Pina Colada Cupcakes with Fresh Kiwi Frosting
Tropical Pina Colada Cake batter whipped into ultra moist and decadent Pina Colada Cupcakes with Kiwi Frosting. The taste of a birthday party and a fiesta rolled into one!
I have a thing for Pina Coladas.
Smooth creamy coconut milk mixed with a punch of pineapple is often more than I can bear to resist.
When I was five months pregnant with my first child, my husband and I took a trip to Hawaii; sort of a last hurrah as non-parents. We lived it up as much as a couple can, when one of the two has a newly emerging belly.
I had just visited my doctor right before our trip and had another appointment scheduled one week after our return. When I weighed in after our vacation, the doctor scolded, “Sommer, what have you been doing? You gained THIRTEEN POUNDS in the last four weeks!!”
With my head hanging I admitted, “We’ve been in Hawaii for over two weeks, and I drank AT LEAST one virgin Pina Colada every day!”
I’m embarrassed to tell you, she was not happy, and I did not stay under the “appropriate” weight gain that pregnancy. Oh well, those were good virgin Pina Coladas. I didn’t even miss the rum.
These days I try to take it easy on such lavish treats as Pina Coladas, but I do indulge in a good Pina Colada cake here and there.
These Pina Colada Cupcakes with Kiwi Frosting are a new addiction in my house, and are even harder to resist than the beverage.
The Pina Colada cake batter is thick and rich, making a delicately moist cake with a tender crumb. Even without the kiwi frosting, these babies cause immediate obsession.
Cut the kiwi in half and scoop the felt out with a spoon.
Yet top the Pina Colada Cupcakes with light creamy kiwi frosting, dotted with fresh tangy kiwi fruit and you have something truly enslaving.
With one bite, these seemingly innocent cupcakes will own you.
You’ve been warned.
Jokes aside, this is my new favorite cupcake creation.
I have plenty of delicious cake and cupcake recipes here on ASP, but if I could talk you into making one variety, this would be it. Honestly, these Pina Colada Cupcakes are wonderful.
And just look at these marvelous edible flowers made out of dried pineapple and kiwi!
April Scharpf of April’s Edible Art makes beautiful and healthy dried fruit creations. She sells all natural flower picks for edible arrangements or cake toppers, and dried fruit just for snacking. They taste as good as they look, and have no preservatives or added sugar.
Make sure to check out her site. The cinnamon apples are pretty amazing as well.
Yield: 32 cupcakes
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Pina Colada Cupcakes ~ Kiwi Frosting
Ingredients:
For the Pina Colada Cake:
2 cups sugar
3 sticks softened unsalted butter (1 1/2 cups)
6 eggs, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup shredded coconut
15 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained (1 cup)
For the Kiwi Frosting:
2 sticks softened unsalted butter (1 cup)
2 - 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
2 ripe kiwis, peeled
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 pinches salt
10-12 cups powdered sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line muffins tins with paper liners (about 32.)
With an electric mixer, beat the sugar and softened butter until extremely light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Don't rush this part!
With the mixer still running, slowly add the eggs to the creamed sugar mixture. Then beat in the vanilla.
In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Turn the mixer on low and alternate adding the dry mixture and the coconut milk to the mixing bowl until bowl are well combined. Scrape the bowl and add in the shredded coconut and crushed pineapple. Mix just enough to combine.
Using a 1/4 cup scoop, fill the liners 3/4 full. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool completely before frosting.
Meanwhile, Place the peeled kiwis in the blender and puree until smooth.
With the electric mixer, beat the softened butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Make SURE they are both room temperature or you'll end up with clumpy frosting.
Add the kiwi, vanilla and salt. Then slowly add the powdered sugar. Continue adding the powdered sugar until you reach the desired consistency.
Frost and enjoy!
More Cakey Sensations:
Pistachio Cupcakes with Pink Champagne Frosting
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes ~ Annie’s Eats
Apple Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting ~ Baking = Love
Chocolate Beehive Cupcakes ~ Sweetopia
Tres Leches Cupcakes ~ Bakers Royale













These sound fabulous! Love it!
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YUM! This sounds like the perfect cupcake for summertime by the pool!
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Summer in a cupcake right here. I love these Sommer!
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love the hawaii story…it’s a good thing we didn’t go when i was pregnant otherwise my weight gain would have been crazy!
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OMG…not only do these sound amazing, but I can actually get all the ingredients here! (we are Americans currently living in Saudi Arabia) Can’t wait to make these…thank you for a wonderful recipe!
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Such fantastic flavors – so summery and tropical. I’d LOVE these. And those pineapple flowers are so incredibly cool. I’m definitely going to have to check out how to do that.
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Love the flavors & love the presentation Sommer!
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These cupcakes are crazy gorgeous, Sommer! I think my mom would have been in heaven if I made her these. Great summery recipe!
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These cupcakes are fantastic! Pina Coladas are my favorite too
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Beautiful Cupcakes Sommer!
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Wow, these are beauties and sound delicious. Love the kiwi frosting.
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LOVE the dried pineapple and kiwi flower toppers!!!
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I love how creamy and smooth the frosting looks! I could swim in it I think. Nice summer time cupcake, would be good for Memorial Day!
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Oh dear.. I love everything pina colada and I have yet to have it in a cupcake. Brilliant!
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Yeah, vacations and I don’t get along. It’s like I gain a pound a day and the weight never seems to go away.
If I were on vacation, I’d eat one of these cupcakes every day. And kiwi icing– well, that just sounds amazing!
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Gorgeous cupcakes! They look amazing!
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Love hearing about your last hurrah in Hawaii Sommer! I lived in Hawaii for 3 years, and it’s hard not to want to enjoy the tropical drinks everyday!
Your pina colada cupcakes look and sound amazing! Wish I had one right now.
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Cupcakes just make me happy and these are no exception. Super cute!
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Oh my gosh, these are adorable! One of my favorite drinks, made into a cupcake. Yum!
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these are so beautiful. I love the kiwi and Pina Colada combination
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Can’t go to Hawaii very soon so I guess having these treats will bring my spirit to Hawaii…Gee! Thanks! A tropical treat, indeed!
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I love so many things about this post! I adore Pina Coladas too. So dangerous! These cupcakes are so fabulous and I love the kiwi frosting!
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I’ve always been a sucker for Pina Coladas too so this is right up my alley!
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I love the kiwi colored mixer!
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These are beautiful and sooooo creative. Love the Kiwi leaves!
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OK, these are just way too cute to eat. I am totally impressed
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I’m planning to create these for my girlfriend’s bachelorette party! In the pictures, the frosting looks a bit on the soft side. It’s been really hot in my apartment lately (summer, go figure!) so I really don’t want the frosting to melt off… Do you think it will hold up?
Thanks!
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I was hoping to read reviews from people who have actually made these. How many “They look amazing!” comments do we need?
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