Coconut Cupcakes

These coconut cupcakes are soft, tender, and light. They are flavored naturally with coconut milk and toasted coconut and topped with a stable marshmallow fluff recipe!

These coconut cupcakes are the result of endless recipe development and playing with all the wonders of coconut cake. I wanted the fluffiest, lightest version possible while keeping that bright white color. The secret? Whipped egg whites and just the right balance of coconut milk and toasted coconut.

If you’re craving more tropical-inspired desserts, try my hummingbird cake or this Bacardi rum cake. Or if you’re looking for a more fruity dessert, try this tropical trifle recipe!

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Cake Flour: Its lower gluten content and finer texture are essential for a light, airy cake, as in these strawberry cupcakes. You can substitute all-purpose flour if that’s all you have. Just be careful not to overmix.
• Cornstarch
• Baking Powder
• Kosher Salt
• Unsalted Butter:
• Granulated Sugar: The sugar stabilizes the egg whites and adds structure to the cake.
• Cream of Tartar
• Coconut Milk: Use a light coconut milk in a carton from the grocery store, not the thick canned version. It should be the consistency of whole milk. If yours is super thick, thin it with water.
• Sweetened Shredded Coconut: I used sweetened coconut, but unsweetened works too. Toast it for a deeper flavor or leave it untoasted if you prefer.
• Egg Whites: Save those egg yolks to make coconut cream pie!
• Marshmallow Fluff Recipe

Variations for Coconut Cupcakes

• Get inspired by a  7 layer bar! Fold in some butterscotch chips and toasted walnuts, then top with my chocolate swiss meringue buttercream and sprinkle some crushed graham crackers on top! Sounds like it could be your new favorite!
• Fill the cupcake! Cut a small cone from the center of each cupcake and fill with this easy strawberry jam recipe, salted caramel sauce, or this homemade vanilla pudding recipe.
• Try different frostings. These are amazing with cream cheese buttercream frosting or my Italian buttercream recipe.
• Lemon coconut. Fill these with my easy lemon curd and top with this lemon buttercream frosting. You can also make these lemon coconut cupcakes, they are always a crowdpleaser.

Professional Tips

• Room temperature ingredients. Make sure your butter and coconut milk are at room temperature. The batter will mix faster, and it will be easier to fold in the egg whites.
• Don’t skip toasting the coconut. Toasting brings out incredible flavor and adds textural contrast. Just watch it carefully – it goes from golden to burned quickly.
• Fold gently. When mixing in the flour and when adding the meringue, use a light hand. Folding too vigorously will deflate the batter and create dense cupcakes.

How to Make Coconut Cupcakes

Use these instructions to make light, fluffy coconut cupcakes! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325°F, then line your muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Step 2: Toast coconut. Spread the shredded coconut on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and toast, stirring frequently, until golden. Remove and cool.

Step 3: Prep dry ingredients. Sift together the cake flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Step 4: Whip egg whites. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, begin whipping the egg whites with cream of tartar on medium-low speed. Once the egg whites become frothy, slowly add the ¼ cup of sugar. Whip until they reach stiff peaks.

Be careful not to over-whip, or they will be difficult to incorporate into the batter and, thus, defeat the purpose!

Step 5: Remove the meringue from the mixer bowl and transfer to a clean separate bowl (or switch to a second mixer bowl if you have one! Lucky!)

Step 6: Cream butter and sugar. Add the butter and sugar to the bowl. Switch to the paddle attachment and cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

This will take at least 5 minutes, depending on your mixer. It will also depend on how soft your butter was before mixing.

Step 7: With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture and the coconut milk. I never allow the flour mixture to mix in completely before adding the next round. This helps prevent overmixing.

Step 8: Fold in whites. Take about ¼ of the meringue and aggressively fold it into the batter. This is called “sacrificing” because you are sacrificing the aeration in the meringue to loosen the batter. Fold in the remaining meringue in 2–3 additions, being careful not to overfold.

Step 9: Add coconut. Once the meringue is completely incorporated into the batter, fold in the toasted coconut. I used sweetened, but you don’t have to.

Step 10: Portion the cupcake batter between the lined cupcake tins. I used a medium ice cream scoop, but a spoon or piping bag works too! They should be about ¾ full. Any more and they will muffin top over the sides!

Step 11: Bake. Bake in the preheated oven for 14–18 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out from the center with only clinging crumbs.

Step 12: Cool. Remove from tins and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Recipe FAQs

Before You Go

I hope you enjoyed this tropical coconut cupcake recipe. Check out our other delicious cupcake recipes, such as these carrot cake cupcakes or this yellow cupcake recipe!