Piña Colada Cupcake

Do you need a tropical cupcake escape from the winter?  Or are you just looking for a summer fun cupcake with the fresh taste of down south?  Either way, this cupcake won't disappoint!  To make this cupcake cocktail you'll need...

• White Cake Mix (plus ingredients to make the cake...usually eggs, oil, and water)
• Pineapple Juice (replace the amount water it calls for)
• Store bought White Icing
• 2 Tablespoons of Coconut Rum (you can use more or less...it's up to you)
• Butter (room temperate...around 1/2 cup....but it's up to you)
• Icing Sugar (optional)
• Garnish Ideas: Mini Straw, Drink Umbrella or Green Lime Icing

On to the recipe...

Step 1: For the most part, follow the direction of your White Cake Mix - preheat your oven and add in your eggs and oil, but replace the water with Pineapple Juice.  I know the cake mix tells you to only use the egg white, but there really is no need to take the extra effort to separate the eggs.  Just throw all three eggs in; yolks and whites!

Step 2: Mix all the ingredients together until the batter is smooth.  Spoon the batter into your cupcake liners and bake as directed on package. Once done, cool completely before icing 

Step 3: It's time to add some tropical kick to your icing. Mix together your vanilla icing, butter and Coconut Rum on high until smooth. Give it a taste and if it's too buttery for your liking or needs to be thickened, add some icing sugar.  Or, more importantly, if it's not coconutty enough for you, add more Coconut Rum!  Once you're happy with the taste and consistency it's time to ice your cupcakes! .

Step 4: Layer on as much or as little of your icing as you'd like using your preferred icing method.  To garnish your cupcake you can cut a straw down to size, top it with a drink umbrella OR, you can do what I did and top it with a little green coloured lime icing.  I happened to have some left over from my Cosmo Cupcake, but you could easily take a 1/2 a cup of your icing (before you add the Coconut Rum) and add some lime juice and zest plus some green gel food colouring. And you're done!

Happy Faking!

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Lemon Coconut Cupcake

This zippy cupcake is fun and flavourful.  It's so light and refreshing that you'll catch your friends, and even yourself, sneaking a second for good measure.  You can make this recipe with a few twists, like adding Coconut or Lemon Curd to the icing, but here's how I made this winning treat!  First you'll need...

• White Cake Mix (plus ingredients to make the cake...usually eggs, oil, and water)
• Store bought Vanilla Icing
• 1/3 cup of Sweetened Coconut Flakes (plus more to sprinkle on top of your cupcake)
  
• 1 cup of Lemon Curd (some for the batter and some for the top of your cupcake - the store bought stuff is perfect)
• Butter (room temperate...around 1/2 cup....but it's up to you)
• Icing Sugar (optional)

Now it's time to mix things up...

Step 1: Follow the directions of your White Cake Mix - from preheating your oven through to adding the eggs, oil, water, etc.  You'll notice that White Cake Mixes call for egg whites only and not the whole egg.  I usually don't bother with that and add the whole egg.  Mix together the batter until smooth. 

Step 2: Now it's time to add some tropical flavour.  Add 1/2 cup of Lemon Curd and mix it into the batter until fully incorporated. Add in 1/3 cup of Sweetened Coconut Flakes and mix through batter.  Spoon the batter into your cupcake liners and bake as directed on the package.  Once they are done baking, let them cool completely.

Step 3: While you're waiting for your cupcakes to cool, you might as well make the icing!  Using you mixer, throw in the vanilla icing and butter and mix on high until smooth.  Feel free to add in some Coconut and or Lemon Curd to flavour your icing - just because I didn't, it doesn't mean you can't!  Give your icing a taste and if it's too buttery for your liking, add in some icing sugar.

Step 4: Take your cooled cupcakes and spread some Lemon Curd over the top.  Now it's time to top them with your icing.  If you wanted, you could use a piping bag to ice your cupcakes, or you can just spoon it on and carefully spread it over top of the Lemon Curd.  Then, take the back of your spoon, press it gently into the icing and lift it quickly to make spikes that look like meringue.  Sprinkle with the rest of your Coconut and you're done!  For added class, you can toast your Coconut before sprinkling it over the top.  And that's it!    

Happy Faking!

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