 Cupcakes

Cupcakes
1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist lemon cake mix
1 box lime flavoured gelatin
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup keylime juice
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs

Glaze (optional)
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons keylime juice

Frosting
1 8 oz. package softened plain cream cheese
1 tablespoon keylime juice
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 vanilla bean, scraped
3.5 cups powdered sugar
grated lime peel for topping

Prepare
- Heat oven to 325F for dark nonstick pan (350F for glass). Place paper cups in muffin pan
- In your mixer, combine all of the cupcake ingredients. Mix on low for 30 seconds, then on medium for 2 minutes, scraping bowl while mixing
- divide the batter among the 24 baking cups
- bake 19 to 24 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool before glazing
- In a small bowl, mix 1 cup powdered sugar and the 2 tablespoons of keylime juice, spread glaze over each cupcake, let cool completely (about 30 minutes) before frosting
- In your mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla bean, beat on medium to incorporate. On low speed begin adding the powdered sugar until mixed. Frost cupcakes by swirling from the outside to the inside.
- Garnish with grated lime peel if you desire. Store in refrigerator.