Snowball Cupcakes
Moist chocolate cupcakes, topped with a mound of fluffy marshmallow frosting, and coated in pretty pastel coconut! These colorful snowball cupcakes make such a fun springtime treat!
Today I am on my way down to Washington DC with my friend Kellie, for the IACP Conference! I’m very excited to get away for a couple days, meet some new peeps, and hopefully learn a lot. But I am especially excited because, when I get back home, my kitchen will have undergone what I am hoping will be an incredible transformation!
After nearly 15 years of living with brown stained cabinetry, I’ve finally decided to go light and bright! It occurred to me slowly, after I noticed myself pinning the same white kitchen with white subway tile backsplash, over and over again, that hello! This is my kinda kitchen! My kitchen should look like this! White on the uppers, gray on the lowers (my husband and kids are suuuuper hard on stuff so hopefully it will show dirt/scuffs less), and brushed brass hardware. I can’t wait to get home on Sunday night and walk into a (sorta) brand new kitchen!
But for now I’m so happy to share these adorable cupcakes with you!
Do you remember Hostess Snowball Cakes? They were like a marshmallow ball, rolled in pink coconut, with a chocolate cake center. Kids just go crazy for them, I guess because of the color.
These cupcakes are a riff on that childhood favorite, only waaaaay better. Because: homemade. Homemade is always better, but I know I don’t have to tell you that 😉
Also, these come in all the pretty spring colors, not just pink.
It all begins with THE BEST chocolate cupcake recipe in the universe. I can say that because I am super picky when it comes to homemade cupcakes. IMO, a chocolate cupcake needs to be intensely dark chocolate-y, uber moist, and soft as a baby lamb. But! Sturdy enough to handle plenty of fluffy frosting. And bonus points if it’s easy to make and all happens in one bowl. Check, check, check, checkity check-check!
They get topped with a marshmallow-y Italian meringue. So light and heavenly, and just bursting with sweet vanilla flavor! You could also try 7-minute frosting, but honestly, I find this recipe to be much more stable. For some reason, whenever I make 7-minute frosting it’s always kinda loose and it doesn’t hold it’s shape real well. You are going to dollop a big mound of frosting on these cakes, to really get that snowball effect, and so you need a frosting that can keep it together and not slump all down the sides of the cupcakes.
Then, all you need to do is divide your sweetened flaked coconut into 4 equal portions, and put 3 of those into zip-top bags. Use a toothpick to add a tiny drop of gel-paste icing color to each. The colors I used were Rose Pink, Lemon Yellow, and Royal Blue. (The fourth portion just gets left white.) Then, just shake/scrunch it all around until it’s even. It’s actually kinda fun! If you have kiddos this is a perfect job for them to “help” with.
Empty the baggies into bowls, and then just upend the cupcakes into the tinted coconut! It’s that simple!
I hope you enjoy these pastel coconut cupcakes as much as my family and I did! I just think they’d be perfect for Easter Sunday!
And I’ll keep ya posted on the kitchen job, if you’re into that kind of thing. Have a great weekend, everybody!
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Snowball Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 batch (1) Simply Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes
- 2 cups (170 g) sweetened flaked coconut,, divided
- 1 drop (1 drop) Rose Pink icing color
- 1 drop (1 drop) Lemon Yellow icing color
- 1 drop (1 drop) Royal Blue icing color
- 2 1/4 cups (450 g) granulated sugar,, divided
- 1 cup (341 ml) light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) water
- 6 egg whites
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Bake and cool the cupcakes, according to the recipe.
- Divide the coconut into 4 equal portions. Set aside 1 portion to remain white.
- Place the other 3 portions into small zip-top bags, and add a drop of gel paste food coloring (Rose Pink, Lemon Yellow, and Royal Blue) to each.
- Zip the bags and shake/scrunch to disperse the color evenly throughout the coconut. Set aside.
- Place 1 3/4 cup sugar in a medium pot, along with the corn syrup and water.
- Heat over medium-high until the syrup comes to a boil.
- Allow the syrup to reach a temperature of 240 degrees F (soft ball stage).
- Meanwhile, whip the egg whites with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, until they are glossy and stiff.
- When the sugar syrup has reached 240 degrees, carefully pour it into a large, heat-safe, spouted vessel. Slowly and carefully add the syrup, in a thin stream, to the whipped egg whites, while running the mixer on low speed.
- When all the syrup has been incorporated, turn the mixer up to high and whip until very stiff. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Use an ice cream scoop to top each cupcake with frosting. Immediately dip the tops of the cupcakes into the tinted coconut, turning to coat evenly.
What pretty cupcakes! These are the only types of snowballs I want in my life at this point in the year – but alas, it was snowing here all day! I’m looking forward to seeing (and living vicariously through) pictures of your new kitchen 🙂
Oh no, snow really? Ugh when is this winter going to end??? I hope this is your last snow for a looong time, CakePants! Stay warm my friend, and thanks for the sweet comment!
Love these cupcakes!!! Can’t wait to see tour freshly painted kitchen! Have a fun weekend! 🙂
Me either, haha! I’m so excited to get home so I can see the transformation 🙂 Thanks so much SweetBakedLife 🙂
Eekk… so fun! I can’t wait to see the kitchen I bet its going to be gorgeous. That is totally my kinda kitchen too! And so are these cupcakes. Love how fun and vibrant they are. My son will love them!
Krista @ Joyful Healthy Eats
Aw, yay! Give that sweetie a hug from me Krista! Hope you’re having an awesome weekend hon 🙂
Have fun at the conference, and your kitchen reno sounds like it’s gonna be gorgeous! Congrats!
Snowball cupcakes were my favorite growing up so I’m dying over these — they’re so pretty and that frosting is so fluffy! Pinned over and over. 🙂
Aw, Marcie! You are the sweetest, thank you so much!
Oh my gosh, these cupcakes look so perfect. I am drooling…what a creative idea!!
Thanks Annie! I’m so happy you enjoyed. Hope you are having lots of fun this weekend 🙂
These cupcakes are stunning! Love the colours – so vibrant and fun! Lovely recipe, Allie! x
Thanks so much Jess! I had a lot of fun with these- the colors are just so cheerful! 🙂
Pretty cupcakes with bright spring colors – luv the tinted coconut and the texture of that Italian Meringue. How fun to come home to a transformed kitchen (would like that so much!). 😉
I know! I’m soooo excited right now. It’s so great the way the timing worked out. Can’t wait to share the “after” shots with you! Thanks so much for the sweet comment Cristina!
These cupcakes look beautiful and the frosting sounds so good! I hope you have fun at the conference! Love the idea of making your kitchen lighter and brighter 🙂
Thank you so much Mira! I’m all about lightening and brightening, especially after this dreary winter we’ve been having! Hope you’re having a great weekend hon! xoxo
Ummmm, you’re totally bringing these with you….right? 🙂
You know it! 🙂
Allie, these are so cute! I love that they’re easy but still so festive. I love meringue buttercream – Italian or Swiss. I think it’s one of the best culinary inventions ever. And congrats on the new kitchen – I think cabinets can change the whole look 🙂
Thank you! I think it’s going to look like a whole new kitchen, lol. Can’t wait to see it and share the pics with you! Hope you’re having a great weekend Aida! xoxo
These are so much fun Allie! I love them. Have a great time at IACP!
Thanks boo! So far the conference is a blast! Having a great time but missing you 🙁 Hope you’re having a relaxing weekend Jocelyn!
These are just delightful and very Spring like. I would like to eat 3 or 7, please. I hope your kitchen turns out the way you want and I can’t wait to see it.
Thank you so much Janette! Hope you’re having a great weekend my dear!
These snowball cupcakes are so adorable! Can’t wait to see your new kitchen! I hope my hometown treats you well and you have a great time!
Aw, I didn’t know you were from DC! You’re in San Francisco now though, right? So far so good here, DC is such a fun town and the conference is a blast 😉
Excited for you friend! I just did it the hard but cheap way. I painted them all myself. Trying to decide if I should bring it to the blog but….I’m waiting on new flooring. It’s been an adventure for sure!
Enjoy your time away! And of course I love these….there’s coconut. 🙂
Oh, you did it yourself??? I was going to at first, but then when I read all that was involved I decided it would probably take me a month, lol! I would love to see how yours turned out! I can’t wait for you to share the pics on your blog!
Allie, I love these cupcakes!!! so pretty! Hope you have a blast this weekend and I also can’t wait to see your kitchen when you get back home!! so exciting!!
Thank you Alice! I’m very excited! Hope you are having a great weekend too hon!
Love how pretty these cupcakes look! I can’t wait to see a picture of your “new” kitchen!! That’s super exciting, Allie!!
Thanks Tiffany! I’ve been saving for this for a looong time- so I’m super excited right now. So happy you like the cupcakes; thanks so much for the great feedback 😀
Do the cupcakes need to be refrigerated if I make them the day before the party?
They’re probably ok at room temperature for one night. But it wouldn’t hurt! Good luck Tina!