Name: Vegan Toasted Coconut Cupcakes
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 10 Servings
Ingredients: All-Purpose Flour: 1 cup; Pure Cane Sugar: 0.5 cup; Baking Powder: 0.5 teaspoon; Baking Soda: 0.5 teaspoon; Sea Salt: 0.5 teaspoon; Shredded Coconut: 0.25 cup (unsweetened); Full Fat Coconut Milk: 0.75 cup; Oil: 0.25 cup (I use coconut oil); Apple Cider Vinegar: 1.5 teaspoons; Pure Vanilla Extract: 0.5 teaspoon; Coconut Milk: 1 can; Powdered Sugar: 0.25 cup; Lime: 1 (zested); Shredded Coconut: 0.5 cup (unsweetened)

Ingredients

Coconut Cupcakes

1 cup All-Purpose Flour

0.5 cup Pure Cane Sugar

0.5 teaspoon Baking Powder

0.5 teaspoon Baking Soda

0.5 teaspoon Sea Salt

0.25 cup (unsweetened) Shredded Coconut

0.75 cup Full Fat Coconut Milk

0.25 cup (I use coconut oil) Oil

1.5 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar

0.5 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Coconut Whip Frosting

1 can Coconut Milk

0.25 cup Powdered Sugar

1 (zested) Lime

Topping

0.5 cup (unsweetened) Shredded Coconut

Directions

Coconut cupcakes, and yes they are vegan!

No eggs, no butter, no dairy milk.

And best of all, you won’t be able to tell they’re vegan at all.

The secret to a really good and fluffy vegan cake or cupcake is apple cider vinegar and baking soda.

It’s super science-y because when those two are combined and heat is added something magical happens.

I am using coconut oil here instead of butter. Using coconut oil boosts the coconut flavor.

You can also use a flavorless oil like sunflower, avocado or vegetable oil.

These cupcakes are light, fluffy and not dry at all due to the fat content in both the oil and full-fat coconut milk!

There are lot’s of canned coconut milks on the market. I recommend getting a high quality coconut milk that only has 1 ingredient listed on the can: coconut milk.

The third injection of coconut is unsweetened, shredded coconut! It is added to the cupcake batter and the topping.

Steps

1 Done	Chill The Coconut Milk The night before or at least 1 hour before, place 1 can of full fat of coconut milk in the fridge. This will allow the coconut cream to separate from the coconut water. To help the process of making the coconut whip cream, I recommend chilling a large bowl in the fridge while the cupcakes bake.
2 Done	Make The Cupcake Batter First, preheat your oven to 350°F and line a muffin tin with 10 cupcake liners. Add 1 cup all-purpose flour to a large mixing bowl along with 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt. Mix the ingredients with a whisk. Add 3/4 cup of full fat coconut milk, 1/4 cup of melted coconut oil, 1 + 1/2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix with a spatula or spoon. Only mix until all of the dry bits are fully incorporated. It is better to under-mix than over-mix. Over mixing the batter will result in a more dense cupcake.
3 Done	Fill Cupcake Liners Using an ice cream scoop or a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop the batter into the cupcakes liners. Fill up about 3/4 of the way.
4 Done	Bake Bake the cupcakes at 350°F for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool for 5-10 minutes in the cupcake tin, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely before adding the frosting.
5 Done	Toast Coconut Flakes Since your oven is already hot and on, let's toast the shredded coconut for the topping. Add 1 cup of unsweetened, shredded coconut to a baking sheet and toast in the oven at 350°F for only 3-5 minutes. Keep an eye on it so it does not burn. You are looking for a light golden color on some of the shredded coconut.
6 Done	Make Coconut Whip Frosting You can make coconut whip two ways, in a chilled bowl with a hand-held electric mixers or in your food processor! Remove your chilled bowl and the coconut milk can from the refrigerator. Open up the can of coconut milk and using a spoon scoop out all of the coconut cream. All of the coconut water will be at the bottom, you will only use the coconut cream to make the whip. Pour out the coconut water and keep it in the refrigerator and use for a smoothie recipe! Whip or blend (in food processor) the coconut cream until soft and almost smooth. Next, slowly add 1/4 cup of powdered sugar while you are mixing or blending. Use the food processor's feeding tube to add the powdered sugar little by little. The powdered sugar will both sweeten and stiffen the coconut whip. If you used an electric mixer, you will be able to form soft peaks. Keep the coconut whip in the refrigerator until ready to use.
7 Done	Frost The Cupcakes Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, frost them with the coconut whip and top with the toasted coconut. I also add a bit more lime zest for color, this is optional.
8 Done	Eat Eat right away and keep in an air-tight container in the refrigerator or a cool kitchen for up tp 2 days.