Choco Coco Cupcakes

It's been a while, hasn't it? Today, I bring you cupcakes.

Now, my dad loves coconut. But my mum doesn't. So, since it's my dad's birthday next week, I decided to bake him something with coconut. Last week, I stumbled across a likely looking recipe. It's for a Chocolate coconut cake, that's described as being like a certain chocolate bar... which happens to be one of dad's favourites!

Now, due to the fact that mum doesn't like coconut, I decided to bake this as cupcakes instead of a single round cake, and I did a trial run today, to see which tins I would need and how much this mix would make. This was a very good thing as I ended up with a full 24 cupcakes! I also made a few changes to the recipe to work with what I had. So without further ado, here is my take on Choco Coco Cupcakes!

Ingredients:

• 300g ground almonds
• 100g desiccated coconut
• 50g cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 175g softened butter
• 250g caster sugar
• 200ml coconut milk
• 75g dark chocolate (55-70% cocoa)
• 3 eggs

To make the cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line  a total of 24 muffin or cupcake cups with paper liners or grease them with butter. 
2. Mix the almonds and coconut with the cocoa powder and salt in a large bowl.
3. Heat the coconut milk in a pot until it starts to boil, then take off the heat and add the chocolate, letting it melt under occasional stirring. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the mix.
4. Cream the butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy. Slowly add one egg after the other, beating well after each addition.
5. Once the eggs are mixed in, slowly add the chocolate coconut milk mixture and stir well, then add the dry ingredients and stir until well incorporated.
6. Divide the mix between the cases and bake for 20-25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
7. Leave to cool on a wire rack in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out and leave to cool completely before decorating.

To decorate the cupcakes: 

 

For the Coconut Crumbles:

• 75g caster sugar
• 35ml water
• 75g desiccated coconut

1.  Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with parchment.
2. Dissolve the sugar in the water over a medium heat, then bring to the boil and boil for 1 minute.
3. Put the coconut into a heat proof bowl and pour over the syrup.
4. Mix well then spread out on the baking tray.
5. Bake in the oven for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure it browns evenly.
6. Remove when the coconut is pale golden but still white in some places.
7. Leave to cool on the tray, stirring occasionally to break it up into smaller pieces.

For the chocolate ganache:

• 200ml coconut milk
• 200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa or more)
• 50ml coconut flavour syrup (I used Monin)

1. Heat the coconut milk in a pot until boiling.
2. Take from the heat and stir in the chocolate until compeltely melted and mixed in.
3. Add the coconut syrup and stir again.
4. Leave to cool at room temperature for a glaze, or chill in the fridge until spreadable.

Spread or drizzle the ganache over the cupcakes, crumble over the coconut and enjoy!