Pineapple and coconut cupcakes

The sun has finally come out! Time for some sunny baking to accompany it.

This is a slightly tweaked recipe from the hummingbird bakery cookbook. The tweaks did not alter the amount of ingredients so I was very surprised at the amount of batter I got. I have normally found that when a hummingbird recipe says makes 12 cupcakes it means 14-16! I halved this recipe to make 6 but honestly think I would have been better making 4. I do not think it is my liners as I have not had this issue with other cupcake recipes. Just something to bear in mind if you make these, they will either be smaller, or you will end up with less then you expect.

The cakes themselves are light and fluffy, their size appears to be totally down to amount of batter, they have not sunk and become dense and heavy, quite the opposite. The pineapple and coconut combo helps keep them really moist. They have a subtle background coconut flavour and the pineapple is a nice contrast. The frosting is lovely and light. I would personally love to pack a little more coconut flavour into the frosting, but adding too much more coconut milk is going to alter the consistency too much I fear. 

Definitely a cupcake I will be making again, I just will not be halving the recipe next time!

Pineapple and coconut cupcake (adapted from hummingbird bakery)

makes 12


80g plain flour
40g self raising flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
140g caster sugar
40g butter
1/2 tsp vanilla paste
120ml coconut milk
1 egg
180g crushed pineapple, drained


250 icing sugar
80g butter
40ml coconut milk
dessicated coconut to decorate.


Preheat the oven to 170C/150F and line a cupcake tin with cases.


Add the flours, baking powder, sugar and butter to a bowl. Beat until the mix comes together and looks 'sandy'.


Add the coconut milk and vanilla paste and beat until the mixture comes together. Add the egg and beat until fully incorporated, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. 


Finally stir in just over half the pineapple.

Put a little pineapple into the bottom of each case. Top with batter until each case is 2/3 full. Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until golden and springy when lightly pressed. 


Leave to cool on a wire rack.


When the cupcakes are fully cool, they can be frosted. Beat the butter and icing sugar until they start to come together, add the coconut milk and continue to beat for ~5 minutes until very light and white in colour. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes and sprinkle with dessicated coconut. 

p.s. I promise to try very hard to not mention the weather in my next post, this is in danger of becoming some sort of British weather blog.

p.p.s I will of course have to mention the weather if we get a blizzard mid june...