Vanilla Coconut Snowball Cupcakes

This is a classic recipe for Vanilla Cupcakes with a coconut flavor twist thrown in. They are frosted with a sour cream frosting and dusted with more coconut over top. The inspiration for them came when I was snowed in for five long days last week. I had a craving for something sweet and uncomplicated. Nothing fancy. Just a little something to enjoy with a hot cup of tea. And help comfort me from the mountain of snow outside and the loss of Internet. And cable. And from the fact the mailman couldn't make it up the slippery hill to our house so no Netflix either. Oh well. I had cupcakes. Popable mini cupcakes with a tender, sturdy, moist crumb; slightly reminiscent of coconut and topped with a fluffy, sour cream frosting that added a little bite to them that was positively scrumptious.

Vanilla Coconut Snowball Cupcakes w/ Sour Cream Frosting

(adapted from A Baker's Field Guide to Cupcakes)(Makes 12-13 regular or 30 mini)

1 + 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour

1 + 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/2 cup(1 stick) Butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces

3/4 cup Sugar

1 + 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

2 large Eggs

1/2 cup Coconut or Regular Milk, at room temperature

1/3 cup Sour Cream

2/3 cup Unsweeted Coconut Flakes, plus more for topping

Sour Cream Frosting:

2 tablespoons Butter, softened

1/2 cup Sour Cream

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

About 3 cups Confectioners's Sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cupcake pan with paper liners(or a mini-pan). Grease lightly if not using liners.

2. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl; set aside.

3. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed beat butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar, beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl once or twice. Beat in vanilla extract. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add the flour mixture in 4 additions, alternating with the milk. Beat briefly after each additon.

4. Stir in sour cream and coconut.

5. Fill cupcake wells about 3/4 of the way. Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (about 15 minutes for mini).

6. Cool pan on wire rack for 5 minutes, then turn out and return to wire rack to cool completely.

7. For the frosting beat the butter, sour cream and vanilla together until fluffy. Add 2 cups Confectioners' and beat on low, continue to add confectioners' a little bit at a time until the frosting sticks to the beater when lifted without dripping off. If it gets too thick add in a little more sour cream. Beat an additional 3-4 minutes on low to get a light and fluffy frosting.

8. Fill a small, shallow bowl with coconut flakes. Frost cupcakes and stick the tops into the coconut to coat, using your hand to help it stick if needed.

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Vanilla Coconut Snowball Cupcakes