Gluten-Free Coconut Cupcakes

           A coconut base cupcake filled with a chocolaty center and topped with cream cheese frosting is a combination made in heaven.

In the first bite, you will taste both the coconut cupcake base with the cream cheese frosting, then by the second bite, you will taste the coconut, the chocolate, and the cream cheese, and that’s when you will smile. The chocolate compliments the coconut, while the cream cheese balances the sweetness of both the coconut base and the chocolate. Give these gluten-free coconut cupcakes a shot, and I promise you won’t regret it. 

 I have made this recipe multiple times for my family and friends, and everyone loved it. The best part is no one knew it was gluten-free until I told them. I was deeply satisfied to know I could bake something that tastes so delicious that my gluten-eating friends (whom I envy sometimes…) wanted to eat. Anyways enough of me babbling; let’s jump into the science of each layer in these cupcakes. 

Gluten-Free Coconut Cupcake Base 

Dry Ingredients 

For the coconut cupcake base, we will be using a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. The one I use is by Bob’s red mill. I have tried this recipe with other gluten-free all-purpose flour blends, and it works fine. There was a slight change in the final cupcake texture but nothing major (still delicious). So, feel free to use whatever brand you have in your pantry. 

The first time I made these coconut cupcakes, I did not use shredded coconut. The cupcakes tasted good, but I wanted to pop up the coconut flavor. Hence, the second time I made it, I cut down on the amount of flour I was using and replaced it with shredded coconut. The difference in flavor was huge. 

To give these cupcakes a rise and a nice texture, we will be using baking soda, baking powder, and xanthan gum. The baking soda and baking powder will work to leaven the cupcakes. You will notice that the amount of baking soda used is small compared to the baking powder. This is because most of the ingredients used in the recipe are not acidic, and hence the baking soda (an alkaline compound) does not have an acid to react with.

So, what will the baking soda do? The baking soda will be helping the baking powder when the cupcakes are in the oven. The baking soda will decompose inside the oven due to the high temperature, which will produce CO₂, inflating the cupcakes and making them rise. Cool right?

Meanwhile, the xanthan gum (a binding agent) will provide the cupcake with structure. The xanthan gum will make our coconut cupcakes fluffy, which we want since our flour mix does not have gluten. There are other substitutes for xanthan gum in the market. You can use psyllium husk or guar gum. I personally have never used psyllium husk or guar gum. I tend to use xanthan gum only because where I live, psyllium husk and guar gum are difficult to find. 

Wet Ingredients

Enough with the dry ingredients; let’s move on to my favorite part, the wet ingredients. The wet ingredients we will be using for the coconut cupcakes are butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and CANNED coconut milk. We will be mixing the vanilla extract with the canned coconut milk together and set it aside. Please do not use the boxed coconut milk as it is diluted with water. It will make these cupcakes mushy and tasteless. The canned coconut milk has less water and more coconut, which is what we want. 

You will first start the process of making these coconut cupcakes by mixing the dry ingredients together and setting them aside. Then combine the canned coconut milk with the vanilla extract in a separate bowl. 

In the stand-alone mixer, beat the butter and sugar until the butter is fluffy and light. Afterward, add the eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar to allow the sugar to absorb the egg content. Once all the wet ingredients are incorporated, add half of the dry ingredient mixture, followed by the coconut milk and vanilla extract mixture. Once that mixture is mixed, add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until all is combined. 

Chocolate Ganache 

The coconut cupcakes are filled with chocolate ganache. To make the chocolate ganache, you will need Nutella, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and heavy cream. Heat the heavy cream until it simmers, remove it from the heat, and add the Nutella and chocolate. Let the chocolate sit for a few seconds before mixing. Mix the ingredients until the ganache thickens. 

Cover the ganache well and set it aside until it reaches room temperature before piping it. If you don’t cover the ganache, it will form a crusty layer on top which is really annoying to remove. 

The ratio of chocolate to heavy cream that I used for this recipe is almost 2 to 1. I like the ganache consistency to be thick so that once it is inside the coconut cupcake, the cupcake doesn’t absorb the ganache. If you prefer a lighter consistency, try changing the ratio to 1.5 to 1. 

Cream Cheese frosting 

My favorite frosting is cream cheese frosting. It just tastes delicious and tends to complement almost anything. To make the cream cheese frosting, you will need cream cheese, sifted powdered sugar, butter, salt, and vanilla extract for flavor. 

You will start by beating the butter, cream cheese, and salt together using a stand-alone mixer with a paddle attachment until the butter is fluffy. Then add the sifted powder sugar and beat at low speed, increasing the speed to medium-high speed. Beat the ingredients until everything is combined, then add the vanilla extract for flavor and mix. 

Don’t overbeat the frosting. If you overbeat it, you will incorporate more air into the mixture, leading to a running consistency. 

Recipe Video

I made a short video to help you make these cupcakes. Enjoy!

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