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    Home > Recipes > Cakes + Cupcakes

    Lemon Coconut Cupcakes

    Published: May 3, 2015 | Updated: May 4, 2022

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    These Lemon Coconut Cupcakes have a moist coconut cake, a sweet, tart lemon curd filling and are topped with a lemon Italian meringue buttercream!

    Jump to Recipe
    These Lemon Coconut Cupcakes have a moist coconut cake, a sweet, tart lemon curd filling and are topped with a lemon Italian meringue buttercream!

    Lemon, coconut, Spring, cupcakes…

    These Lemon Coconut Cupcakes have a moist coconut cake, a sweet, tart lemon curd filling and are topped with a lemon Italian meringue buttercream!

    Look me straight in the face and tell me that lemon and yellow don’t make you instantly happy.

    That’s what I thought. That is to say, insta-sunshine

    These Lemon Coconut Cupcakes have a moist coconut cake, a sweet, tart lemon curd filling and are topped with a lemon Italian meringue buttercream!

    As I was photographing these little guys, I couldn’t stop smiling. Maybe it was the fact that the light was actually cooperating for once, or maybe it was the covert tastes of lemon curd that were making me happy.

    Or perhaps it’s because my husband is visiting for the first time in a month!

    These Lemon Coconut Cupcakes have a moist coconut cake, a sweet, tart lemon curd filling and are topped with a lemon Italian meringue buttercream!

    You pair that happy-inducing lemon with a generous dose of coconut, and you have yourself a mini tropical vaca right there in your kitchen. #yourewelcome

    These Lemon Coconut Cupcakes are a moist coconut cupcake! In particular, they are made with both dried coconut and coconut milk is filled with lemon curd and then topped with a coconut Italian Meringue Buttercream.

    And then finally topped off with some more toasted coconut.

    In these Lemon Coconut Cupcakes a moist coconut cupcake that is made with both dried coconut and coconut milk is filled with lemon curd and then topped with a coconut Italian Meringue Buttercream.  And then topped off with some more toasted coconut.

    I think I mentioned recently how much I emphatically love lemon desserts.

    I’ve been having a lemon moment. I want lemon everything.

    I had big plans for the extra lemon curd, but I ate it all. Every last tangy sweet drop.

    In these Lemon Coconut Cupcakes a moist coconut cupcake that is made with both dried coconut and coconut milk is filled with lemon curd and then topped with a coconut Italian Meringue Buttercream.  And then topped off with some more toasted coconut.

    While I was developing this recipe, I took a look at my Lemon Curd recipe (via Ina Garten} and was, like, “huh?” It seemed to be the most ridiculously convoluted process ever.

    It doesn’t need to be that difficult.

    I updated the recipe with precise measurements and I totally changed the cooking process. I make it in one pan and it essentially has 2 steps. Easy Peasy.

    Thank you culinary school, thank you.

    In these Lemon Coconut Cupcakes a moist coconut cupcake that is made with both dried coconut and coconut milk is filled with lemon curd and then topped with a coconut Italian Meringue Buttercream.  And then topped off with some more toasted coconut.

    These cupcakes were the lucky recipients of my Italian Meringue Buttercream.

    You can flavor the frosting with either lemon or coconut extract depending on which flavor you want to be most prominent.

    Clearly I am in a lemony frame of mind, so I dropped a bit of lemon extract into mine and I may have spooned some more lemon curd on top…I know. Out of control.

    It wasn’t pretty but it tasted pretty fantastic.
    Just a note on frosting: There is an amount of buttercream that looks beautiful on cupcakes and then there is an amount of buttercream you would actually want to eat. This is the former. Frost with care…

    Just sayin’…

    In these Lemon Coconut Cupcakes a moist coconut cupcake that is made with both dried coconut and coconut milk is filled with lemon curd and then topped with a coconut Italian Meringue Buttercream.  And then topped off with some more toasted coconut.

    Also, I used the coconut milk that comes in a carton at the grocery store. It is not that super thick, incredibly rich coconut milk that you get in the can. The coconut milk should be the consistency of whole milk: if yours is super thick, thin it out with some water.

    In these Lemon Coconut Cupcakes a moist coconut cupcake that is made with both dried coconut and coconut milk is filled with lemon curd and then topped with a coconut Italian Meringue Buttercream. And then topped off with some more toasted coconut.

    Lemon Coconut Cupcakes

    Chef Lindsey
    These Lemon Coconut Cupcakes have a moist coconut cake, a sweet, tart lemon curd filling and are topped with a lemon Italian meringue buttercream!
    PRINT RECIPE Pin Recipe
    Prep Time45 mins
    Cook Time20 mins
    Total Time1 hr 5 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 28 cupcakes
    Calories 142 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    For the Cupcakes:

    • 1 cup All-purpose flour
    • ¾ cup coconut flour (See Note)
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup butter (melted)
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 4 eggs
    • ¾ cup coconut milk
    • ½ cup Sweetened shredded coconut (toasted)
    • 1 cup Lemon Curd (Recipe Here)
    • 3 quarts Italian Meringue Buttercream (Recipe here)
    • ½ teaspoon Lemon or coconut extract (to taste)
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line 28 cupcake tins with liners. You can bake in 2 batches if you don’t have enough tins.
    • Whisk together the all-purpose flour, coconut flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
    • Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until thick and lighter in color, 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition.
    • Alternately add flour and coconut milk in three additions on low speed beginning and ending with flour, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the next addition when your batter is streaky; if you wait to long, you will overmix by the time you’ve added the remaining ingredients. You want to stop mixing as soon as the last flour has disappeared. I like to fold in the last addition of flour with a spatula to avoid over beating.
    • Scoop or pour the batter into the liners ¾ full. I use a large cookie scoop for this task and it works beautifully. Sprinkle some toasted coconut on each cupcake. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. I always start checking at 12 because I’m not a fan of dry baked goods. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick, inserted into the center, comes out with a few clinging crumbs but no wet smears!
    • Remove from tins immediately and let cool on a wire rack. They must be completely cool before filling and frosting.

    For the Assembly:

    • Cut a hole in the top of each cupcake with a pairing knife and fill each with about 2 teaspoons of curd. I don’t measure, I just fill up the darn hole. It doesn’t matter. The more the merrier. And, no, those little bits of cake don’t go to waste. Those have my name on them.
    • Fit a piping bag with your favorite tip (I used an Ateco 883 here), fill with frosting and pipe on the desired amount of buttercream. In my opinion more is not more as with the lemon curd.
    • Sprinkle with more toasted coconut. Best if served the day they are made.

    Notes

    Coconut flour is not really flour at all. It is just very finely ground, unsweetened coconut. If you can’t find it pre-ground or it is unbelievably expensive, you can make your own by processing unsweetened coconut flakes in the food processor or Nutribullet, which is what I did.
    Do not substitute baking soda for the powder in this recipe. There is no acid for it to react with and you will end up with dense, flat and soapy tasting cupcakes. Just no.
    You can make both the buttercream and the lemon curd up to a week in advance. Prior to frosting, beat your buttercream in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy. There are more detailed instructions for refreshing buttercream in my tutorial.
    Keyword coconut recipes, filled cupcakes, Italian Meringue Buttercream, lemon recipe, ways to use lemon curd
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cheflindseyfarr
    In these Lemon Coconut Cupcakes a moist coconut cupcake that is made with both dried coconut and coconut milk is filled with lemon curd and then topped with a coconut Italian Meringue Buttercream.  And then topped off with some more toasted coconut.

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    Recipe Rating




    Comments

    1. Andy says

      May 19, 2022 at 3:11 pm

      On wow, your cupcakes look amazing. will Monkfruit sweetener work with the recipe?

      Reply
      • Lindsey says

        July 04, 2022 at 6:56 am

        Hi Andy, I have not tried using Monkfruit or any other artificial sweetener in this recipe. If you do try, be sure to come back over and let us know how it goes. Happy baking

        Reply
    2. Danica says

      October 01, 2021 at 12:58 pm

      5 stars
      Made these for my friends birthday and they were a HIT! The hardest part is definitely timing the buttercream. SO WORTH IT THOUGH ???? Panicked when I pulled my buttercream from the fridge, thank GOD for the video on refreshing it. I also made the mistake of not mixing the curd ingredients before turning on the heat, and my egg whites cooked, so make sure you don't skip that step ???? ????‍♀️ Amazing recipe, sure to impress, just make sure to read all the tips ????

      Reply
      • Lindsey Farr says

        October 02, 2021 at 8:06 am

        Hi Danica! So happy to hear they were a hit, and excellent tips! ????

        Reply
    3. Emily says

      July 12, 2021 at 7:31 pm

      I did a single batch and it only made 16, not 28. I used the metric weights and double checked everything. I filled my cupcakes papers only 3/4 full, maybe even only 2/3 full. That was disappointing. I ended up having to make another batch to get the # I needed. Otherwise, I love how simple this cupcake recipe is. I’ve not started the buttercream or curd, and it will be my first time making both, so fingers crossed that they work well.

      Reply
      • Lindsey says

        August 28, 2021 at 10:22 am

        I'm sorry that happened, Emily. The yield does seem high. I will double check my recipe. Thank you so much for the comment.

        Reply
    4. LT says

      April 29, 2021 at 5:53 am

      Hi, thank you for sharing this recipe! I only came across it yesterday, can't wait to try it. Is it possible to get metric measurements for your flour measurements in particular? I live in the UK, and as far as I can work out, US cup measurements of flour vary so much from one website to another. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Lindsey says

        April 29, 2021 at 4:24 pm

        Hi LT! Absolutely, I'm so excited for you to try it! ❤️ I've went in and put my perseonal measurements, for this one and its ancillary recipes. ????

        Reply
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