Coconut Cream Cupcakes

These are not fancy, elegantly iced cupcakes, nor are they simple one-step muffins. Rather, they're like stuffed snack cakes, full of coconut pudding cream and topped with toasted grated coconut. They've got the flavour profile of a coconut cream pie in handheld form, albeit with no whipped cream... still, they're very good.

While the coconut cream and desiccated coconut provides lots of flavour, a little coconut batter in the rum would not at all be unwelcome. A chunk of pineapple tucked into the middle and you've got a piña colada variant.

Despite my concerns that these cupcakes (made in the need to use up 3 cups of milk quickly) were too plain, too mishapen and too messy, I got some really good reviews on these from everyone who tried them. Thus, I must post them, last-minute photos and all! Enjoy them in all their ugly glory.

Coconut Cream Cupcakes

For the Cupcakes:
From food.com
2 C. Pastry or cake flour
2 Tsp. Baking powder
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/4 C. (57 g.) Butter, softened
3/4-1 C. Sugar
1/4 C. Vegetable oil (or more butter)
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract (I used mixed essence, coconut extract would work very well!)
2 Eggs
1 C. Milk, whole or 2%
1/2 C. Shredded sweetened coconut, to sprinkle on top

For the Pudding Filling:
2 C. Milk, whole or 2%
1/4 C. Cream of coconut, or just coconut cream
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract or mixed essence
1/4 C. Cornstarch
1/3 C. Sugar
2 Egg yolks
1 C. Shredded sweetened coconut