These Coconut Cupcakes with Lavender Buttercream are tender, soft, and delicate. They’re wildly delicious and happen to be gluten free, too!
A Cupcake For Cupcake Lovers
This is one of those recipes I’ll admit I’m pretty proud of. A beautiful flavor combination, an incredible crumb, a delicate balance of sweetness. These coconut cupcakes are made with coconut flour, making them gluten-free! The buttercream is a swiss meringue version, meaning it’s light, silky, and sweet, beautifully flavored with dried lavender.
Read on to learn more about my Coconut Cupcakes with Lavender Buttercream!
How To Make Coconut Cupcakes With Lavender Buttercream
A week ago I posted a story on Instagram in which I took my first bite of these scrumptious cupcakes. My reaction prompted questions and buzz, with many people reaching out for the recipe! I’m thrilled to share this unreal recipe for some of the best cupcakes I’ve ever made!
Making Gluten-Free Coconut Cupcakes
As mentioned, these cupcakes are made with coconut flour, which is made from dried and ground coconut meat. It’s gluten-free, making it an excellent option for baking whether you’re gluten-free, paleo, or just looking to experiment with new ingredients.
Coconut flour requires more moisture in the recipes it’s in, since it absorbs liquids more quickly that other flours. That said, the ratio of dry to liquid ingredients may look a little different here if you’re unfamiliar with baking with coconut flour.
The main ingredients that make up this recipe include:
- Coconut Oil
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Coconut Milk
- Coconut Flour
- Baking Powder
The coconut flavor is enhanced by using multiple coconut ingredients. I considered using coconut sugar in this recipe, but am glad I stuck with white sugar, which features a more clean flavor as opposed to the richness that coconut sugar can bring.
Making Lavender Swiss Meringue Buttercream
In comparison to traditional buttercream, swiss meringue buttercream is far less sweet. It requires a different method from buttercream, so let’s go over both!
Traditional buttercream features butter, powdered sugar, and potentially flavor extracts, salt, and cream or milk depending on the recipe. The butter is room temperature for easy whipping and is completely combined essentially resulting in sweetened butter. It’s an excellent option for a simple homemade frosting and is customizable.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream also includes butter, however, the ingredient list is a little longer as is the process. White sugar is combined with egg whites in a double boiler and whisked until they’re frothy and cooked through. This mixture is then whipped until stiff peaks form, after which the butter, vanilla, and salt are added. The end result is a glossy and velvety frosting that also can be customizable with various flavors.
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Coconut Cupcakes with Lavender Buttercream
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 eggs
- 2 Tbsp coconut milk
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
For the lavender buttercream:
- 3 egg whites
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp dried lavender buds
- 12 Tbsp unsalted butter softened but still cool
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch sea salt
Instructions
For the coconut cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350º. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners, spray with coconut oil.
- Beat together oil, sugar, salt, vanilla, and eggs. Add milk and whisk until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. Add to wet mixture, whisking completely to combine.
- Divide batter among cupcake liners, bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into one of your cupcakes comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes in the muffin tin, then remove them to a cooling rack to completely cool.
For the lavender buttercream:
- Add egg whites, sugar, and lavender buds to a heatproof bowl (glass works well), that will fit in a saucepan filled with about an inch of water. Be sure the bowl is not touching the water: you want the steam that comes off the water in the saucepan to be what "cooks" your egg white and sugar mixture. Whisk constantly until sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes.
- If you're using a stand mixer and not already using its mixing bowl, strain mixture with a fine-mesh sieve into that bowl. Discard the lavender buds. It's ok that the mixture is still warm! Whip mixture with the whisk attachment until stiff glossy peaks form and mixture is no longer warm. This should take about 15 minutes. Note that the level of humidity will impact how long this takes!
- Next, using the paddle attachment, add your butter 1 tablespoon at a time, until all butter is incorporated. Add vanilla extract and salt, mixing until combined.
- Using a pastry bag fitted with a star or round tip, pipe the frosting on your cooled cupcakes and top with dried lavender buds.