Let’s bring a little sunshine to our lives with these little gems that are these coconut cupcakes with passion fruit curd, shall we? It’s the yellow color I guess, it simply screams joy.

While many of you are cuddled under a blanket, here we can be found in one of three places: inside a pool, under the a/c or melting in the street. So hot, my oven hasn’t been used in weeks. Unbelievable. And I call myself a baker with a food blog. Ha.

So we’re talking coconut cupcakes with passion fruit curd today, and the mandatory cream cheese frosting, at least for me, because it’s so easy to make, and tastes so good! I’m not a frosting person – or a cupcake one for that matter – but if you look at the birthday carrot cake there’s a ton of it. Or topping these sweeties too. Yeah, cream cheese frosting is the king of frostingland.

And what about the curd? Are you a passion fruit lover like me? Does it make you happy to inhale that fresh lemony scent? It’s the same I used for the no-bake passion fruit lemon cheesecake, and that was a total hit.

Though you will find a rather large cake archive in here, I’m not particularly a fan of cupcakes. Something about the frosting to cake ratio that sends me the other way. But I draw the line at these coconut cupcakes with tangy passion fruit curd. They’re the kind that you eat and don’t feel like your teeth are falling off from all the sugar.

There’s a superb coconut batter, a passion fruit lemon curd center, and a creamy frosting with toasted coconut. And each part of this recipe can be made in advance. Yay.

And believe what I say, because I’m not into cupcakes, at all. So they must be good. That good.

That’s all folks, all good stuff.

Coconut Cupcakes with Passion Fruit Curd

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 110 minutes
Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x

Description

For the passion fruit puree, scoop the pulp into a bowl and mash it with a fork, to dissolve as many large pieces as you can. It will be chunky and with seeds.

If you want the smooth puree, strain it and then pick out the seeds to use later. Or not. Whatever you like. To toast the coconut, put it in a 325º oven for about 5 minutes. Careful not to burn it!

Scale

Ingredients

For the coconut cupcakes:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Large pinch of salt
¾ cup unsalted butter (room tº)
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1/2 a lemon
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
¾ cup buttermilk or coconut milk
Coconut scales (toasted, to decorate)

For the passion fruit curd:

3 egg yolks
¾ cup passion fruit puree
¼ cup lemon juice
Scant ½ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup sugar

For the cream cheese frosting:

1/3 cup cream cheese (room tº)
3 Tbs unsalted butter (room tº)
1 to 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar (or as needed)

Instructions

For the passion fruit curd:

In a bowl, beat yolks and sugar for 1 minute. Add passion fruit and reserve.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Before it boils, add yolk mixture and cook over medium/low heat, stirring constantly, until the mix thickens, but without letting it boil.
Pour into sterilized jars if you plan to keep it for a few weeks, and not use it within the next 5 days.
Keep refrigerated.

For the coconut cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Fill a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, beat butter for 1 minute. Gradually add sugar, beating constantly at medium/high speed.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Add coconut and vanilla and mix to combine.
Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the buttermilk in 2 parts. Don’t over mix at this point, or the cupcakes will be tough.
Fill liners to ¾ of their capacity, and bake for about 25 minutes, until golden, springy to the touch and a tester comes out clean.
Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Scoop a small teaspoon from each cupcake. Fill with the curd carefully.
Pipe or spoon the frosting on top and top with toasted coconut to decorate.

For the cream cheese frosting:

Beat cream cheese and butter until very smooth.
Add sugar, gradually, until you have a thick batter that can be piped.
Keep covered, in the fridge.

cupcakes adapted from Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, by Ina Garten curd adapted from How to be a Domestic Goddess, by Nigella Lawson

Today’s 5 related posts worth looking at:

COCONUT ICE CREAM from Tastes Spicy

MANGO COCONUT CUPCAKES from Beth Michelle

NO-BAKE PASSION FRUIT PUDDING from Kurryleaves

PASSION FRUIT AND YOGURT PANNA COTTA from The Food Fox

BLUEBERRY COCONUT CHIA PUDDING from Running To The Kitchen

Paula Montenegro

A baker for more than 30 years, I love testing recipes and sharing the best of what I find. I'm mostly self-taught with some time spent in baking school. I believe we can all be bakers and cooks with the right instructions and simple ingredients. If you're craving easy recipes with amazing results, you're in the right place. Let's get into the kitchen!

Comments

Gourmet Getaways says
May 7, 2014 at 15:31
Did someone tell you that your cupcakes and holders are like soul mates?! They look so good together! Thanks for the recipe :).
Julie
Gourmet Getaways
- wp_vknotes_admin says
  May 8, 2014 at 09:48
  haha, thanks so much Julie!
Nusrat Azim says
April 1, 2014 at 16:20
Cupcake it its best! Look wise and taste wise 🙂 Especially the passion fruit curt recipe took my breath away.
Many thanks for those cute pictures…made my morning 🙂
laurasmess.me says
January 28, 2014 at 07:54
It's hot here too Paula! I keep reading about all of the northern hemisphere bloggers and their snow whilst we've been having days around 42-45 degrees C. Argh. I've avoided putting my oven on too. Anyway, regardless of sweating it up in the kitchen, these cupcakes look absolutely beautiful. Moist, pretty and delicious. Hope that you guys get relief from those hot days soon. Hugs xx
Christine @ 24 Carrot Kitchen says
January 27, 2014 at 20:40
I have to say I normally choose chocolate cupcakes, but if I saw these I would choose them over chocolate. They look scrumptious!
thehungrymum.com says
January 25, 2014 at 05:59
so chic & delightful-looking.
Mary Hirsch says
January 25, 2014 at 02:46
Yeah, Stranger, you have been missing for some time but that only means to me that things are busy and happy. Right? These cupcakes make the wait worthwhile. I am not a huge chocolate lover, heavily frosted cupcakes with chocolate frosting galore are not for me. But everything about this cutie pie looks like something I would enjoy. I don't make cupcakes either. But it's so much easier for me to make cupcakes, throw them in the freezer unfrosted and take out a few at a time. If I make a cake for myself, I end up throwing most of it in the garbage. The only leaf I've turned over this year is all about NOT wasting food. So, my friend, this is a cupcake I will try with ingredients I've never used before and a taste that must be yummy.
Liz Berg says
January 24, 2014 at 19:46
Thanks for sharing some sunshine with us! Do you have a spare bedroom???? LOL. Your cupcakes look fantastic!
Kathy says
January 24, 2014 at 01:59
Oh so pretty, Paula!! And they sound luscious with the passion fruit curd! I would really enjoy one right now with my cup of tea!
Jamie says
January 22, 2014 at 17:54
I love the combination of flavors and they are so pretty. I actually have a can of passionfruit purée in my cupboard and had no idea what to do with it!
anna @ annamayeveryday says
January 22, 2014 at 11:52
These look beautiful Paula and as it is cold and wet here we need no excuse to tuck into some treats!
mividaenundulce says
January 22, 2014 at 00:51
Creo que es una combinación más que perfecta. Y bueno, ya que estamos en verano este cupcake tropical nos viene perfecto…!!!
Nancy @ gottagetbaked says
January 21, 2014 at 19:10
I love every warm, sunny, tropical flavour you've used in these gorgeous cupcakes, Paula! Just reading this post and savouring your beautiful photos is putting me in a summery frame of mind. I don't blame you for not turning on your oven – I stubbornly insisted on baking last summer and I was dying from the heat. I hope everything's going good with you and that 2014 has been fabulous so far!
easyfoodsmith says
January 21, 2014 at 08:40
Love lemon, love coconut but never tasted passion fruit. They must taste great together. I am so tempted to pick up one and lick off and taste that passion fruit curd!
lemongrovecakediaries says
January 21, 2014 at 08:20
Yum you had me at passionfruit 🙂 I actually like a good cupcake, and I love a cupcake that has a secret filling in the middle. Great recipe Paula
Abbe@This is How I Cook says
January 21, 2014 at 04:02
I heard they sold passion fruit puree at the Asian market in the frozen section. I will really have to check on this! These look great!
Lizzie @ Strayed from the Table says
January 21, 2014 at 01:13
Super sneaky passionfruit curd centres – these look fantastic.
e / dig in says
January 20, 2014 at 21:36
too hot to bake here too, paula … but these look so refreshing. i love nigella's curd recipe – it's my 'go to'. and passionfruit curd is sooooo delicious!
Dina says
January 20, 2014 at 17:05
they look lovely!
Cocoa and Lavender says
January 20, 2014 at 14:28
There is so much to love about this post! The coconut, passion fruit… those two things alone make me swoon! But I also love the polka-dot cupcake liners! So cheerful! I probably cannot find the passion fruit, so will be making these with lemon or lime curd! Glad to see you back online! How's the new job?

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Coconut Cupcakes with Passion Fruit Curd