Coconut Cupcakes for Cupcake Day for the RSPCA

My third and final batch of cupcakes for Cupcake Day for the RSPCA were coconut cupcakes with bunny ears.

The recipe for the coconut cupcakes came from the Crabapple Bakery Cupcake Cookbook.  I used coconut frosting based on The Primrose Bakery buttercream recipe, flavoured with coconut essence rather than vanilla essence.  The bunny ears are marshmallows sliced diagonally in half and the cut side dipped into pink coloured sanding sugar.  I found the idea here.  I coloured my own sugar by placing white sanding sugar in a freezer bag with a couple of drops of rose colouring and shaking the bag vigorously until  all of the sugar was coloured.

The recipe for 24 coconut cupcakes is as follows (I made a half batch):

3/4 cup shredded coconut
2 1/3 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons  baking powder
3 eggs
3 egg whites
200g salted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups  sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup coconut milk

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.  Line two 12 hole muffin tins with cupcake papers. 

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.  Using a food processor, process the coconut until very fine and then add to the sifted ingredients.  Mix to combine.

In another bowl, combine the eggs and egg whites.  In a third bowl, beat the  butter for 1 minute.  Add the sugar to the butter in three batches, combining well between each addition.  When all the sugar is added, beat until the mixture is light and creamy.

Add the eggs in 4 batches, beating well between each addition.  Add the vanilla and beat well.

Add a third of the flour mixture to the batter, and beat on low till just combined.  Add half the coconut milk and beat to just combined.  Repeat until all the flour is added.  

Scoop the batter into the cupcake papers and bake the cakes in the preheated oven for 18 minutes or until cooked through.  Remove the cakes from the tins immediately and cool on wire rack.  Ice the cakes as you please when completely cool.
Here are our three baking organisers for RSPCA Cupcake Day, enjoying the fruits of their labour: