Time for true confessions. I have never ever made Coconut Cupcakes from scratch. Instead, I use cake box mixes from the supermarket. There are a number of compelling arguments for this, such as: no lumps, a moister cake, and the most valid reason is that I do not claim to be the best baker in our family. That title goes to Lorelei.  

On the other hand, nothing beats frosting made from scratch, and I can’t think of anything worse than store-bought frosting. The addition of almond extract and coconut flakes to a simple cream cheese frosting ramps these cupcakes up a notch, and the flavor is excellent. The nutty notes of almond combine with the coconut and make this cupcake out of this world. After all, everyone knows you eat a cupcake for the frosting. 

During December of 2020, about the time the first COVID vaccines arrived, Lorelei and I made a variety of baked goods and gifted them to friends as holiday treats. OK, she made 90 percent of the contents in each box, but I wasn’t a total slouch. My contribution was these cupcakes, arranged into sweet treat gift boxes, all tied up in pretty holiday bows. The sprinkles of coconut resembled snowflakes, giving the cupcakes the appearance of a snowball. 

By that time we knew the variant wasn’t transferred through surfaces and sharing food from our kitchen was safe. With caution we delivered the holiday treats to door steps and waved at friends from afar and brought a little normalize back into our lives.

Recipe from Ina Garten with the help of Duncan Hines (Gasp!)

Ingredients for Cupcakes

• Seriously, go to the store and get a box mix of white frosting, eggs, oil, and whatever the recipe calls for and follow the directions on the box.

Ingredients for the frosting

• 1 lb Cream cheese at room temperature
• ¾ lb Unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 t Pure vanilla extract
• ½ t Pure almond extract
• 1 ½ lb Confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 14 oz Sweetened, shredded coconut

Directions for the frosting

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, blend together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until smooth. Frost cupcakes with cream cheese icing and sprinkle with the remaining coconut.