Recipe of the Week - Coconut Cupcakes

Week 13

If you are a coconut lover you are going to love this recipe! The secret ingredient is ground coconut powder made by pulsing flaked coconut in a food processor. Thank you to Martha Stewart for sharing this coconut secret in her new cupcake book Martha Stewart's Cupcakes: 175 Inspired Ideas for Everyone's Favorite Treat (2009).

Martha Stewart's Coconut Cupcakes

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 cups (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter - soft

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut (packed)

2 eggs plus 2 egg whites (room temperature)

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup UNsweetened coconut milk - use buttermilk if unable to find coconut milk

flaked or shaved coconut for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cupcake pan with liners. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Pulse flaked coconut in food processor until finely ground and add this to the flour mixture.

Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in whole eggs, then whites and add vanilla. Add flour mixture alternating with coconut milk - begin and end with flour. Beat until combined.

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake for about 20 minutes - rotate pan halfway through. Cool completely.

Frost with your favorite buttercream or seven minute frosting recipe and garnish with toasted or plain flaked coconut or shave fresh coconut for a more dramatic presentation. Press coconut gently to adhere to frosting.