Coconut Passion Fruit Cupcakes | EASYBAKED

These pretty little cupcakes are a perfect spring treat! A delicious passion fruit filling inside the coconut cupcake puts them over the top with flavor, and it is SO easy to make (forget all those little passionfruit seeds!) These are a must-make recipe to celebrate the beginning of summer!

I already posted a recipe for this cupcake flavor combo a year or so ago, but then I noticed something in the freezer at Walmart recently. I was picking up frozen raspberries to have on my oatmeal in the mornings, and there it was: a bag of frozen passionfruit purée frozen into tiny cubes. I got some, used them on my oatmeal, and fell in love with this product! No seeds, so mess, just a sprinkle of cubes on my warm oatmeal and…. perfection! 

So… here’s a second go-around with these flavors except that this time it is WAY more real-fruity, and a totally different feel than the first time I combined these ingredients in a cupcake! The first time was more flavoring from a passion fruit syrup. This time it’s all fruit! My husband says they are like a fruit-filled doughnut and that the filling is “SO good!” I like the decorations on my first cupcakes better, but had no time to make meringues today. Check it out for inspiration though!

Want to know how to make these? Here you go (printable recipe): 

INGREDIENTS: 

Filling: 

• 1 12oz bag of frozen passionfruit (available at Walmart). This is equal to about 1 1/2 cups or passionfruit purée, if you are unable to find the frozen. 
• 1 cup granulated sugar (more or less to taste- you can decide how sweet you want these!)
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup cornstarch

Cupcake:

• 1 boxed white cake mix
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) – melted
• 1 can (15-16oz) of coconut milk (not cream!)
• 4 eggs (whites only!)
• 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Frosting: 

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Filling: make this first, so that it has time to chill before you need it.

1. Mix water and cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Place entire package of frozen passion fruit cubes and sugar into a small saucepan.
3. Heat and stir until all cubes are melted and edges are bubbling.
4. Stir cornstarch slurry together again (it will settle) and gradually pour into fruit and sugar, stirring constantly. You may not need it all- so add it slowly, pause and stir. You want the sauce to be thick enough to not run out of the cupcake center (like the filling in a fruit pie). When it reaches this consistency, stop adding cornstarch, take off stove, pour into a bowl and pop into the refrigerator to cool.

Cupcakes: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
2. Place cake mix, eggs and melted butter in large mixing bowl and beat on low for about 1 minute until well-incorporated. 
3. Add can of coconut milk and beat on low until incorporated, and then on high for about a minute more.
4. Gently stir shredded coconut in using a spoon.
5. Scoop batter into cupcake liners placed in a cupcake tin. 
6. Bake at 350F degrees for 14-18 minutes. Check, and when an inserted toothpick comes out clean, they are done. 
7. Cool completely. 

Frosting: 

1. Place powdered sugar and softened butter into a large mixing bowl and beat on medium until well incorporated and starting to get fluffy (a couple minutes). 
2. Add about half of the cooled passion fruit filling to the mixture and beat on high until light and fluffy. 
3. Place in a zip-top bag fitted with a piping tip. 

Assembly: 

1. Hollow out a little core in each cupcake using a knife or a cupcake corer, (affiliate link) and saving the top portion to use as a “lid”.
2. Place remaining filling into a small zip-top bag and clip a corner off. 
3. Pipe filling into each cupcake, and top with “lid”.
4. Pipe icing on top of each cupcake, sprinkle with coconut, and top with a little drop of filling, if you have enough left.
5. Enjoy!!!

My thoughts: I really enjoyed making these and sharing them with people. They are such cheery little cupcakes and that pop of flavor from the passionfruit in the middle is amazing! I really hope you get a chance to try these! ~r

Other fun summer cupcakes to try- just click on a photo to see the recipe! 

About Ruthanne

Ruthanne is a scientist with a passion for baking and food photography. Using her kitchen as a lab, she loves experimenting with a variety of flavors and ingredients to create unique, fun and ultimately tasty delights! Thus she created EasyBaked, a website where sugar and chocolate overflow in fun and easy recipes. Her Motto: Money can’t buy happiness — but it can buy marshmallows, and that’s nearly the same thing!
www.easybaked.net