Easter is around the corner, and that signifies the onset of a lot of things! In the present, it is the welcome of Spring, beautiful flowers blooming everywhere especially the yellow mustard flowers, birds chirping, fresh crisp air, and the berries are again in season! It signifies the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and there are a lot of festivities associated with it. Easter egg hunt, decorating Easter eggs, Easter brunch, Easter bunny and Easter parades are included in the festivities! A lot of beautiful desserts can be seen everywhere, including the beautiful pastels used on cookies, or cakes, bundt cakes are popular, and so are breads baked with colors eggs in it!
However this year in 2020, Easter is going to be different unlike any other year before. Because of the Coronavirus Pandemic, there is a lot of unrest, and for people to stay indoors and stay healthy and safe, to avoid the spread of the virus. It is a very sad turn of events. Especially because the oncoming of Easter sheds so much joy in so many different ways. My kids’ school is a Christian school, and they have Lent service every week leading up to the week of Easter, and also do a Spring Concert before Good Friday. It is beautiful to see the community get together to celebrate this festival. However this year, due to the schools closed, we will all be in our homes.
But that does not mean that we cannot celebrate Easter! Little celebrations, dressing up for the occasion and cooking/baking festive meals for your family are essential to keep the spirit alive, and celebrate the little happy moments, in these hard pressing times. You can still enjoy a wonderful brunch from the comfort of your home, make your home/dining area look festive with Easter decorations and make a delicious meal. The meals got to end with dessert!
C&H® Sugar has always been my go to sugar in any of my baked goods. So when they asked me to partner with them I was very happy! I am excited to partner this year with C&H® Sugar to bring to you a very easy dessert to make for Easter. These are Coconut Cupcakes, filled with Pineapple Curd and with a Speckled Malted Frosting on the top! These cupcakes are made with C&H® Golden Brown Sugar. The C&H® Golden Brown Sugar gives a wonderful nutty caramel flavor, moistness and a subtle molasses flavor, which compliments the coconut and the almond flour/almond extract in the cupcakes perfectly! The combination of the coconut cupcakes with the tart and sweet pineapple curd, and the malted frosting on the top with the elegant speckles, is a perfect way to end a wonderful Sunday Easter brunch with your loved ones. The cupcakes are made with the addition of shredded unsweetened coconut and almond flour, C&H® Golden Brown Sugar, and C&H® Granulated Pure Cane Sugar, and reduced coconut milk enhancing the coconutty flavor. They come together pretty quickly and can be made a day ahead as well.
C&H® Sugar has a variety of different sugars which are fantastic for any of your baking needs! Their website has really good recipes too, that one could refer to for all their baking needs!
Hope you have a quiet but joyful Easter celebration this year with your family. Life goes on and these hard times too shall pass. If you do make this recipe, please do not forget to tag #thejamlab on Instagram and/or leave a comment on this blog post as to how you liked the recipe.
Stay healthy and stay safe!
Happy Easter!
XO
Amisha
Coconut Cupcakes with Pineapple Curd and Speckled Malted Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- Pineapple Curd:
- ½ cup Pineapple juice
- ½ cup C&H® Granulated Pure Cane Sugar
- 3 Eggs at room temperature
- 6 tbsp Cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- Coconut Cupcakes:
- 1 ¼ cups All purpose flour
- ¼ cup Almond flour
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch
- ½ cup C&H® Golden Brown Sugar
- ½ cup C&H® Granulated Pure Cane Sugar
- ½ cup Shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1 ½ tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp Vanilla extract
- ½ tsp Almond extract
- 2 Large eggs at room temperature
- 2 sticks(1 cup) Unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 can Coconut milk
- Malted Frosting:
- 2 sticks(1 cup) Unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 cups C&H® Confectioners Sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp Malted milk powder
- 3-4 tbsp Heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pineapple curd:
- 1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pineapple juice, C&H® Granulated Pure Cane Sugar and the eggs, vigorously until combined.
- 2. In a medium saucepan, at medium heat, add the ingredients and using the whisk, keep mixing around, for about 6-8 minutes, until the mixture thickens. Switch to a rubber spatula to gather all the curd from the bottom of the pan. If the mixture sticks to the rubber spatula, the mixture is thick enough.
- 3. Add in the butter, and using the spatula mix is well to combine.
- 4. Strain the curd over a fine to medium sieve over a glass bowl. Cover with a plastic wrap, touching the curd so that a thick layer does not form on the top.
- 5. Let it cool in the fridge for about 2 hours. It is best kept overnight to let it set.
- Reduced Coconut Milk:
- 1. In a medium saucepan, on medium heat, add in the entire contents of the coconut milk.
- 2. Let it come to a boil and let the mixture boil away for about 18 minutes.
- 3. The mixture will be thick and reduced to half after 18 minutes.
- 4. Let it cool completely. Reserve ½ cup of the reduced coconut milk for the cupcakes.
- Coconut Cupcakes:
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- 2. Line 2 cupcake pans with 14 cupcake liners.
- 3. In a small bowl, add in the all-purpose flour, almond flour, corn starch, shredded unsweetened coconut, baking powder, baking powder and salt and whisk to combine.
- 4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, with a paddle attachment, add in the butter, C&H® Granulated Pure Cane Sugar and C&H® Golden Brown Sugar. Start on medium speed to blend the butter and sugars, and increase the speed to high after a minute. Let it mix all together for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is smooth to the touch. Using a rubber spatula, collect all the mixture from the sides into the bottom of the bowl.
- 5. Slowly add in the eggs, one a time and turn on the stand mixer to medium speed to combine for about 20 seconds. Add in the vanilla extract and almond extract and mix to combine.
- 6. Add in the dry mixture and the ½ cup reduced coconut milk in 2 batches, starting first with the dry mixture into the stand mixer, and then the coconut milk, and whisk on low speed to combine.
- 7. Using a rubber spatula make sure the mixture is well combined and that there is no dry mixture remaining.
- 8. Using the ice cream scooper, level the mixture, and add it into each cupcake liner, to about 2/3 full.
- 9. Put the cupcake pans in the oven, on the middle rack, for 22 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the cake tester comes out clean from the middle of one of the cupcakes.
- 10. Remove the cupcake pans and let it cool on the kitchen counter for about an hour.
- 11. Meanwhile, we will prepare our frosting.
- Malted Buttercream Frosting:
- 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, and at high speed, add in the butter and salt and malted powder and whisk for upto 2 minutes.
- 2. Slowly add in the C&H® Confectioners Sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract, and initially starting at a slow speed, whisk to combine. Slowly increase the speed to medium speed to combine completely for about 1 minute. If the mixture is still a bit stiff, add in one more tablespoon of heavy cream and whisk to combine until the mixture is smooth and pliable to use as buttercream. Scrap the sides of the bowl to combine the buttercream to the center of the bowl.
- 3. Use a 16 inch pastry bag, fitted with a ½ inch star tip, and using the rubber spatula, add in the buttercream. Using a bench scraper, gather all the buttercream from the top of the pastry bag, by laying the buttercream filled pastry bag on the kitchen counter. Twist the top of the pastry bag, clip it and set it aside.
- Assembly:
- 1. Using the top of the ½ inch star tip, make an indentation on top of each cupcake and remove the center.
- 2. Add about 2 teaspoons of the pineapple curd in the middle.
- 3. Using the buttercream, pipe the buttercream on top of each cupcake.
- 4. Keep the gold, pastel pink and white colors separately on a plate. Wear a plastic glove on one hand. Using an angular flat brush, dip in one color and using your index finger, brush all over each cupcake with specks. Wipe the brush with a paper towel and switch to the next color and repeat. Your cupcakes are ready to eat!
- Additional Tip:
- Pineapple curd can be made a week in advance and it will stay in the fridge for 2 weeks.
- You can speckle the cupcakes with a pastel blue or pastel purple as well in exchange of the pastel pink.
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