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.
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Coconut Cupcakes with Passion Fruit Curd
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 110 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x
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Pin RecipeDescription
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
I love the sound of these cupcakes and the passion fruit curd!
It has been pretty warm here too 🙂 but it's never too warm for such lovely cupcakes. Coconut cupcakes, passion fruit lemon curd filling and a cream cheese frosting sounds so good and so much work 🙂
This cupcake lover loves your Nigella and Ina inspired coconut passion fruit cupcake! Looks like the pretty treats are perfect for Argentina temps. And strange Southern California which has been high 70s near the beaches =) P.s. Great photos, too, Paula =)
So beutiful, Paula! And very delicious, too.
See you.
Such pretty and tasty cupcakes Paula! It's so nice to see you posting again. No more sabbaticals okay?
I will take some ac or melting! This cold weather is killing me. These cupcakes are just the ting to cheer me up. I love coconut cake as well as passion fruit though I haven't had it in forever.
I love the intense aroma of passionfruit. These cupcakes look splendid, Paula.
Oooo, yummy!
I've tried to quit cupcakes but what's not to like? They are little cakes after all and the wrappers are just too darn cute! I've made Ina's coconut cake/cupcakes many times and find it to be a wonderful recipe. But the creative pairing with passion fruit curd is just sensational!
My family in Brazil has been complaining non stop about the heat, apparently it's been real hot lately in Sao Paulo….. Can you tell I am a bit jealous?
I love passion fruit, and coconut – so these cupcakes are winners in my book! Beautiful and delicious, I am sure!
wow amazing love passionfruit these are so tropical
These cupcakes are calling me my friend, passionfruit and coconut are perfect together 😀
Cheers
CCU
Hey Paula! these cupcakes look great! coconut batter, a passion fruit lemon curd center, and a creamy frosting with toasted coconut? Damn, winning combination! And congrats on firing up the oven! Now, there's no stopping you right?! 🙂 I need all the sunshine I can get right now. So nice to see a post from you, friend!
You sure know how to make a gorgeous cupcake!
I love this! Passion fruit has such wonderful flavor. Really good stuff – thanks.
I'm not a cupcake person either, but I would make an exception for something with passion fruit curd and cream cheese frosting. Divine!
You had me at curd 🙂
A beautiful bake I must say, got to be delicious with all those exotic ingredients added:)
So sorry you're suffering under all that heat. Makes baking so difficult, but these look totally worth the effort! I love passionfruit, it's not something widely available here so when I find it I devour it! Looks so delicious Paula!
Wow! That's really impressive. Well done!