As I type this, my cousin Lacy is running her first marathon in San Diego! I am so proud of her – she is such an inspiration!
Our favorite summer cocktail is coconut rum with cranberry juice. It’s light, refreshing and tastes like the islands — so good I could joke about having it for breakfast.
Don’t worry, I haven’t actually done that. Yet. But sometimes Mr. How Sweet tempts me that way.
He likes to mix coconut rum with cranberry and orange juice. I’ll spare you more of his fruity drink enthusiasm, but it’s a delightful combo — he really knows his girly beverages.
Malibu rum is our go-to, though any brand will work. The same flexibility applies to these cupcakes: I used Malibu, but any coconut rum will do.
I started with my basic vanilla cupcake batter and layered in several coconut elements — coconut milk, coconut extract and a splash of rum for aroma and depth.
This batter would also make a lovely layer cake. A fruit layer of strawberries, pineapple or cherries between cake layers would be perfect for a tropical twist.
So grab a cupcake and pretend you’re lounging on warm sand.
Coconut Rum Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
Seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional)
1/4 cup coconut rum (such as Malibu)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Cream the butter, sugar and eggs together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract, coconut extract and vanilla bean seeds; mix until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix just until incorporated. Add the coconut milk, mix, then add the remaining dry ingredients. Stir in the coconut rum and fold in the shredded coconut if using.
Divide the batter among lined cupcake tins and bake for 20–25 minutes at 350°F, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
Malibu Frosting
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 to 2 lbs powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup coconut rum
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
Beat the softened butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, alternating with the coconut rum and vanilla, until you reach the desired consistency. Adjust the amount of sugar or rum to make the frosting thicker or thinner as needed.
A note about coconut: Mr. How Sweet likes the flavor of coconut only when it’s in rum. He doesn’t care for shredded coconut’s texture. If you or someone you’re baking for dislikes the texture, simply omit the shredded coconut — the cupcakes will still be full of coconut flavor from the milk, extract and rum.
I wasn’t that generous; I kept the coconut in. Enjoy these light, tropical cupcakes and imagine the ocean breeze with every bite.