These are beautiful, bright cupcakes with an amazing combination of flavors. Topped with our favorite cream cheese frosting, they bring a little sunshine into the day. Did I mention that all components - cupcakes, curd, and frosting - can be made ahead?
SAVE THIS RECIPE
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Bright, fresh cupcakes
I call these my little gems because, no matter when I bake them, they remind me of sunny days. It's the yellow and white colors; they simply scream joy, don't they?
These cupcakes have a fantastic flavor combination!
The components can be made in advance and even used for other recipes (like the Passion Fruit Lemon No Bake Cheesecake).
They're also amazing on their own, so you can make the coconut cupcakes and simply add dulce de leche or a chocolate frosting on top. Just an idea.
Ingredient list
- Unsalted butter.
- Eggs: fresh, large.
- Buttermilk: it's great for a tender crumb.
- All-purpose flour or cake flour: both work.
- Baking powder: make sure it's not expired.
- Salt.
- Sugar.
- Shredded coconut: unsweetened.
- Vanilla extract.
- Lemon zest.
- Lemon juice.
- Passion fruit pulp: I like to buy it with seeds, but you can also use the smooth pulp.
- Cream cheese: regular, full-fat.
- Powdered sugar: it's necessary for the frosting and can't be substituted.
Quantities are listed in the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
How to make the cupcakes
This is a butter cake, similar to a pound cake, so the batter is pretty straightforward for this type of cakes (like the Basic Vanilla Butter Cake for example).
- Creaming: butter and sugar are creamed, and this should take several minutes. This process incorporates air that is needed to help the cake rise well in the oven.
- Sifting: I find this to be an essential step with layer cakes (image below, left). It builds on the creaming step above to help the batter do its thing in the oven and get us the best result possible.
- Scraping sides of bowl: do this several times (image below, right) to ensure that the batter is integrated as evenly as possible.
- Filling the pan: this is a cake batter that will dome when it rises, and I recommend filling it no more than ¾ of the muffin tins to ensure you don't have huge cupcakes that will be messy to eat after the filling and frosting are added.
Passion fruit curd
The most common citrus curd is lemon, but I made mine with fresh passion fruit pulp and seeds. You can also omit the seeds and have a smooth curd. The process is sort of similar to making pastry cream.
It is an extra step, but you can easily fill these cupcakes with purchased lemon curd or even a good raspberry jam. It pairs wonderfully.
How to fill the cupcakes
Melon scooper: this is what I use to scoop the tops of the baked cupcakes (metal gadget in the image below) and make a sort of nest to be filled with the passion fruit curd. It's super simple to use and easily available online.
Don't overdo it with the amount of curd, or the cupcakes will be too messy to eat.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, utensils and equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend tracking how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Filling the pan: this is a cake batter that will dome when it rises, and I recommend filling it no more than ¾ of the muffin tins to ensure you don't have huge cupcakes that will be messy to eat after the filling and frosting are added.
- Coconut: you might want to lightly toast the shredded coconut before adding it to the batter. Do so in a low oven and watch very carefully as it burns in a second. Let cool completely before adding.
- Topping: I recommend you wait until the last minute to add it. If eating these outside on a hot day, keep them in the fridge as long as possible before serving them.
Related recipes you might like:
Coconut Passion Fruit Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the coconut cupcakes:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- pinch salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- coconut scales, toasted, to decorate
For the passion fruit curd:
- 3 egg yolks, at room temperature
- ¾ cup passion fruit puree
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup sugar
For the cream cheese frosting:
- ⅓ cup cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, you might need more
Instructions
For the passion fruit curd:
- In a bowl, beat 3 egg yolks and ¼ cup sugar for 1 minute. Add ¾ cup passion fruit puree and ¼ cup lemon juice. Reserve.
- Melt ⅓ cup unsalted 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 do not let 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 at 350ºF (180°C). Fill a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.
- Sift 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder and pinch salt.
- In a large bowl, beat ¾ cup unsalted butter for 1 minute. Gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating constantly at medium/high speed.
- Add 3 large eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Add 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, ½ teaspoon lemon zest and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and combine.
- Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with ¾ cup buttermilk in 2 parts. Don't overmix at this point, or the cupcakes will be tough.
- Fill paper 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 them cool completely on a wire rack.
- Scoop the top center of each cupcake. I use a melon baller, which makes it super easy. But you can use a spoon or small paring knife.
- Fill each hole with a teaspoon or so of curd. Pipe or spoon the frosting on top and top with toasted coconut scales to decorate.
For the cream cheese frosting:
- Beat ⅓ cup cream cheese and 3 tablespoons unsalted butter until very smooth.
- Add 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, gradually, until you have a thick batter that can be piped. Use more powdered sugar if needed. Keep covered, in the fridge.
Notes
Cupcakes adapted from Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, by Ina Garten and curd adapted from How to be a Domestic Goddess, by Nigella Lawson
CQUEK says
Wow! That's really impressive. Well done!
Pink Patisserie says
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!
Jeannie Tay says
A beautiful bake I must say, got to be delicious with all those exotic ingredients added:)
Cher Rockwell says
You had me at curd 🙂
Beth says
I'm not a cupcake person either, but I would make an exception for something with passion fruit curd and cream cheese frosting. Divine!
Kitchen Riffs says
I love this! Passion fruit has such wonderful flavor. Really good stuff - thanks.
Grandbabycakes says
You sure know how to make a gorgeous cupcake!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
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!
Guru Uru says
These cupcakes are calling me my friend, passionfruit and coconut are perfect together 😀
Cheers
CCU
Rebecca Subbiah says
wow amazing love passionfruit these are so tropical
SallyBR says
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!
Deb says
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!
Arthur in the Garden! says
Oooo, yummy!
Angie Schneider says
I love the intense aroma of passionfruit. These cupcakes look splendid, Paula.
Laura Dembowski says
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.
Renee says
Such pretty and tasty cupcakes Paula! It's so nice to see you posting again. No more sabbaticals okay?
Silvia says
So beutiful, Paula! And very delicious, too.
See you.
The Ninja Baker says
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 =)
Medeja says
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 🙂
yummychunklet says
I love the sound of these cupcakes and the passion fruit curd!