Big Waves of Mango Coconut

This week's cupcake is a vegan mango cupcake with bits of candied mango inside topped with a coconut buttercream frosting and rolled in toasted coconut.  This cupcake has big flavors like being on the inside of a big wave in Hawaii.  It helped that "The Bruce Movie" was on in the background so there was a lot of big wave surfing that added some inspiration to the cupcake.

Mango! The mango isn't a real sweet flavor but a nice mild sweet in the cupcake and the candied mango pieces not only helped to enhance the mango flavor but also added a nice texture to the cupcake.  The buttery consistency of the frosting topped with the toasted coconut really brings it all together.  Imagine standing up a surf board, coming through through the barrel of a wave and being shot out of the other side into the blue water and sunshine.  We've never personally experienced surfing a big wave but from watching this in a movie and then eating this cupcake they seem to go hand in hand.

The recipe yields about 24 large cupcakes and about a dozen babies.  Preheat the oven to 350 and give those cupcake trays a lining.

Mango Cupcake


3 cups of flour (this week no self rising flour)
3/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cup of sugar (still using sugar in the raw)
2 cups of mango (feel free to use more if you like too much mango isn't a bad thing)
3 tsp vanilla
1 tsp coconut extract
1/2 cup of unsweetened almond milk
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Mix together dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt) and set aside.  Mix sugar, oil and almond milk for about a minute.  Add in dry ingredients a little at a time and add mango a little at a time switching off until everything is well blended.  Add vanilla and coconut extract and mix for another minute.  Scoop into cupcake tins about 3/4 full.

Coconut Buttercream Frosting


1 cup of butter (earth balance)
1 cup of vegetable shortening
3 1/2 cups of confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 tsp of coconut extract
dash of vanilla

Cream together butter and shortening.  Add sugar in 1/2 cups until well mixed and fluffy.  Add extract and mix for another minute.

For the toasted coconut we used shaved coconut.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spread thin layer of coconut on a baking sheet covered in foil.  Bake for about 10 minutes checking periodically for the coconut to brown.

Once the cupcake has cooled you can frost it and roll it in the toasted coconut.  You can be generous with the toasted coconut because it adds a really good flavor.  Just don't eat in all in the process of baking the cupcakes.

This cupcake will make you want to be in the tropics watching or if you are so inclined participating in some surfing activities.  What would make this cupcake better? Nothing, it is very delicious and has a nice balance of flavors.

Tip of the day: gas is getting expensive, walk more.

Until next time surfs up and get your bake on.  As always, sugar kisses and cupcake dreams.

The Pistachio Cupcake Effect

The Pistachio Effect

Refers to all phenomena where foods tastes better because they require some type of work to actually consume. Examples include, but are not limited to, bone in chicken wings, crab legs, sunflower seeds, clam, lobster, assorted fruits i.e. kiwifruit and pomegranates. The name comes from the pistachio nut because it is traditionally sold in its shell and requires a nutcracker or hand wrenching to release the nut. This effect has no connection to the 2009 short film with the same name.

The above notation is taken from Wikipedia and it seems appropriate to add for this week's cupcake since it was a labor intensive process opening each pistachio by hand and hopefully it makes the cupcake taste better.  

The cupcake is a pistachio cupcake topped with a buttercream icing.  The top of the cupcake browned a little and has a little bit of a crunch to it almost cookie-like.  The pistachio is not overwhelming and not a very strong taste overall.  It is a difficult flavor to have come through strong and the first time we worked with it.  Overall the cupcake turned out delicious but again the pistachio flavor isn't very strong.  This cupcake did take a while to make and the labor of love that went into makes it all the more delicious when eating.  

Yields appox. 24 regular cupcakes and 12 minis.  Preheat the oven to 350 and line your cupcake tins.

Vegan Pistachio Cupcake

3 cups of flour (still using self rising)

2 packages of pistachio flavored jello pudding (yes it's vegan and who knew)

1 cup of shelled pistachios (this is the labor of love - you can buy shelled pistachios for a lot more money by why take away the fun of shelling them)

1 cup of butter (earth balance)

1 1/2 cup of sugar 

1/3 cup of oil (canola)

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup of soy milk

2 tsp of apple cider vinegar

Shell the pistachios and finely chop using a food processor.  Mix together the soy and vinegar and set aside.  Sift together the flour and the pudding mix and also set aside.  Mix together the butter and sugar and add the oil a little bit at a time until well mixed and then add the vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients a little bit at a time while adding the milk mixture in between until it is all mixed together.  

The batter is going to seem really thick but trust when we say it's gonna be good.  Fill your muffin tins about 1/2 to 3/4 full and bake for approx. 15-18 minutes or until your toothpick comes out batter free.

Buttercream Frostin'

1 cup of butter (earth balance)

1 cup of vegetable shortening

3 tsp of vanilla

4 1/2 cups of confectioner sugar

1 tablespoon of soy milk

Mix together butter and sugar add in confectioner sugar a little at a time.  At the end mix in the soy milk and vanilla. 

Top your cupcakes with a few crushed pistachios.  You will need the pistachios, a baggie and something to smash them with.

It's a subtle pistachio flavor with a sweet creamy icing.  It's yum yum yum delicious.  

We were going to also top this cupcake with fresh raspberries but unfortunately the store did not have them.  Just a suggestion though as it seems that this cupcake would be good with a bit of raspberry on top. 

Tip of the day:  say hi to a stranger at least once a day.

Until next time sugar kisses and cupcake dreams.