Coconut Cupcakes With Pink Creamcheese Frosting

Oh lovely day! I baked these for my Auntie Lorraine for her birthday. We went to a Shanghainese Chinese restaurant in Richmond called "Shanghai Wonderful". Duck and taro root stacks wrapped in Chinese white bun; thinly sliced cold pig ear; "Shanghai buns" (xiaolongbao) which are savoury pork balls and soup inside handmade steamed dumplings (tricky to eat without burning your mouth with bursting hot soup!); 8 treasures sticky rice for dessert with red bean. And... coconut cupcakes with pink creamcheese frosting for dessert too made by yours truly!

I used the coconut cake recipe from my very well-loved Martha Stewart Baking Handbook, with a few changes (i used cake & pastry flour instead of all-purpose for extra fluffiness, and I added an additional 1/4 cup of coconut milk than called for), and I made up a very simple creamcheese frosting using light creamcheese, unsalted butter, icing sugar and a dash of coconut milk.

Coconut Cupcakes
yields 1 dozen or so medium cupcakes

3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups cake & pastry flour
1/2 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1/2 tbs vanilla
1 cup coconut milk (I don't recommend using light coconut milk. Too watery.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fit 12 baking cups into cupcake tin.
1.Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in shredded coconut.
2.Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
3.Add eggs, egg whites and vanilla until incorporated.
4.With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two parts, alternating with the coconut milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until combined, but do not overbeat!
5.Use 1/3 cup measuring cup to dole out batter evenly into cupcake tin.
6. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate pan, bake for 5 minutes more (or so!) Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the middle cupcake comes out clean!

Frosting:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup creamcheese (light or regular)
2-3 cups icing sugar
1/8 cup coconut milk (or so)

1.Throw a teeny tiny bit of food coloring in there to make it pink, or whatever color you like! Blend until thick and pliable! I test my icing for spreadability by lifting up beaters. When the icing is stiff and doesn't drip down, it's ready for spreading or piping.
2. Sprinkle with shredded coconut and other sprinkly pretty things!