Allergy friendly. cupcake happy!

I love this dessert for a dinner party. Sweet. Flavorful. Decadent. I’ve had people tell me they don’t like coconut, but they like these cupcakes. Coconut cupcakes are good, but adding the vanilla beans makes it a little more special and contributes to the wow-factor.

Now let’s talk about the coconut whipped cream. Whether you have a dairy allergy or not, this is good stuff. And I mean insanely good! I prefer it over dairy whipped cream. Add some vanilla beans and coconut shreds for garnish on top and your friends and family will come running for more.

If you don’t believe me, you’ll just have to make them and taste for yourself.

 

Adapted from chefchloe.com

VEGAN VANILLA BEAN COCONUT CUPCAKES (makes 30)

Vanilla Bean Coconut Whipped Cream

2 cans full-fat coconut milk, chilled (I prefer Thai Kitchen or Whole Foods 365 brand, chilled several days)
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 vanilla bean, scraped, or 1 T. vanilla bean paste (Nielsen-Massey brand available at Williams Sonoma or Amazon.com)

Procedure

1. Freeze the stainless steel bowl and wire whip attachment of a stand mixer for at least 30 minutes. From the coconut milk can, scoop out only the solid white part of the coconut milk that has separated from the liquid (the less liquid, the better). Reserve the liquid for the cupcakes.
2. Place the solidified coconut milk, powdered sugar and vanilla bean in the chilled bowl. Whip on high speed for two minutes (turn off the mixer once or twice during whipping to scrape down the bowl). Chill in refrigerator until ready to use.

Sheila’s Tips: 1) When you chill the coconut milk, do so with the label right side up. When you are ready to prepare the whipped cream, open the can with a can opener from the bottom side. You should be able to easily pour off the liquid part (reserve it to use for the non-dairy milk in your cupcakes) and you can scoop the white solid portion into your mixing bowl. 2) Like dairy whipping cream, this will not hold up well when the weather is very humid, so plan accordingly!

Vanilla Bean Coconut Cupcakes
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded coconut (I use the sweetened kind because it is easier to find than unsweetened)
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups coconut milk (you can substitute any non-dairy milk…If you use canned, refrigerate the can overnight, and only use the liquid part, and note that you might need to add more liquid such as water or soy milk. Use the solid part of the canned coconut milk for the coconut whipped cream).
1 cup canola oil
1 vanilla bean, scraped, or 1 T. vanilla bean paste (Nielsen-Massey brand available at Williams Sonoma or Amazon.com)
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
Fresh fruit or shredded coconut for garnish, optional

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line two cupcake pans with liners sprayed with allergen-free cooking spray.
2. Whisk together sugar, baking soda, salt, coconut and flour into a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the non-dairy milk, oil, vanilla, and vinegar. Combine the wet and dry mixtures and whisk until thoroughly mixed.
3. Distribute batter into lined cupcake baking pan, and bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before transferring to rack to cool completely.

Sheila’s tip:Because vanilla bean paste is quite thick, it is not as easy to pour into a measuring spoon like vanilla extract. I’ve found that the easiest way to measure it is by using a medicine syringe. It fits easily into the small 4 oz. jar and you will get an accurate measurement.

Assembly

Use a piping bag or freezer bag to generously pipe Vanilla Bean Coconut Whipped Cream on each cooled cupcake. Garnish with shredded coconut or fruit, if desired. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.