Coconut Cupcakes (cake mix)

We love these moist, fluffy Coconut Cupcakes from cake mix. They are so simple to make, and have fantastic coconut flavor, and taste like a from-scratch recipe.

Why we Love Them

We love the convenience of cake mix recipes, and you can never go wrong with coconut cupcakes! If you prefer coconut cupcakes from scratch, we have a great recipe for that also. Both are moist, light, and have wonderful coconut flavor.

Today's cupcakes, which are based on our easy coconut cake recipe, are topped with whipped coconut cream cheese frosting. This is such a delicious combination. Make sure to keep these in mind for birthdays, holidays, showers, and more!

Ingredients

Here's a quick look at our star ingredients. You can find the full recipe in our recipe card.

• Box of White Cake Mix (We used Duncan Hines, Perfectly Moist- 15.25 oz)
• All Purpose Flour & Sugar- These extend the recipe and create a "from scratch" quality.
• Salt
• Sour Cream adds richness and lends a nice texture to the cake.
• Milk
• Eggs
• Coconut Extract & Vanilla Extract (Don't skip the coconut extract- it really is needed-- we used McCormick brand).
• Sweetened, Flaked Coconut (We used Baker's. Sweetened coconut is our preference over unsweetened because it is softer and more moist.)

*For the frosting, we made a coconut whipped cream cheese frosting using heavy whipping cream, cream cheese, confectioners sugar, and vanilla & coconut extracts.

How to Make Coconut Cupcakes from Cake Mix

This recipe couldn't be simpler! Make sure to find the recipe card below. Here's a quick look.

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place liners into cupcake pan(s).
• Combine all ingredients (except for the flaked coconut), mixing for about 15 seconds before increasing the speed to medium. Mix for two minutes.
• Gently fold in the cup of flaked coconut.
• Scoop the batter into the paper liners of the cupcake pans. We added about ¼ cup of batter per cupcake. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Cool before frosting!

For the Frosting

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting & Coconut Buttercream (add coconut extract to our classic vanilla buttercream) are great options for these cupcakes, but today we went with a light Whipped Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting.

It has the consistency of whipped cream, but is a bit more rich (and stable) thanks to the softened cream cheese.

First, we whipped up our heavy whipping cream. Then, we gently folded the whipped cream into a mixture of softened cream cheese, confectioners sugar, and flavorings until well combined .

This is the type of frosting that is so light and airy that you can swirl it nice and tall if you'd like.

As you'll see in the recipe card, you can use this as a cupcake filling as well for another layer of coconut flavor! We piped swirls of frosting on some cupcakes, and chunky shells on others using a large 1M star tip (2D is a good choice too).

After piping on the frosting, we topped the cupcakes with a sprinkling of sweetened flaked coconut. Don't you just want to dive right in? We hope that you enjoy the recipe!

More Cakes with Coconut

We love coconut cakes and have made many over the years! Some of our most popular are our Coconut Cream Cake, Piña Colada Cake, Carrot Cake Recipe, and Lemon Coconut Cake but there are many more. Make sure to scroll through all of our cake recipes!

Easy Coconut Cupcakes (cake mix)

BY Melissa and Bebe

These moist, fluffy Coconut Cupcakes start with a box of cake mix! They have delicious coconut flavor and are frosted with a light coconut whipped cream cheese frosting.

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 16 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Servings: 24 servings

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 box white cake mix, sifted (15.25 oz) (We used Duncan Hines White Cake Mix- Perfectly Moist)
• ▢ 1 cup all purpose flour (121g)
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 cup sour cream (242g) (We used "full fat")
• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (113g) (This is 1 stick of butter, melted)
• ▢ 1⅓ cup milk (325g) (we use 2 percent or whole milk)
• ▢ 3 whole large eggs
• ▢ 2½ teaspoons coconut extract (10g)
• ▢ 2 teaspoon vanilla extract (8g)
• ▢ 1 cup sweetened, flaked coconut (We use Bakers Angel Flake)

Whipped Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

• ▢ 8 oz cream cheese softened (We used one 8 oz package, full fat)
• ▢ 1 cup conefctioners sugar, measure then sift (115g)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (4g)
• ▢ ½-1 teaspoon coconut extract (2-4g) Start with ½ teaspoon and increase to your liking.
• ▢ 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream (348g)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place liners into cupcake pan(s).
• In the bowl of your mixer, combine all ingredients except for the flaked coconut (which we will add at the end).
• Mix the ingredients on low speed for about 15 seconds to incorporate, then mix on medium speed for two minutes. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
• Gently fold in the cup of flaked coconut.
• Scoop the batter into the paper liners of the cupcake pans. We added about ¼ cup of batter per cupcake. Bake for 15-18 minutes. (**Baking times may vary, check the cupcakes as the end time approaches and adjust time if needed).
• We like to remove the cupcakes from the pans just after baking, moving them to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Whipped Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

• Freeze your mixing bowl and beaters 15 minutes before whipping the cream (20-30 minutes if chilling in the refrigerator.)
• Use the whisk attachment for a stand mixer, or beaters on your hand mixer. Beat the cream until stiff peaks form. This can happen very quickly so don't walk away from the mixer. You are at the stiff peak stage when you lift the beater and the cream stands straight up forming a peak or falls over slightly. Keep in the refrigerator while completing the next step.
• In another bowl combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, coconut extract, and vanilla. Mix (we used hand mixer) until very smooth.
• Then, gently fold the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Filling and frosting the cupcakes

• Filling the cupcakes is an optional step. If filling the cupcakes, use a disposable piping bag filled with frosting, with the tip snipped away. Holding the bag vertically, insert the piping bag halfway down into the center of the cupcake and squeeze the bag for a few seconds to fill. (See notes for additional tips).
• Then, swirl or pipe frosting on top of the cupcakes- we used piping bag fitted with a large 1M star tip. A 2D works well too.

Storing the Cupcakes

• Because of the frosting, these cupcakes need refrigeration. Store the cupcakes in an airtight container, under a cake dome, or in a sealed bakery box. ***For the very best flavor and texture, remove the cupcakes from the refrigerator a couple of hours before serving. This will allow them time to warm and soften.

Notes

Filling the Cupcakes: Before filling the cupcakes, you can pipe frosting onto a plate, counting the number of seconds it takes to get to the desired amount. Then, you'll know about how much filling you are putting into each cupcake. (If you have an extra cupcake, you can also do a trial run, then cut the cupcake in half to see the amount of filling inside.) 

Freezing the Cupcakes   These cupcakes can be baked in advance and frozen. Line them up in rows on a tray or cake cardboard. Then, layer plastic wrap on top, followed by aluminum foil. Freeze for up to three months. To thaw, remove from the freezer, remove the wrapping after about 10 minutes, and continue to bring to room temp. Fill and frost as usual.

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