Piña Colada Cupcakes

Tender, fluffy and moist coconut cupcakes filled with caramelized pineapple and topped with caramel rum ermine frosting

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Prep Time 1

Cook Time 20

Course Dessert

Servings cupcakes

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅔ cup (142g) light brown sugar, packed
pinch of salt
1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, in juice, drained *Reserve 2 tablespoons of the pineapple juice
1-2 tablespoons spiced rum

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two cupcake tins with cupcake liners.
In a large skillet, add the coconut and place over low heat.
Toast the coconut, stirring occasionally so that the coconut doesn't burn. Toast the coconut until lightly golden. Set aside one cup of the coconut for decorating.
In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on medium low speed, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cake flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large measuring cup, whisk together the coconut milk, half and half, vanilla, and coconut extract.
Add the eggs, one at a time, to the butter/sugar mixture, scraping the bowl after each addition.
On low speed, add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the wet ingredients, scraping the bowl after each addition.
Add the toasted coconut, reserving 1 cup for decorating.
Give the batter a final stir with a spatula to make sure everything is well incorporated.
Fill the cupcake lines ⅔ full. Bake cupcakes for 18-20 minutes or until the tops look just set and a toothpick comes out with few moist crumbs.
Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

In a medium saucepan, over medium low heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, and salt, stirring until the sugar has melted and the mixture is smooth.
Add the drained pineapple, stirring to fully incorporate the brown sugar mixture.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer the pineapple mixture, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Remove the pineapple filling from the heat. Stir in the rum. Let the filling cool completely before using.

In a medium sized saucepan, combine the sugar and the pineapple juice. Stir just until combined.
Place the saucepan over medium heat. Let the sugar mixture cook, without stirring, until the sugar mixture turns a mid amber color. Take the mixture off the heat to stop the cooking process.
Add the butter to the saucepan and whisk to combine. Be very careful as the mixture is incredibly hot and will bubble up and steam when the butter is added.
Whisk in the heavy cream, followed by the rum and the salt. Whisk until smooth.
Let the caramel cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a storage container to cool completely.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the milk, sugar, flour and salt, and bring to a boil.
When the mixture starts to boil, continue to cook, whisking constantly for another 2-3 minutes. The mixture will thicken and resemble pudding. Whisk in the rum.
Strain the mixture into a shallow container to remove any clumps. Place plastic wrap over the surface of the mixture to prevent a film from forming.
Leave to cool to room temperature or pop in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. It should be room temperature to touch, not cold.
When the mixture is cool, whisk in half of the pineapple caramel.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
Add the room temperature flour mixture to the butter, a few tablespoons at a time, allowing it to incorporate fully before adding more.
Once combined, whip the frosting on high for 3-5 minutes until smooth, light and fluffy.
Taste the frosting. Add remaining caramel to taste, a tablespoon at a time.

Using a sharp knife, cut a hole into the center of the cooled cupcakes to create a space for the pineapple filling.
Spoon the pineapple mixture inside each carved out cupcake. Fill the cupcake with the filling to the top, about a heaping teaspoon full.
Top the cupcakes with pineapple caramel ermine frosting. Roll the cupcakes into the reserved toasted coconut.
Top with pineapple and a maraschino cherry.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Cupcake recipe adapted from Trophy Cupcakes & Parties by Jennifer Shea

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