Moist and tender mini coconut cupcakes adorned with a coconut infused pale pink icing reminiscent of delicious, sweet coconut ice. Garnished with a beautiful pale pink fondant heart, these gorgeous little cakes are perfect for whimsical afternoon teas and a perfect complement to floral teacups and pretty tablecloths.
Perfect sweet treat for beginners
These little coconut ice cupcakes are one of the easiest sweet treats you can make and also one of the most delicious! You see they’re made using the reverse creaming method which together with both sour cream and coconut milk guarantees a light and fluffy texture.
The icing is a simple blob – no fancy skills required, that you just press down with a teaspoon to make a little nest for the fondant heart. Oh and by the way, you don’t have to make the hearts if you don’t want to. Just visit your local baking supply store instead and find a pretty sprinkle or pre-made little flowers to adorn you little cupcakes if you prefer.
Why you’ll love these Coconut Ice Cupcakes
- Delicious coconut flavour in mini size that stays moist and tastes amazing
- Easy to make ahead, freeze, defrost then ice
- Perfect for lots of afternoon tea occasions: Valentine’s day, baby shower, bridal shower, significant birthday, Mother’s Day
- Fresh flavours – not citrus, not chocolate, so they fit in well with other sweet offerings
Planning an Afternoon Tea at Home? Here are some handy links to get you started
How to make these Mini Coconut Ice Cupcakes
Make the fondant hearts
NOTE: These are best made at least 2 hours before garnishing
Colour the fondant pink then roll out on a silicone mat or clean board.
Take a small heart cutter and cut out 24 hearts (it’s good to have a few spares in case of breakage).
Leave to dry for 2 hours or overnight if you prefer. Store in a sealed container lined with baking paper until required.
Make the cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 160 C (fan) / 325 F (fan). Line a mini muffin tin with 18 mini cupcake liners with a base measurement of 40mm/ 1.5in and set aside.
Measure out the sugar, self-raising flour. coconut and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer.
Soften the butter in a microwave safe bowl (20 to 30 seconds on high at 900W) and place it next to the stand mixer together with a tablespoon.
Measure out the sour cream and coconut milk in a microwave safe jug, stir, then microwave on high for 30 seconds 900w. Stir thoroughly to distribute the heat then add the egg and vanilla extract and stir again thoroughly.
Mix the batter
Place the bowl with the dry ingredients on a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed for 15 seconds. Add the butter and mix on low until the mixture resembles a breadcrumb-like texture. Alternatively, you can mix with a pair of hand beaters.
Scrape the sides of the bowl. Re-start the mixer on low then slowly add the sour cream mixture. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds until light and fluffy. Do not overmix or else the batter will have a dense texture when baked.
Fill the cupcake liners
Scrape the sides again if necessary and give a quick mix to incorporate. Use a small icecream scoop and distribute the batter evenly between the 18 cupcake liners – they should be no more than half full. They will rise A LOT in the oven.
Place the mini cupcakes in the preheated oven and cook for 15-17 minutes then remove from the oven. Take them out of the muffin tin and cool on a rack as soon as possible without burning your fingers.
Note: They will puff right up while cooking then settle nice and flat once cooled.
When cooled completely, decorate with the coconut ice frosting or you can freeze at this stage. See below.
Make the coconut ice frosting
Sift the icing sugar into a bowl until lump free.
Beat the softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium (or with electric hand beaters) until light and fluffy.
With the motor or beaters running, add half the sifted icing sugar one dessertspoon at a time so you (and the bench and floor) don’t get covered in an icing cloud.
Stop the mixer or beaters and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the coconut milk, vanilla extract, desiccated coconut and salt then restart the mixer and beat again on medium speed, adding the rest of the icing sugar one dessertspoon at a time until all incorporated.
Add one or two drops of pink food colouring to the remaining icing and mix on the lowest speed until just mixed (a few swirls of pink and white is OK).
Pipe the icing
Fit a medium disposable piping bag with a 10mm plain round tip and snip off the end.
Take a spatula and fill the bag with icing, pressing it down as you go. Once full twist the top until the icing comes out of the tip.
Hold the bag directly above a cupcake and pipe a blob of icing. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.
Sprinkle a little extra coconut over the icing then make an indentation with the back of a teaspoon.
Store until ready to serve
Place the mini coconut ice cupcakes in airtight containers and store in the refrigerator until required. Cupcakes will stay fresh and moist for 24 hours. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before serving and place on a plate.
Add the little hearts
Just before serving gently place a heart in the indentation.
Frequently Asked Questions about Mini Coconut Ice Cupcakes
How can I make these ahead of time? You can make the cupcakes and freeze them un-iced for up to one month in an airtight container. Defrost in the fridge overnight (in the container) before adding the coconut icing.
Mini Coconut Ice Cupcakes
18
cupcakes30
minutes15
minutesEquipment
Digital scales
Stand mixer
1A (10mm) plain tip
Other equipment
Mini muffin tin
Small ice cream scoop
Small cupcake liners 40mm base diameter
Medium disposable piping bag
Strainer or sifter
Small heart cutter
Small rolling pin
Silicone mat or board
Measuring spoons
Keep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
- Fondant Hearts
100 grams 3 1/2 oz fondant
pink food colouring (Colour Mill raspberry works well)
- Cupcakes
100 g 3 1/2 oz sugar
120 g 4 1/4 oz self-raising flour
20 g 5/7 oz desiccated coconut, plus extra for icing
Pinch Pinch salt
60 g 2 1/8 oz unsalted butter, softened
110 g 3 7/8 oz sour cream, room temperature
2 tbsp 2 tbsp coconut milk (plus extra for icing)
1 1 egg, room temperature
1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Coconut Ice frosting
200 g 7 oz icing sugar, sifted
100 g 3 1/2 oz unsalted butter, softened
30 g 1 oz desiccated coconut, plus extra for sprinkling
1 tbsp 1 tbsp coconut milk
Pinch Pinch salt
1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pink food colouring (Colour Mill raspberry works well)
Directions
- Make the fondant hearts
- NOTE: These are best made at least 2 hours before garnishing
- Colour the fondant pink then roll out on a silicone mat or clean board.
- Take a small heart cutter and cut out 24 hearts (it’s good to have a few spares in case of breakage).
- Leave to dry for 2 hours or overnight if you prefer. Store in a sealed container lined with baking paper until required.
- Make the cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 160 C (fan) / 325 F (fan). Line a mini muffin tin with 18 mini cupcake liners with a base measurement of 40mm/ 1.5in and set aside.
- Measure out the sugar, self-raising flour. coconut and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Soften the butter in a microwave safe bowl (20 to 30 seconds on high at 900W) and place it next to the stand mixer together with a tablespoon.
- Measure out the sour cream and coconut milk in a microwave safe jug, stir, then microwave on high for 30 seconds 900w. Stir thoroughly to distribute the heat then add the egg and vanilla extract and stir again thoroughly.
- Mix the batter
- Place the bowl with the dry ingredients on a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed for 15 seconds. Add the butter and mix on low until the mixture resembles a breadcrumb-like texture. Alternatively, you can mix with a pair of hand beaters.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl. Re-start the mixer on low then slowly add the sour cream mixture. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds until light and fluffy. Do not overmix or else the batter will have a dense texture when baked.
- Fill the cupcake liners
- Scrape the sides again if necessary and give a quick mix to incorporate. Use a small icecream scoop and distribute the batter evenly between the 18 cupcake liners – they should be no more than half full. They will rise A LOT in the oven.
- Place the mini cupcakes in the preheated oven and cook for 15-17 minutes then remove from the oven. Take them out of the muffin tin and cool on a rack as soon as possible without burning your fingers.
- Note: They will puff right up while cooking then settle nice and flat once cooled.
- When cooled completely, decorate with the coconut ice frosting or you can freeze at this stage. See below.
- Make the coconut ice frosting
- Sift the icing sugar into a bowl until lump free.
- Beat the softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium (or with electric hand beaters) until light and fluffy.
- With the motor or beaters running, add half the sifted icing sugar one dessertspoon at a time so you (and the bench and floor) don’t get covered in an icing cloud.
- Stop the mixer or beaters and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the coconut milk, vanilla extract, desiccated coconut and salt then restart the mixer and beat again on medium speed, adding the rest of the icing sugar one dessertspoon at a time until all incorporated.
- Add one or two drops of pink food colouring to the remaining icing and mix on the lowest speed until just mixed (a few swirls of pink and white is OK).
- Pipe the icing
- Fit a medium disposable piping bag with a 10mm plain round tip and snip off the end.
- Take a spatula and fill the bag with icing, pressing it down as you go. Once full twist the top until the icing comes out of the tip.
- Hold the bag directly above a cupcake and pipe a blob of icing. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.
- Sprinkle a little extra coconut over the icing then make an indentation with the back of a teaspoon.
- Store until ready to serve
- Place the mini coconut ice cupcakes in airtight containers and store in the refrigerator until required. Cupcakes will stay fresh and moist for 24 hours. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before serving and place on a plate.
- Add the little hearts
- Just before serving gently place a heart in the indentation.