Airy and moist coconut cupcakes with a fluffy 7 minute frosting and coconut topping are delicious and easy to make. They're perfect for Easter or any spring occasion! (dairy-free)
My grandpa's favorite cake was always a light, moist coconut cake with 7 minute frosting topped with coconut. I've shared the recipe on the blog, but to make things even easier for those who may be intimidated by a layer cake (or who want fewer servings) I've turned it into coconut cupcakes! After much testing (and many frustrating fails), I have finally perfect these cute coconut cupcakes. They're the perfect little spring treats.
Why You'll Love These Coconut Cupcakes
If you're a coconut lover, you'll adore these cupcakes. They're super light, moist and tender thanks to coconut oil and cake flour, with a light coconut flavor. Topped with a fluffy, marshmallow-like frosting and coconut flakes, they're naturally dairy-free and easy to make. They are so tasty and great for Easter and other spring gatherings!
How To Make Coconut Cupcakes with 7 Minute Frosting
Make the Cupcakes
- Cream the coconut oil and sugar until light and fluffy. It may take a little bit. If it clumps up, keep mixing, it will get fluffy.
- Add the eggs, vanilla and coconut extract and mix well.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Alternate adding flour and coconut milk to the batter, starting and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.
- Scoop into a lined cupcake tin, filling cups ⅔ of the way full. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. Mine take 22 minutes.
- Cool completely before frosting.
Make the Frosting and Top with Coconut
- Make the 7 minute frosting using these directions.
- Frost cupcakes by spoon a generous blog of frosting onto each cooled cupcake.
- Turn frosted cupcakes upside down into a bowl of coconut to coat each with coconut. Turn right side up and place on a cooling rack for just a bit to let the icing firm up.
Pro Tips For The Most Delicious Coconut Cupcakes
- Use room temperature ingredients for the most even mixing.
- The coconut oil and sugar mixture may take a little bit to get fluffy. If it clumps up at the beginning, that's ok, just keep mixing.
- After adding the flour, mix just until blended. You may need to stop and stir with a rubber spatula to make sure there are no pockets of flour at the bottom or around the edges.
- Cool cupcake completely before frosting, or the frosting may slide off.
- The frosting will firm up as it cools. It's best to frost the cupcakes right after making the frosting.
- I don't recommend making these in advance, as the frosting gets hard and crunchy on the outside as it sits. They're best served the day they are made.
- Leftovers can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
- I've noticed that the sugar from the coconut flakes is what turns a little crunchy. If it bothers you, you can use unsweetened shredded coconut.
Ingredient Substitutions
- The cake flour is what makes these cupcakes super light and tender. It really makes a difference. But you can use all-purpose if you have to. Use 1 cup of all purpose flour and add ¼ tsp baking soda.
- Do not use full fat coconut milk. It's too much fat for the flour to hold together. (Don't ask me how I know.) You can substitute buttermilk in a pinch.
- If you don't want to make the 7 minute frosting, you can also frost these with regular white frosting. They're also delicious with chocolate frosting!
Can This Recipe Be Made Into A Whole Cake?
Yes! Find the recipe for a layered coconut cake here.
More Coconut Recipes You'll Love
- Vegan Coconut Tahini Granola
- Easy Almond Joy Coconut Macaroons
- Orange Juice Strawberry Coconut Chia Pudding
- Cocodates (No Bake Coconut Date Cookies)
- Vegan Coconut Black Rice Breakfast Porridge
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!
PrintCoconut Cupcakes with 7 Minute Frosting
Airy and moist coconut cupcakes with a fluffy 7 minute frosting and coconut topping are delicious and easy to make. They're perfect for Easter or any spring occasion! (dairy-free)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cooling Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 70 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x
- Category: dessert
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- ½ cup unrefined coconut oil, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp coconut extract
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp cake flour, sifted
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ cup light canned coconut milk (see notes)
- ½ recipe 7 Minute Frosting
- 1 cup shredded coconut
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Line a standard sized cupcake tin with paper or silicone liners.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the coconut oil and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add eggs, vanilla and coconut extract and mix well.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together into a bowl.
- Alternate adding the flour and coconut milk, starting and ending with flour, in 3 additions. Mix until just combined.
- Scoop batter into cupcake liners, filling ⅔ of the way full.
- Bake 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out with just a couple of moist crumbs. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.
- Make the 7 minute frosting.
- Immediately after making the frosting, top each cooled cupcake with a blob of frosting.
- Dip frosted cupcakes into a bowl of shredded coconut to coat the tops with coconut.
- Turn right side up and place on a cooling rack let the frosting firm up just a bit.
- Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
- The cake flour is what makes these cupcakes super light and tender. It really makes a difference. But you can use all-purpose if you have to. Use 1 cup of all purpose flour and add ¼ tsp baking soda.
- Do not use full fat coconut milk. It's too much fat for the flour to hold together. (Don't ask me how I know.) You can substitute buttermilk in a pinch.
- Use room temperature ingredients for the most even mixing.
- The coconut oil and sugar mixture may take a little bit to get fluffy. If it clumps up at the beginning, that's ok, just keep mixing.
- After adding the flour, mix just until blended. You may need to stop and stir with a rubber spatula to make sure there are no pockets of flour at the bottom or around the edges.
- Cool cupcake completely before frosting, or the frosting may slide off.
- The frosting will firm up as it cools. It's best to frost the cupcakes right after making the frosting.
- I don't recommend making these in advance, as the frosting gets hard and crunchy on the outside as it sits. They're best served the day they are made.
- I've noticed that the sugar from the coconut flakes is what turns a little crunchy. If it bothers you, you can use unsweetened shredded coconut.
- If you don't want to make the 7 minute frosting, you can also frost these with regular white frosting. They're also delicious with chocolate frosting!
Keywords: coconut cupcakes with 7 minute frosting, easy coconut cupcakes, dairy-free coconut cupcakes
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