Delightful White Mountain Coconut Cupcakes: The Ultimate Recipe for Fluffy Perfection
Embark on a culinary journey to create the most enchanting White Mountain Coconut Cupcakes you’ve ever tasted. This cherished recipe, meticulously adapted from a classic Chocolatier Magazine feature, promises a sublime experience of delicate crumb, rich coconut flavor, and a cloud-like frosting that will transport you to dessert heaven. The secret to their irresistible moistness and subtle tropical essence lies in one star ingredient: full-fat coconut milk. Far from a mere trend, coconut milk has long been a baker’s secret weapon, infusing desserts with unparalleled richness and a distinct, yet gentle, coconut aroma that elevates these cupcakes from delightful to truly extraordinary. Prepare to impress with this wonderfully balanced and utterly delicious treat.
Crafting the Perfect White Mountain Coconut Cupcake Base
Achieving the perfect cupcake starts with the right foundation. For these White Mountain Coconut Cupcakes, we rely on a tender, moist cake that beautifully complements the coconut notes. The use of cake flour or White Lily flour is crucial here, as it provides a finer crumb and a softer texture compared to all-purpose flour. If you don’t have cake flour, you can easily make your own by removing two tablespoons from each cup of all-purpose flour and replacing it with two tablespoons of cornstarch, then sifting it multiple times. This simple trick helps to achieve a lighter, airier result that’s simply divine and ideal for delicate cupcakes.
The creaming method, where butter and granulated sugar are beaten together until light and fluffy, is essential for incorporating air and creating a tender cake structure. Ensure your butter is at room temperature for optimal creaming; it should be soft enough to indent with a finger but not melted. Adding eggs one at a time, and beating well after each addition, helps to emulsify the batter, preventing it from separating and contributing to a smooth, uniform texture. The vanilla extract further enhances the overall flavor profile, adding warmth and sweetness that perfectly blends with the tropical hints of coconut.
But the true game-changer in this cupcake recipe is the full-fat coconut milk. Unlike coconut water or lighter versions, full-fat coconut milk brings a creamy texture and a more pronounced, natural coconut flavor to the batter without making it overly dense. It’s carefully folded into the dry ingredients, ensuring the batter remains smooth and thoroughly combined without being overmixed. Overmixing can lead to tough cupcakes with a chewy texture, so gentle incorporation is key. This attention to detail in the cupcake base ensures that each bite is perfectly moist, flavorful, and a delightful prelude to the magnificent frosting that gives these cupcakes their iconic “White Mountain” name.
The Cloud-Like 7-Minute Icing: The Signature Topping
No White Mountain Coconut Cupcake would be complete without its signature topping: a generous crown of light, fluffy 7-Minute Icing. This classic meringue-based frosting is a revelation – it’s airy, incredibly smooth, and boasts a unique quality of crusting over slightly when allowed to sit, creating a delicate, sugary shell that protects its soft, marshmallow-like interior. What makes it even more appealing is that it’s naturally fat-free, allowing you to pile it high without the guilt often associated with richer buttercreams. The pure white appearance also contributes to the “White Mountain” aesthetic, making these cupcakes as visually appealing as they are delicious. This frosting provides a wonderful textural contrast to the tender cake, offering a burst of sweet, vanilla-almond flavor with every bite.
While the traditional method involves a double boiler, which can sometimes feel like an extra step, the results are truly worth the effort. By setting a heatproof metal or glass bowl over simmering water, you gently cook the egg whites and sugar mixture, ensuring safety by reaching a pasteurization temperature and creating a stable meringue. This indirect heat is crucial for dissolving the sugar completely and producing a glossy, firm frosting that won’t weep. The high-speed beating, typically for around 7 minutes, transforms the warm, sugary egg whites into a voluminous, marshmallow-like cloud that holds its shape beautifully and is easy to pipe or spoon onto the cupcakes.
For those looking for an alternative method to achieve this pristine frosting, the King Arthur Baking Company offers a fantastic technique often referred to as an Italian meringue variation. In this approach, you boil a sugar syrup to a precise temperature (around 240°F or the soft-ball stage) and then slowly stream this hot syrup into already beaten egg whites. This technique creates an equally stable and delicious frosting, often without the need for a double boiler directly on the stove, relying instead on the heat of the syrup to “cook” the egg whites. Whichever method you choose, remember that clean, grease-free equipment and precise timing are your allies in achieving the perfect light and airy consistency for this iconic topping. The addition of vanilla and a hint of almond extract provides a depth of flavor that complements the coconut in the cake perfectly, while cream of tartar helps stabilize the egg whites, ensuring your frosting reaches magnificent, firm peaks and stays that way.
Toasted Coconut: The Finishing Touch for Enhanced Flavor and Texture
Beyond the delicate coconut milk infusion in the cake, the final flourish of flavor and texture comes from the abundant sprinkling of sweetened flaked coconut over the immaculate 7-Minute Icing. To truly elevate this simple garnish, lightly toasting the coconut is a step you absolutely shouldn’t skip. Toasting the coconut brings out a deeper, nuttier flavor and a more pleasant, satisfying crunch, contrasting beautifully with the soft cake and ethereal frosting. It transforms the raw coconut’s sometimes bland taste into something rich and aromatic, enhancing the overall tropical profile of the cupcake.
The process of toasting coconut is straightforward but requires vigilance: spread the sweetened flaked coconut thinly and evenly on a baking sheet, ideally lined with foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup. Place it in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for approximately 5 minutes. Keep a very close eye on it, as coconut can go from perfectly golden to burnt in a matter of seconds due to its high sugar content! You’ll want to remove it from the oven as soon as the edges just begin to turn a light golden-brown. Immediately transfer the toasted coconut to a plate or another cool surface to stop the cooking process, as it will continue to brown from residual heat on the baking sheet. Gently mix the darker, toasted pieces with the lighter ones to ensure even cooling and prevent any further browning. Allow it to cool completely before sprinkling over your frosted cupcakes to maintain its crisp, flavorful texture. This thoughtful addition elevates the entire dessert, making each White Mountain Coconut Cupcake an unforgettable tropical delight.
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Recipe for White Mountain Coconut Cupcakes
White Mountain Coconut Cupcakes
Anna
Pin Recipe
20
minutes
22
minutes
42
minutes
Dessert
American
12
Ingredients
-
1 ¼
cups
cake flour or White Lily
(150 grams, for a tender crumb) -
1
teaspoon
baking powder -
⅛
teaspoon
salt -
8
tablespoons
unsalted butter, room temperature
(114 grams, softened for proper creaming) -
1
cup
granulated sugar
(200 grams) -
2
large
eggs
room temperature (for better emulsion) -
1
teaspoon
vanilla extract -
½
cup
coconut milk, full fat type (canned)
(essential for richness and flavor)
Frosting
-
1 ¼
cups
granulated sugar -
⅓
cup
water -
3
large egg whites
(ensure no yolk contamination) -
¼
teaspoon
cream of tartar
(stabilizes egg whites) -
1
teaspoon
vanilla extract -
½
teaspoon
almond extract
(enhances coconut flavor) -
2
cups
sweetened flaked coconut
(lightly toasted, for garnish)
Instructions
-
**Prepare for Baking:** Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, ensuring each cup is ready for the batter. This step is crucial for even baking and easy removal of your delicate cupcakes.
-
**Combine Dry Ingredients:** In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour (or White Lily flour), baking powder, and salt. Make sure these ingredients are well combined to ensure leavening agents are evenly distributed throughout the batter. Set this mixture aside.
-
**Cream Butter and Sugar:** In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar for approximately five minutes. The mixture should become very light, fluffy, and pale in color. This creaming process incorporates air, which is vital for a tender cupcake.
**Add Eggs and Vanilla:** Add the large eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is well mixed. Finally, stir in the vanilla extract, beating until just combined. -
**Alternate Wet and Dry Ingredients:** With a spoon or a heavy-duty rubber scraper, gently stir in about half of the reserved flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Mix until just blended, being careful not to overmix. Once the first half of the flour is combined, add the full-fat coconut milk and stir until it’s smoothly incorporated. Finish by adding the remaining flour mixture and stir until the batter is smooth and no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Again, avoid overmixing to keep the cupcakes light and tender.
-
**Bake the Cupcakes:** Divide the batter evenly among the 12 prepared cupcake cups. Fill each liner about two-thirds full to allow for proper rising. Bake for approximately 22 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, and the tops spring back lightly when touched. Let the cupcakes cool in the muffin tin for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Ensure they are fully cooled before frosting.
-
**Prepare the 7-Minute Icing (Double Boiler Method):** To make the glorious 7-Minute Icing, combine the granulated sugar, water, large egg whites, and cream of tartar in the top part of a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, a heatproof metal or glass bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water works perfectly (ensure the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Using a handheld electric mixer, beat the mixture on high speed until it becomes foamy, which typically takes about 1 minute.
**Cook and Beat the Icing:** Place the double boiler top (or bowl) over the simmering water. Continue to beat the mixture on high speed for about 7 minutes, or until the frosting becomes very thick, glossy, and holds firm, marshmallow-like peaks. The mixture will increase significantly in volume.
**Finish the Frosting:** Remove the bowl from the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract and almond extract. Continue to beat the frosting for another two minutes off the heat. This helps cool it down and ensures an even silkier texture. The frosting should be ready to spread immediately for best results. -
**Frost and Garnish:** Once the cupcakes are completely cool, generously spoon or pipe the luscious 7-Minute Icing onto each cupcake, creating beautiful, fluffy “mountains.” For an extra touch of elegance and intensified flavor, liberally sprinkle the lightly toasted sweetened flaked coconut over the frosting. Serve immediately or store for later enjoyment.
Notes
**How to Toast Coconut:** To achieve that perfect golden-brown, nutty flavor for your coconut garnish, spread the sweetened flaked coconut in a thin, even layer on a baking sheet. For easy cleanup, you can line the baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Place it in your preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for approximately 5 minutes. Watch it very carefully, as coconut can burn quickly! You’ll want to remove it as soon as the edges start to turn a light golden-brown. Immediately remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the toasted coconut to a plate or another cool surface to stop the cooking process. Mix the darker, toasted coconut with the lighter pieces to ensure even cooling and prevent further browning. Allow it to cool completely before sprinkling over your frosted cupcakes to maintain its crisp texture.
**Storage:** These cupcakes are best enjoyed the day they are made due to the fresh meringue frosting. If storing, place them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1-2 days. The frosting will crust over, which is characteristic and delightful! For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 3-4 days, but allow them to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving for optimal flavor and texture. Avoid freezing frosted cupcakes as the meringue can break down.
**Pro Tip for Icing:** For an even easier 7-Minute Icing, consider trying the “hot sugar syrup” method as mentioned in the article. This involves boiling sugar and water to 240°F (soft-ball stage) and slowly pouring it into egg whites that have been beaten to soft peaks with cream of tartar. Beat on high until the mixture is thick, glossy, and firm. This often yields a very stable meringue without the need for constant beating over simmering water.
Coconut Cupcakes, White Mountain, Meringue Frosting, Homemade Cupcakes, Tropical Dessert, Easy Cupcake Recipe
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