Strawberry Vanilla Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

One of the many benefits of having a 3-year-old daughter is that there is always a reason to make pink cupcakes. =) I was browsing blogs Thursday afternoon, my daughter just happened to glance at the computer when I was on this site, and we were making cupcakes by the next morning. They sounded perfect as-is, but I couldn't resist making a coconut cream cheese frosting instead. They turned out to be delicious, and we can't stop eating them! Delicious.

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes

(Followed exactly from this recipe)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup fresh chopped strawberries

4 tablespoons milk

Using my stand mixer, I beat the butter and sugar for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add eggs to the creamed sugar and butter one-at-a-time, and mix until combined. Add vanilla. Increase the speed to high, and add the strawberries mixing thoroughly to break down (this took 2-3 minutes for me). Turn down the speed, and add the flour mixture 1 cup at a time, and mix until well-combined.

Fill cupcake papers 2/3 full, and bake for 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Let cool completely, and then frost.

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

1 block of cream cheese, softened

1 stick of butter, softened

1-2 cups of powdered sugar (I used 1 because I don't like it super-sweet)

1 tsp coconut extract

1 1/2 cups sweetened and shredded coconut flakes

Beat the cream cheese and butter in a sand mixer until well-combined. Add the sugar and coconut extract, and beat until smooth. If the frosting is too thick, you can add milk 1 tablespoon at a time to thin. Using one cup of powdered sugar made mine the perfect consistency. Stir in the coconut by hand, and use to frost your favorite fruity cupcake.