Vanilla Bean-Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting

Coconut is one of the best things in the world. It's tropical, sweet, and is so versatile, it can be used in almost anything! Coconut gives macaroons their flavor and an interesting twist to Brazilian Brigageiros. Coconut milk can be used in cakes as well as curries and a lot of Thai food. These vanilla and coconut cupcakes are just one easy way to use this versatile food. The reduced coconut milk keeps these cupcakes super moist and adds a richness to which regular milk could not compare.

To make reduced coconut milk:
2 13- to 14-oz. cans unsweetened coconut milk


2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
Seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean, or 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup reduced coconut milk

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup reduced coconut milk
seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean, or 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For reduced coconut milk, bring the coconut milk to a boil in a large deep sauce pan over medium-high heat. Be careful with this because the coconut milk will boil high up in the pan. Reduce the heat to medium low and boil until it is reduced to 1 1/2 cups. Stir occasionally and let it boil for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line mini muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat butter in a large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, beat on medium-high speed until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add 2 of the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in seeds from the vanilla bean and the remaining egg. Add half of the flour mixture and mix together on low speed until blended. Add 1 cup of reduced coconut milk and mix until blended. Add remaining flour mixture and mix on low speed until blended. Divide batter among mini-muffin cups- filling each about 2/3 of the way up.
Bake cupcakes until tops spring back when gently touched, about 12-15 minutes. (20 minutes if you are using regular-sized muffin cups) Let the cupcakes cool in their pans for about 10 minutes, then remove from pans and let them cool completely on wire racks.
For the frosting, Beat butter in a large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, 1/3 cup reduced coconut milk, and seeds from the vanilla bean. Beat on medium-high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy. Fill a large, plastic bag with the frosting- pushing it all down to one bottom corner. Cut the end of the corner off (not more than 1/2 inch, not less than 1/4 inch) and pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. Alternatively, top each cupcake with desired amount of frosting. Using a small knife, swirl frosting over the tops of the cupcakes.
Store in airtight containers

Recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine