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These gluten-free coconut cupcakes are filled with chocolate ganache and topped with cream cheese frosting. The flavor of the coconut is highlighted by the chocolate and cream cheese frosting.
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5 from 3 votes

Gluten-Free Coconut Cupcake

A coconut base cupcake filled with a chocolaty center and topped with cream cheese frosting is a combination made in heaven
Prep Time1 hour
Baking Time17 minutes
Total Time1 hour 17 minutes
Keyword: chocolate ganache, coconut cupcakes, gluten-free cupcakes;
Yield: 12 Cupcakes

Ingredients

Chocolate Ganache

  • 100 ml of Heavy Cream
  • 165 grams of Nutella
  • 40 grams of Unsweetened Chocolate Chips

Cupcake

  • 184 grams of Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour
  • 20 grams of Shredded Coconut
  • 1 ½ teaspoon of Baking Powder
  • ¼ teaspoon of Baking Soda
  • ¼ teaspoon of Salt
  • ¾ teaspoon of Xanthan Gum
  • 1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
  • 193 grams of Granulated Sugar
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 138 ml of Canned Coconut Milk
  • 120 grams of Unsalted Butter

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 110 grams of Unsalted Butter at Room Temperature
  • 280 grams of Full-Fat Cream Cheese
  • teaspoon of Salt
  • 330 grams of Sifted Powdered Sugar (Icing Sugar)
  • 1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

Instructions

Chocolate Ganache

  • In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream on the stove at low heat until it simmers. 
  • Remove the saucepan from heat and add to the saucepan the Nutella and chocolate chip cookies. Let the Nutella and chocolate chips set inside the heavy cream for 30 seconds. 
  • Using a whisk, mix the chocolate and heavy cream together until there are no lumps left and the mixture thickens. 
  • Cover the ganache well and set it aside until it reaches room temperature 

Cupcake

  • Mix your dry ingredients, flour, unsweetened shredded coconut, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum in a separate bowl using a whisk. 
  • In a separate bowl, mix the canned coconut milk and vanilla extract mixture and set it aside. 
  • In a stand-alone mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar together at medium to high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Then lower the mixer speed to low speed and add the eggs one at a time until all the ingredients are combined. 
  • Add half the dry ingredients followed by the coconut milk and vanilla mixture and beat at low-medium speed until combined. 
  • Then add in the remaining amount of the dry ingredients and mix until combined. 
  • Align your cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Using a spoon or a spatula, fill the cupcake liners about ⅔ full. The batter should give you exactly 12 cupcakes.
  • Bake the cupcakes for about 17-19 minutes until the edges are golden or until a toothpick inserted at the center of the cupcake comes out clean. 
  • Let the cupcakes cool inside the cupcake pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to further cool. Do not decorate or apply cream cheese frosting to the cupcake until the cupcake’s temperature reaches room temperature.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • In a stand-alone mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 – 3 minutes.
  • Now lower the speed of the mixer and slowly add in the sifted powder sugar. Increase the speed to medium-high speed and beat for 2 minutes.
  • Add in the vanilla extract and beat at low speed until combined. 

Combining Everything

  • Fill your chocolate ganache in a piping bag. Using a cupcake corer or the edge of a spoon, make an approximately 3 cm in diameter hole at the cupcake center. The height of the hole should be no more than ⅔ of the height of the cupcake. Fill the hole with chocolate ganache. 
  • Then top the cupcake with cream cheese frosting using any method you like. You can pipe it, spread it with a knife or spatula, up to you. 

Notes

  • Use unsweetened shredded coconut instead of sweetened shredded coconut. Using sweetened shredded coconut will make this recipe too sweet. 
  • Don't overbeat the cream cheese frosting, as this might ruin its consistency making it harder to pipe.