Soft, fluffy, fragrant Cardamom Cupcakes topped with luscious Coconut Swiss Buttercream and crunchy Coconut bacon.
You know when you haven’t done squats in a million years, then you do 100 at a go only to have stiff legs for a week! And it hurts like hell. But it is also a kind of sweet pain because you know your muscles worked out so hard and your hurting hamstrings are like trophies you can show off while saying that you pulled off a 100 squats!! That’s exactly how I felt the last two weeks after marathon projects and assignments.
After a year of vacationing filled with fun things like exploring Toronto, baking, blogging and occasional assignments from my Digital Marketing Course my brain has become slightly lazy I assume. But now my sabbatical is over (sob-sob) and job hunt has begun (which is not easy). So between, job applications, freelance marketing projects with real deliverables and deadlines and school assignments it feels like my brain is doing 100 squats and it aches!!
My brain had to remember working out once again and tasks that would have taken 1 hour in my previous life, took me 2 hours now. I guess the brain is like any other muscle that needs a bit of warming up before your hurl it ruthlessly into 10-hour work days! But at the end of a challenging day, I felt good and proud for having accomplished it. Cheers!
Last 2 weeks were especially hyper and I ended up missing a blog post. It kind of gave me a sense of how it will be when I actually start a full-time job and the glaring need to manage time more efficiently. A huge applause to all the bloggers who have full time jobs or classes and kids! Please please share your time-management secret…
Does anyone else do this thing where they forget to eat proper meals on time and end up grabbing a cookie or a cupcake or a handful of chocolate chips while furiously punching laptop keys?? These Cardamom Coconut Cupcakes were my stress pals through last week’s frenzy. The basic cupcake recipe is from Sweetest Menu. I have to say, I have finally found my favorite basic vanilla cupcakes recipe with this one. I have tried quite a few, with disappointing results but this one was perfect – fluffy and light. I substituted cardamom for vanilla extract and reduced the sugar slightly because I do that with most recipes. I just prefer a little less sweet especially when combined with buttercream. This is one of my favorite buttercreams ever since I first made it for my Chocolate Chiffon Cake last summer. Cardamom and Coconut are just so perfect together. Hope you love it too!
Happy Spring.
Cardamom Coconut Cupcakes
Ingredients – Makes 12
Cardamom Cupcakes
1 and ¼ cup plain flour
1 and ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 tsp cardamom powder
pinch of salt
½ cup or 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup fine granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
½ cup milk, room temperature
¼ cup sour cream, room temperature (I used regular yoghurt)
For the topping
A handful of unsweetened coconut flakes
pinch of salt
2 – 3 tbsps. maple syrup
Coconut Swiss Meringue Buttercream
¾ cup fine granulated sugar
2 egg whites
¾ cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature but not soft
¼ tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup coconut milk, room temperature
Bake the Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 320 F. Line a 12-hole muffin pan with cupcake liners.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder cardamom powder and salt. Set aside
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium till pale and smooth. Scrape down the sides, add the egg and beat till incorporated completely.
Reduce speed to low, add flour and milk in three additions, starting and ending with flour and mix just until combined. Add the sour cream and mix till creamy.
The batter is super thick so you will have to scoop it out in the prepared pan evenly
Bake in the centre of the oven for approximately 17- 20 mins. Mine took 17mins. Remove from oven and let cool. Leave the oven on, for the Coconut Bacon.
Let cupcakes cool on wire-rack completely before frosting.
Toast the Topping
Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Dump the coconut flakes, salt and maple syrup onto the sheet and mix well to coat the flakes with the syrup. Spread them out on the sheet so they are not touching each other. Bake for 5 mins. Remove – stir. Bake for another 7 mins. Remove. Let cool completely.
Make the Buttercream
In a small metal or glass bowl, whisk together the sugar and egg whites. Place the bowl on top of a saucepan with simmering water (do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water). Heat the mixture for 5 – 6 minutes, till it registers 160F on a candy thermometer, or until the mixture is hot and sticky to the touch and the sugar is completely dissolved.
Carefully transfer the mixture into the bowl of a clean, non-greasy stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whip on medium-high speed till peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature.
Switch to a paddle attachment, reduce the speed to low and add the butter a couple of pieces at a time. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the butter is incorporated and the frosting is smooth and glossy.
Add the vanilla extract, salt and coconut milk and whip for few more minutes on medium speed till combined.
If it is runny, stick it in the fridge for 15 minutes, then whip again till it stiffens
If it is curdled, take out a small portion, heat it in the microwave for 15seconds, pour it slowly back into the curdled mixture while whipping on slow. Then increase the speed till it stiffens.
Pipe onto the cupcakes. Add a couple of toasted coconut flakes on each. Eat.
26 Comments
Hahha Cindy, I would totally take the brain-pain if it gave me a nice arse LOL.
Coconut bacon – you clever busy girl! Love the 100 squat analogy. Yeah, kids and jobs will make your brain muscle ache for sure. I just wish mine manifested in less wrinkles and more of a nice arse! Can’t have it all I suppose, and well if I can get these coconut big daddy’s going on, I will happily ration some ibuprofen to bring balance to the equation. No really, these are lovely and I am super crushing on the bacon.
Thank you Lynn and you are so right about brain soreness not causing that dreaded loo trouble! Hahaha
Thank You 🙂
Thank you Heather! I really find it inspiring that you manage to accomplish this along with studies and staying away from home. You have to be very organized to pull it off 🙂
You are so right! We all have to be Superwomen if we want to pursue our passion and also put some food on the table 🙂
Ha! Ha! But the worst part of all that soreness from squats is dreading every time you need to use the loo. At least you don’t have that when you get a brain workout (I like to think of things on the positive.) Oh. . .and these cuppies. . .how tasty do they look? I’m a big coconut fanatic and loving the little zip of cardamon in these beauties. The perfect little treat to reward your brain after a 10 hour workout. P.S. I wish I only missed one week of blog posts. I am definitely not the one to ask for time management tips. . .clearly.
Love the sound of these, I bet the cardamom and coconut are so good together.
good luck on the job hunt!! i recently spent 6ish months looking for an internship and that already was tiring. whenever i have a big chunk of free time (usually some sort of break when i’m home), i crank out a bunch of recipes with pictures, and then edit and write the post when it comes time to publish. it definitely requires a bit of thinking ahead (i was making pumpkin things meant for october posting in july, lol), but worth it! anyways, these cupcakes sound delicious (i don’t use cardamom enough!), especially with those sweetened roasted coconut chips on top (:
Sorry you have to go back to work. That’s definitely going to hurt. i don’t know if there are any tim management secrets- you just have to be superwoman! I could definitely live on these cupcakes
Oh man, I rely completely on natural light in the mornings and I will have to do the same as you once I start working… Shoot everything on the weekend! We should really all petition for 24 hours of natural light!!! Have a lovely weekend Dawn 🙂
You bet right! We should have reminders for “eat food” and “drink water”! Thanks Jolina. Enjoy the 15 degrees weekend!
Thanks Marie! Those coconut toppers turned out to be my favorite part. Have a fun weekend.
Hahhaha we sure have a lot in common. Thanks dear!
Thank you Jess. Thanks to a great vanilla cupcake recipe 😉
Thanks Patrick!! Hahaha you bet. Have a good weekend 🙂
Thanks Maria!Those coconut toppers really are the bomb! Have a sunshiny weekend.
Thanks for the love Kelsie 🙂 Have a great weekend!
I hear ya. I work full time and between that and the blog and “real life”, I forget to drink water sometimes lol! But you’ll find a way 🙂 Cardamom and coconut is such a wonderful flavour combo. And coconut bacon? I’m in! They look amazing.
Cardamon and coconut! So delicious! I love the coconut bacon on top; what a wonderful final touch to this flavourful cupcake!
Yumm! These look so yummy. I definitely fit into the forget to eat a meal so I eat everything else category lol also, I loveee cardamom and practically anything with it xx
Wow these look amazing! Love the flavours you’ve got going on here! 🙂
These sound amazing! I love that soar muscle pain!
Yummm… can these cupcakes get any more delicious? Love those crisp toasted coconut chip toppers!
LOVING THESE! Cardamom is my all-time favorite spice and I can never have too many ways to use it. I’m sorry your brain is hurting but I’m so glad you got this post done! These are just the cutest little cupcakes I can even imagine. Have a great week, Jenny!
I love that stiff feeling after working out; it hurts, but you know you’re working those muscles, right?? Oh, girl – time management. It’s definitely a juggle working full time and blogging. And a lot of my weekend is taken up by trying to make recipes and shoot the pics while there is still natural day light. Too bad you missed your post last week, but better late than never! After all that, you deserve a cupcake 😉 These sound amazing! Love the cardamom and coconut combination!