Coconut Rum Cupcakes

I have more cupcakes I want to try than I have events to bake them for! This is a flavorful little guy, so if you don't like coconut...it's not the one for you. I have had my eye on this baby for a while, but never got around to making it. Then I saw that Kate, from A Healthy Passion, took this awesome recipe and and brought the calorie and fat count down a bit, which is awesome! I know that it's difficult to lighten a coconut recipe, it's just naturally high in fat...but so yummy! I just had to try them.

 

Coconut Rum Cupcakes-Lightened up!

adapted by A Healthy Passion, originally by How Sweet

Ingredients:

3/4 cup raw cane sugar

1/2 cup salted butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup light coconut milk

1/3  cup shredded coconut

1/3 cup coconut rum

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream butter, sugar, and eggs together until fluffy. Add vanilla and coconut extracts and mix until combined.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Add half of the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Add the milk. Once mixed, add remaining dry ingredients. Add coconut rum and fold in shredded coconut.

Pour into cupcake tins and bake for 20-25 mins at 350. Let cool, then frost.

Malibu Frosting

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup coconut rum

1 tablespoon vanilla

Cream butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, alternating with rum and vanilla, until desired consistency is reached. Feel free to add more or less sugar or liquid based on how thick you want your frosting.