1M Swirls and Pompom Flower

What do you do with leftover coconut milk?  Well, of course you make CUPCAKES!  From the domestic goddess her self- Martha Stewart‘s Cupcakes book!

I got this book for Christmas (thanks G) and I have been waiting for the opportunity to bake something from it.  Finally, the opportunity presented itself in form of Coconut Cream Cupcakes!

Poinsettia, Shaggy Mums

For my Wilton Decorating class week 3, we were to bring in one dozen cupcakes to “learn” how to decorate.

1M Swirl with pompom flower topping

The first way to decorate was the base coat  . . . which is usually my complete topping for my cupcakes . . . 1M tip, swirled.  But, that is not the “Wilton Way” (more on that later)!  On top of the 1M swirl goes the pompom flower.  Since I knew I was going to be giving these cupcakes to my staff, and some people don’t like icing (they are criminally insane), I didn’t put the swirl on some of the cupcakes.

Pompom Flower

For these pompom flowers, start with a small mound of icing for the flower base, in the middle of the cupcake (the top of the 1M swirl works as a base if you have piped the swirl).  Using tip 16, make the top of the flower in a darker shade of colour, simply squeeze, and pull up and away.

For the petals, using tip 18, start at the bottom of the base, and pipe petals around the base of the flower, move up a layer, alternating between bottom petals, fill in spaces, move up the base again.  Wilton actually has a good tutorial for this flower on their website: Pompom Flower.  Add leaves (with any leaf tip) when you are finished piping the petals.

Avec leaves

Shaggy Mums

To make a shaggy mum flower, you need your tip 233.  Start with piping the leaves around the swirl (again, not shown . . . but truth be told, it wasn’t that I was thinking of others, I had simply run out of base icing!  I think people that don’t like icing are crazy, so why would I help them out by not putting TONS on my cupcakes!?)  With your 233 tip, you start at the outside, and squeeze and pull away!  Super easy.  Work your way to the inside, by squeezing and pulling these “petals”.  The messier, the better!

There they are . . . all on display!  1M swirls, shaggy mums, poinsettia, and pompom flowers!  Super easy and quick cupcake decorating ideas!

**Edited to Add . . . the recipe!  I forgot it!

Coconut Cream Cupcakes

(adapted from Martha Stewart)

Makes 2 dozen

3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup coconut milk

8 large egg whites

1 1/4 cups shredded sweetened coconut

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two standard 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until just combined. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; set aside.
4. In the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy. With mixer running, gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar; beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 4 minutes. Do not overbeat. Gently fold a third of the egg-white mixture into the butter-flour mixture until combined. Gently fold in remaining egg-white mixture; stir in shredded coconut.
5. Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each with a heaping 1/4 cup batter. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until the cupcakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack. Invert cupcakes onto rack; then reinvert and let cool completely, top sides up. Frost cupcakes with seven minute frosting, swirling to cover. Cupcakes may be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Garnish with fresh coconut just before serving.