PINA COLADA CUPCAKE RECIPE FROM SCRATCH RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 8 inch cake pans
• In a small bowl , combine eggs, coconut milk, oil, coconut extract and rum extract. Blend with a fork and set aside.
• Put the dry ingredients, cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into the bowl of your mixer and whisk for at least 30 seconds to blend the ingredients.
• With the mixer on low speed gradually increasing to medium speed gradually add the slices of butter to the dry ingredients a few pieces of butter at a time. Beat until the dry ingredients are crumbly and moistened. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, there should be no spots of dry flour in the bowl.
• SLOWLY add approximately 1/2 of the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and beat for 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl then add the remaining egg mixture in 2 pourings, scraping the bowl and beating for 20 seconds after each addition.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes
• Makes about 6 1/2 cups batter
• Works well for cupcakes - cupcakes bake up with very little doming
• Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat.
• When the mixture begins to boil, stir constantly until it begins to thicken, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Keep in mind that it will thicken even more as it cools.
• Cool completely in refrigerator before using.
• Add the butter to the mixing bowl and beat until smooth.
• Add the cream cheese that has been cut into small to medium size pieces, beating with the butter until well blended and smooth.
• Add the rum and coconut extracts.
• Slowly add the powdered sugar, beating until smooth.
• Use the frosting while it is still chilled. If it becomes too soft, refrigerate until it firms up a bit or put in the freezer for 5 minutes or so to return to a good piping consistency.
• Spread 1 cup of coconut evenly on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 5 minutes. Stir after a couple of minutes. Remove from the oven when some of the coconut is slightly brown. If it is baked too long it will become dry and chewy. I press some of the browned coconut into the untoasted coconut that is covering the cake. It is an interesting look on the cake, but completely optional.
• Place a cake layer on a cake board or serving stand and spread with a thin layer of frosting. Pipe a dam of frosting around the edge of the cake layer (approx. 1/2 inch in). Spread a layer of pineapple filling over the thin layer of frosting and inside the dam. The dam will keep the pineapple filling in place as you begin to stack your layers. You can also sprinkle a bit of coconut over this if you like. Repeat with the next layer.
• Crumb coat the cake with a thin layer of cream cheese frosting and refrigerate for 1 hour or freeze for 15 minutes to firm everything up. Now you will be ready to spread on the final coat of frosting. Press in the coconut on the sides and top of the cake, adding a bit of the toasted coconut here and there.
• Optional: Using a 2D tip, decorate the top and place maraschino cherries and shown in the picture of the cake.

Steps:

• Crust- Preheat oven to 375. Put half of the box of Graham crackers into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse until finely ground. Measure out 1½ cups into a medium sized bowl.
• Stir together the crumbs and the sugar, and then evenly pour the melted butter into the mixture. Stir using a fork until everything is evenly blended.
• Pour crust mixture into a 9 inch springform pan. Press it evenly around the bottom and and inch up the sides until an even layer is formed. (I used the bottom of a cup for this) Set aside.
• Filling: In a large bowl, mix the softened cream cheese and sugar together on medium to medium-high speed. Once fully combined, add the vanilla and one egg. Blend until smooth and fully incorporated. Scrape the bowl down from time to time to ensure everything is being mixed together. Add the remaining eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly each time. (Don't mix on high speed - this will incorporate too much air into the batter and the cheesecake won't be as dense once it bakes.)
• Pour mixture over the crust. Gently tap the pan to encourage any air bubbles to rise to the surface.
• Place the cheesecake into a preheated oven and bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until the center no longer jiggles when gently shaken. Once the first layer has baked, let it cool for at approximately 15 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 450° F.
• While the cheesecake is cooling, whisk the sour cream, sugar and vanilla together until smooth. Once the cheesecake has cooled for approximately 15 minutes, pour the sour cream topping over top. Using a rubber spatula or offset spatula, smooth out the surface.
• Place back into the oven (remember the heat should have been increased to 450° F) and bake for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack to let cool to room temperature.
• Refrigerate the cheesecake overnight to set. *Don't put cheesecake in the fridge until it has cooled to room temperature.