Blackberry Coconut Cupcakes
Tropical coconut and fresh blackberries come together beautifully in these light and dreamy cupcakes! Â You’ll love the combination of flavors, along with the sweet cream cheese frosting. Â These blackberry coconut cupcakes are perfect for a party!
Good morning everybody! Â Today is a special day and one I have been looking forward to for so long. Â We are celebrating my friend Zainab today, with a virtual baby shower!
I need to share a few words about my girl Z. Â This girl. Â She is such an incredible friend, and such an incredible person. Â She’s internet famous, so you probably already know all this, but I’m going to tell you anyway.
She was born and raised in Sierra Leone, and at quite a young age, traveled halfway across the world to go study in Singapore.  Brave.  She lost her dad, way too soon, just like I did.  She met the love of her life, Mr. J, and once again uprooted herself to come live here in the US, where she started her desserts and fashion blog, Blahnik Baker.  In addition to creating gorgeous posts every week, she’s also hard at work on her PhD in neuroscience.  Such a smarty-pants!  She wants to cure brain diseases in children.  Can you even?  And since we’re now on the topic of children, can I take a minute to tell you how amazing she is with kids?  When Z and I were first getting to know each other, almost 2 years ago now, I could tell from the start that she had such a special place in her heart for kids.  She’s sent gifts to my boys on several occasions.  She’s always asking after them and telling me how cute and lovable they are.  And any time I’ve ever had a question or a problem, Z is right there.  She’s helped me through some rough times, and she is just truly so special.
So when she shared the incredible news that she was expecting, my heart almost burst with joy and happiness for her. Â I remember it so clearly. Â I literally got all teary-eyed, and here I am getting teary-eyed again just thinking about it. Â Z and Mr. J are going to make the most incredible parents and I couldn’t be more excited for them.
When I think of Z I think of coconut and fresh fruit and lovely floral flavors. Â Her creations are always so beautiful and feminine. Â She’s got a weakness for all things tropical, and so I knew that anything I would make in her honor would have to involve coconut. Â And girlfriend knows how to rock a cupcake. Â So here we are.
Coconut and blackberry complement each other beautifully.  My Flavor Bible told me so, and that book has yet to steer me wrong.  These cupcakes are made with coconut oil instead of butter, and they also have coconut milk, so the tropical flavor really shines through.  When freshly baked, the texture of the cake is whisper-light and the crumb is so fine it’s almost creamy.  As the cupcakes sit, they become a little more dense and pound cake-like.  We’re filling the cupcakes with a dollop of intensely fruity blackberry jam, then topping with a tangy cream cheese frosting, and garnishing with shredded coconut and fresh blackberries.  So pretty!
Because Zainab is such a great friend to others, there are tons of bloggers who just love her to pieces.  There were 32 of us in all, who wanted to celebrate her today, and her little bun.  I hope you click around and check out all the fun recipes that these guys have brought to the virtual party!
Blackberry Coconut Cupcakes, by Baking a Moment
Blueberry Coconut Meusli Bars, by The Spiffy Cookie
Blueberry-Ginger Coconut Cheesecake Popsicles, by Floating Kitchen
Caramel Coconut Cluster Bars, by Eats Well with Others
Chocolate Coconut Cake, by Brunch with Joy
Coconut Breakfast Pudding with Sauteed Nectarines, by Cooking and Beer
Coconut Cake, by I am Baker
Coconut Cream Pie Ice Cream, by The Recipe Rebel
Coconut Energy Bites, by The Kitchenarium
Coconut Key Lime Angel Food Cake Roll, by Flavor the Moments
Coconut Key Lime Pie Cookie Bars, by Two in the Kitchen
Coconut Key Lime Macarons, by Life Made Sweeter
Coconut, Lime, and White Chocolate Milkshake, by A Clean Bake
Coconut Pineapple Banana Smoothie, by The Bitter Side of Sweet
Coconut Pineapple Fried Rice with Shrimp, by Healthy Nibbles and Bits
Coconut Sweet Potato Muffins, by Luci’s Morsels
Double Chocolate Chip Cookies with Toasted Coconut, by The Cooking Actress
Key Lime Coconut Button Sandwich Cookies, by Culinary Concoctions by Peabody
Key Lime Coconut Pound Cake, by Grandbaby Cakes
Lavender Coconut Macarons, by Broma Bakery
Macaroon Tarts with Ginger Coconut Whipped Cream and Pineapple, by A Cookie Named Desire
Mango Coconut Donuts, by Chez Catey Lou
Mango Coconut Smoothie, by Jessica in the Kitchen
Mango Summer Cake, by Keep it Sweet Desserts
Mini Coconut Cream Pies, by Hip Foodie Mom
Pina Colada Pie, by Life, Love, and Sugar
Skinny Blueberry Lime Scones, by Club Narwhal
Spiced Lentils with Toasted Coconut, by This Gal Cooks
Toasted Coconut Banana Meringue Pie, by The Sweet {Tooth} Life
Triple Coconut Rum Layer Cake, by bethcakes
Tropical Pineapple Coconut Sangria, by Shared Appetite
White Chocolate Coconut Key Lime Cookies, by Culinary Couture
And be sure to click on over to Blahnik Baker and congratulate Zainab.  She has the prettiest ever Meyer Lemon Pound Cake with Fresh Berries and Coconut Whipped Cream on her blog today.  (What did I tell you??)  Be sure to wish her and Mr. J all the best!
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Blackberry Coconut Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Blackberry Coconut Cupcakes
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup solid coconut oil
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract
- 1/2 cup seedless blackberry jam, (approx.)
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, (1 stick), softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese, (1 block)
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons seedless blackberry jam
- 1 drop violet gel food coloring
Additionally
- shredded coconut,, for garnish
- fresh blackberries,, for garnish
- powdered sugar,, for garnish
Instructions
To make the Coconut Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line cupcake pans with grease-proof papers.
- Place the flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the coconut oil, and mix on low speed until the mixture resembles damp sand.
- Add the eggs, one at a time.
- Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, and add the coconut milk, vanilla, and coconut extract.
- Mix on low speed until incorporated, then turn the speed up to medium-high and beat for about 90 seconds to aerate the batter and develop the cake's structure.
- Fill the cupcake papers about half-full and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed.
- Cool completely, then use the tip of a sharp knife to cut a well in the center of each cupcake.
- Fill the well with about a teaspoon of blackberry jam, then frost with cream cheese frosting.
To make the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Place the butter, cream cheese, and salt in a large mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until combined.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until creamy.
- Transfer half of the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip, and set aside.
- Add the blackberry jam and violet gel food coloring to the remaining frosting and mix until combined.
- Transfer the tinted frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip.
- Pipe a low swirl of untinted frosting over the surface of the cupcakes, and press shredded coconut into the frosting.
- Pipe a taller swirl of the tinted frosting over the coconut, and top with a fresh blackberry.
- Dust with powdered sugar, for garnish.
Awww, I agree, Zainab is such a great girl – I can always sense such positive energy coming through her posts! What lovely news.
And what better way to help her celebrate than with some of the most beautiful cupcakes I’ve ever seen! They are just beautiful, and I particularly love that subtle layer of coconut underneath the cream. Oooh, I’m swooning so much at the sight of these, Allie!
A celebration like this definitely require cupcakes, you are such an amazing friend for baking such beautiful cupcakes. The flavors are amazing, and I can just see and sense all the love you added 🙂 The frosting color is fabulous, I love it so much, can you please tell me what brand of gel color you use? many thanks.
Allie, these are gorgeous! I discovered some wild berries growing through our neighbors fence and into our property (score!) and I can’t wait for them to ripen. This just might be the recipe they turn into. Thanks!
I love this! Such a sweet way to celebrate! I’m sure she felt so loved and blessed by all of you!
These cupcakes are beyond gorgeous!!!
This is such a lovely post, I have to search for the Blahnik Baker, you have made me curious. The muffins are great, such a nice color and I love everything with coconut or blueberries. They are pinned.
Awwh I love Zainab and I love cupcakes, so this is such a perfect combo!! They look absolutely gorgeous, and your pics are stunning! xx
What a joyful occasion, and these cupcakes certainly fit the bill.
I can’t get over these cupcakes, Allie. They’re stunning! We went to a wedding once that had cupcakes instead of a traditional wedding cake – they were arranged on a tall, pretty spiral tray. These cupcakes of yours are wedding-worthy!!
These are absolutely gorgeous and I love how you incorporated so much coconut flavor! Zainab is such a special lady!!
More gorgeous cupcakes!! I love the blackberry + coconut combo, sounds very fresh and summery 🙂
Wow! Allie, you’re stuff is always gorgeous but you’ve really outdone yourself this time! These cupcakes are absolutely stunning – like perfect little gems! Such a lovely tribute to your friends virtual baby shower 🙂
These are the perfect treat for a virtual baby shower, and oh so gorgeous! I just want to reach through the screen. Z sounds like an amazing lady.
*sniffle* now I’m getting all teary eyed too! Zainab is seriously one of the sweetest, kindest souls. She’s going to be a fantastic mom and I’m so grateful that I got to be a part of her shower! These cupcakes that you made look so beautiful, Allie, and truly special-just like Z 🙂
Allie, this is such a sweet post, and what a great way to celebrate the occasion with these cupcakes. I can feel the love in your words from over here and just want to give the two of you a HUGE hug!
I had no idea Blahnik Baker was expecting. How exciting! These cupcakes look so beautiful Allie and a virtual baby shower is such a wonderful way to share in this new stage of life.