My recent vacation to Florida included a Pina Colada while sitting out by the resort pool – OK make that every day! Nothing is cooler, or more refreshing. It truly says “vacation” to me! This delicious drink inspired a pina colada cupcake for my lineup! I wanted to combine the flavors of coconut and pineapple, as well as the creamy texture of a pina colada, and of course the taste of dark rum! I started with a pineapple cupcake, filled with coconut and rum-infused whipped cream. I topped this with my butter cream cheese frosting flavored with rum extract, a little toasted coconut around the edges and of course – can’t forget a pineapple wedge, marachino cherry, and a little straw!!
Toast about 7 oz sweetened coconut on a baking sheet at 350 degrees, check and stir every 2-3 min, until lightly browned. Cool completely.
Here is the pineapple cupcake recipe: (makes 24 regular sized cupcakes)
2 1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 c plus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 c crushed canned pineapple
1 c milk
1 c vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cupcake pans with paper liners (#24 cupcakes).
Combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and sugar in a bowl. Mix with a whisk, and set aside.
Into a standing mixer bowl, add pineapple, milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Blend with a whisk attachment, just until combined. Slowly add the flour mixture, just until combined.
Using 1 large icecream scoop, fill each cupcake liner til 3/4 full with batter.
Bake for 18 – 20 min., until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, and cool completely.
Prepare coconut whipped cream filling:
Mix 1 sm pkg (3.4 oz) JELLO coconut cream pudding with 1 c cold milk. Mix in a stand mixer using a whisk attachment on high for 2 min. Refrigerate for 30 min. Whip 1 c heavy cream, and 1/3 c powdered sugar til stiff peaks form. Fold this into the pudding – along with 4 tsp dark rum. Refrigerate.
Remove centers of each cupcake using a sharp knife. Save the cake discs you remove – they will be used to cover the filling.
Using a large piping bag and a large round tip – pipe the coconut whipped cream into each cupcake hole. Cut off the excess cake on the cake disc you removed, to make it flat, and use as a “cover” over the filling.
Refrigerate.
Make the rum butter cream cheese frosting:
Combine 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, 1 1/2 pkgs cream cheese (12 oz), 1/2 tsp rum extract. (Adjust this to your taste – but a little of this goes a long way). Beat in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment. Add 6 c confectioner’s sugar 1 cup at a time, until smooth and well-blended.
Pipe onto each cupcake using a large piping bag, and a large open start tip 1M.
Add some of the toasted coconut around the lower edges of the frosting.
Top with a marachino cherry with a stem, and a small wedge of canned pineapple chunks. Cut some straws to about 2 1/2″ lengths, and insert into the frosting.
Refrigerate covered for 1 week. ** Try soaking the marachino cherries overnight with dark rum!! Be sure to dry off the cherries and the pineapple chunks before adding to the cupcakes.
