WIMM: Vanilla Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

It has been a while since my last installment of What I Made Monday.  Not because I haven't been 'making' good food, but we've been BUSY with the end of school and baseball tournaments and travel!  But today I have something so so good, and so so summery sweet that it was well worth the wait.  Trust me.

Just typing about these cupcakes makes me yearn to be baking a batch right. now.  They are delectably sweet and the coconut is just the right touch.  I get a hankering for coconut sometimes that drives me to bake.  And this is what I whip up when that hankering is stronger than my will. {Who am I kidding? What 'will'??}

The best part about these cupcakes is that it starts with my personal recipe for vanilla sour cream cupcakes, and these yummy little guys can be iced with just about anything.  Banana cream cheese frosting.  Lemon cream cheese frosting.  Or you could do a classic vanilla/vanilla.  For the chocolate lovers, you'll have to read someone else's blog because I would take a bullet for fruity desserts.  I wouldn't even help Chocolate if it were bound to a railroad tie with a speeding train barreling toward it and I had rope-cutters in my both hands.  So with that warm sentiment, I give you Vanilla Sour Cream Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting.

VANILLA SOUR CREAM CUPCAKES

1/2 cup butter, softened at room temp

1 1/2 cups sugar 

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla {or paste from one vanilla bean}

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

In an electric mixer {or hand-mixer} cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla.  Mix well.  Combine flour, soda, and salt in a separate bowl.  Gradually add to the creamed mixture.  Continue to mix well for approximately 3 minutes till nice and fluffy.  Place cupcake liners in two muffin pans and spray with a little cooking spray.  Fill each cup approximately 1/2 full.  Usually makes 24 cupcakes.  Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes and checking every two minutes or so until light golden on top.  Cool completely.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING with COCONUT

1 stick of salted sweet cream butter, softened at room temperature

1 block of cream cheese, soften at room temperature

1/2 tsp. good vanilla

1/4 tsp. almond flavoring

3-4 cups powdered sugar

Shredded coconut

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, cream cheese, vanilla and almond together until smooth.  Add one cup of powdered sugar at a time, mixing well to combine. 

Frost cupcakes when completely cooled.  Top with mounds of shredded sweet coconut, lightly pressing into icing.