Coconut Rum Cupcakes

Coconut Rum Cupcakes
When you have a craving for a creamy sweet coconut flavored dessert, I would highly recommend baking
a batch of these buttery rum frosting coconut cupcakes. There is something very delicious about these cupcakes and I'm not sure if its the coconuts, frosting or rum. Most likely all of the above!

Ingedeients:

3/4 Pound unsalted butter at room temperature
2 Cups sugar
5 Large Eggs
1 1/2 Teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 Teaspoon pure almond extract
3 Cups all purpose flour
1 Teaspoon baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1 Cup buttermilk
1 ounce of dark rum
14 ounces bag of sweetened and shredded coconut
1 pound cream cheese
1 1/2 pounds confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Next in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment add cream then butter and sugar and mix on medium until mixture is smooth light and fluffy. It should happen within 5 minutes.
Now turn the mixer on the low setting and add the eggs one at time, make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Next we will add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix until its all blends in.

Lets move on to our next step,
Grab a separate mixing bowl and sift together the flour-baking powder-baking soda, and salt.
You will add these three parts and move on to the wet ingredients. Lets add the buttermilk to the batter
while mixing until all the dry ingredients is smooth and creamy. Next fold in 7 ounces of coconut.

Place a muffin pan with paper cupcake liners out. You will want to fill each cup to the top full with the batter.
Slide full muffin pan into the over and let bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown on top.
You can check to see if the cupcakes are done by poking the centers with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean you are ready to remove the cupcakes from the oven.

Allow baked cupcakes to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes goes by remove all cupcakes from the pan and place on a backing rack to cool completely.

Frosting time!

Cream Cheese Icing,
1 pound cream cheese
3/4 pound unsalted butter
1 Teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
1/2 Teaspoon pure almond extract
1 1/2 pounds confectioners' sugar sifted

In a electric mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, blend together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix all ingredients until smooth and silky.

NOTE: Make sure butter and cream cheese are at room temperature.