Coconut Nutella Cupcakes
Itty bitty decadent Coconut Nutella Cupcakes. One-bite treats to satisfy your cravings!
I’ve been married for seventeen years and have been friends with my husband for nearly 21 years. I married my best friend… Something I highly recommend.
There were plenty of boys that crossed my path, prior to hubby, that made the hair on the back on my neck stand up. But they weren’t the sort of boys that I could joke with, talk with, or really be myself with. Lt. Dan was (is) a keeper. He has a special gift for making my heart thump, and making me laugh to the point of snorting, in the same conversation.
There are countless thoughts I could share about marriage. Seventeen years doesn’t make a person an expert, but it does give you plenty of time for trial and error.
One thing I can tell you that has made our relationship a happy union, is that we honestly try to prefer the other person. I try not to push him into giving me my way and he doesn’t push me either. This took some practice, because after all, humanity is selfish by nature.
Yet real love is looking beyond your own feelings and desires.
I let hubs have his way (most of the time) and he does the same for me. It works!
When you know someone else has your best interest in mind, and isn’t trying to manipulate and maneuver to get their own way, you can let your guard down. You can trust.
In our house, a cupcake is the perfect example of this sort of sacrificial love. If I were making dessert for myself, I would always bake a cake with rich layers of decedent fillings stacked high.
Yet I try to prefer hubby as often as possible, so we have cupcakes most of the time. Lt. Dan swears a cupcake tastes better… Even if they are made with the same batter and frosting as a layer cake.
So these Coconut Nutella Cupcakes are for my sweetheart, made with one of his favorite flavor combinations, coconut and chocolate.
These ultra light coconut cupcakes, are delicately folded for an elegant airy quality. Then each mini cupcake is crested with a dollop of Nutella. I could have easily made chocolate frosting, but why would I do that when I can frost with Nutella?
Cupcakes make Lt. Dan happy, which makes me happy. Coconut Nutella Cupcakes for the win!
Coconut Nutella Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup shredded coconut, heaping
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
- 2 sticks softened butter (1 cup)
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 5 egg yolks
- 4 egg whites
For the Topping:
- 1 jar Nutella (or 2 small jars)
- 1 cup shredded coconut, toasted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Using an electric mixer, whip the egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon salt until firm. Set aside for later.
- Mix the first three dry ingredients and remaining salt in a bowl, set aside. With the mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl and add the egg yolks one at a time, until they are all well blended.
- Then alternate adding the dry mixture and the coconut milk until the mixture is smooth. Scrape the bowl and mix again. Gently fold in the egg whites, taking care not to over work the batter.
- Line muffin tins with paper liners. Fill the liners 2/3 full and bake: 10-12 minutes for minis, and 18-22 minutes for regular cupcakes. Check the cupcakes to make sure a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Then pop them out of the muffin tins immediately.
- Use a piping bag (or a plastic bag with the corner snipped off) pipe a dollop of Nutella in the center of each cupcake. It’s ok if they are still a little warm. It helps the Nutella spread over the top a bit.
- Spread one cup of coconut over a baking sheet. Place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, until golden brown. DO NOT take your eyes off the coconut, it burns FAST! Sprinkle the cooled coconut over each cupcake.
Cupcake therapy as marriage therapy…I like it! And these little guys would certainly make me happy too.
These look awesome, Sommer! Jamie isn’t a huge coconut fan, but I bet even he would gobble these up! :) Thanks for the great recipes and the great life stories and encouragement.
Oh yum. How have I never thought of frosting my cupcakes with Nutella! I have been missing out. Pretty pictures too, Sommer.
Just the thought of these two flavors is heaven a must try for me!
I love this flavor combination, but my husband hates things with coconut! Sad day! :(
That’s so lovely, I wish I will someday find some one like you have, and bake cakes for!
Also, I agree – nutella all the way. These cakes look amazing, especially with the combination of coconut on top :)
p.s. you have a really nice fancy electric whisk, I’m jealous ;)
These are so adorable!
I totally agree with you, cupcake therapy is the best kind of therapy! Everything you said is so true, every good relationship is a balance of give and take each person looking out for the best interests of the other. It’s a great feeling to know that someone’s always got your back.
I love love love this post! I agree with you – hubs and I have been married 10 years and together for 15 (highschool sweethearts) aww. He truly is my best friend and we laugh with eachother every day. I don’t think cupcakes is too bad of a “compromise!” lol :)
So sweet – wonderful words of wisdom. Noted!! And these sweet things are such a way to honor your wonderful marriage & friendship.
I also try to prefer hubby when I bake…also because in that way I don’t end up having to eat a whole batch of cupcakes or scones by myself lol! We do have some pretty different tastes when it comes to food, deriving in part from being grown up in two different continents. But I have been able to make both happy. Isn’t that a nice feeling? See, these cupcakes will make both happy! thanks for sharing
You and your sweetheart deserve many more years of love and happiness. As a recently married woman, I enjoyed hearing your meditations on what has made your relationship last. And of course…I’m happy with cupcakes :-) Thank you for infusing your posts with your kind spirit, your thoughtful words, and your beautiful photographs. Even in the midst of sadness, I find such solace visiting the blogs that I’ve grown to love this past year. I hope you have a wonderful start to your week, my friend. A big hug from Austin!
What a sweet post about your husband. I’m sure he appreciated these pretty cupcakes. Nutella and coconut sounds like a fantastic combination to me.
Cupcake therapy sounds fantastic to me :) How sweet of you to make your husband’s favorite!
You know what? What. ;) Now that you mention it, I think cupcakes do taste better than cake. Huh. Weird. I could totally live without cake, but cupcakes make me happy. Now. I happen to not like chocolate either (wait, don’t hang up!) I do however, l.o.v.e. Nutella. to bits! In fact, in an effort to keep the chubs under control {getting ridiculously harder in my 30’s} I have had to skip past any and all Nutella recipes lately. This one is so absolutely and positively perfect however, that I have to give you a big cyber kiss!
MWUAAHHH!
love the coconut. will have to make these babies.
This flavor combo is right up my alley… except I can’t keep a jar of Nutella in the house because I eat it in one sitting!
These are absolutely adorable… I agree..”cup cake therapy” can be a very good thing. Would you know that I’ve only dabbled into Nutella a few times.. I’m still a Nutella newbie.
I love that expression: “Cup cake therapy”. It will replace “marriage counseling” pretty soon, starting in Asheville and spreading across the nation! It will be much more effective as well.
My husband is not a big dessert fan, but as soon Nutella is involved he can’t resist. He will eat it in cupcakes, cookies or a cake. I have to bake these cupcakes for him. Thanks, Sommer.