Cherry Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes

Name: Cherry Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 2 dozen.
Ingredients: 1 package (10 to 12 ounces) vanilla or white chips; 1/2 cup butter, cubed; 1 cup heavy whipping cream; 1 teaspoon coconut extract; 1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling; 1 cup buttermilk; 2 large eggs; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 cups sugar; 3/4 cup baking cocoa; 2 teaspoons baking soda; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 6 packages (1.9 ounces each) chocolate-covered coconut candy bars; 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips; 1 teaspoon shortening; 24 maraschino cherries, well drained; 3-1/4 cups confectioners' sugar; 2 tablespoons coarse sugar

Chocolate-covered coconut candy is tucked inside each of these morsels. The ganache frosting is complemented by coarse sugar and chocolate-covered cherries. —Sandy Ploy, Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin

Ingredients

1 package (10 to 12 ounces) vanilla or white chips
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup baking cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 packages (1.9 ounces each) chocolate-covered coconut candy bars
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon shortening
24 maraschino cherries, well drained
3-1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons coarse sugar

Directions

For ganache, place vanilla chips and butter in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chip mixture; whisk until smooth. Stir in extract. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
In a large bowl, beat the pie filling, buttermilk and eggs until well blended. Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into pie filling mixture until blended.
Fill 24 paper-lined muffin cups one-third full. Cut candy bars in half; place half of a candy bar in center of each cupcake. Cover each with 2 tablespoonfuls batter.
Bake at 375° for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
Meanwhile, in a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip cherries in chocolate mixture; allow excess to drip off. Place on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until set.
Remove ganache from refrigerator; gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until frosting is light and fluffy. Pipe over cupcakes; sprinkle with coarse sugar. Garnish with chocolate-dipped cherries.

Nutrition Facts

1 each: 426 calories, 16g fat (10g saturated fat), 44mg cholesterol, 255mg sodium, 67g carbohydrate (54g sugars, 1g fiber), 4g protein.

Originally published as Cherry Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes in Taste of Home Christmas Annual 2009

Reviews

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Average Rating:

mistyj74

Jun 19, 2012

HANDS DOWN, BEST CUPCAKE EVER!!!! Icing is so thick and rich, chocolate covered cherry on top is so yummy, cherries throughout the cake, and you get to the yummy mounds bar at the end! A MUST MAKE!!!!!
utvol1191

Jan 15, 2012

BIG HIT at the Christmas parties!!! I made this recipe twice and they were amazing!
CFranklin879

Jan 5, 2012

This recipe was WONDERFUL and I got rave reviews from my co-workers. One of them even offered to pay me to make them for an upcoming birthday party in his family! I did add 1T of oil to the batter as suggested in another review and they came out extremely moist.
Have Your Cake & Lose Weight too

Dec 19, 2011

What I liked about this recipe was tucking the coconut candy inside! Now I am a diabetic treated with diet and exercise so obviously I needed a couple changes. To begin with I frosted with refrigerated Vanilla Snack Pack Pudding and sprinkled a little coconut on top. I used sugar free cherry pie filling and Splenda instead of the sugar. I did splurge with the chocolate coconut candy inside. I also only made 12 cupcakes. I still captured her flavors!
SladerGator

Dec 18, 2011

Thank you to those who wrote reviews on this recipe thus making me try it! This one is definitely a keeper! Delicious!
Barbilicious

Dec 17, 2011

I haven't made this recipe yet, but I was wondering if you could make it as a 9x13 cake instead of cupcakes? Would the batter be too much for a 9x13 size pan? Would it change the way it would turn out as far as the moistness and flavor?
bluetigereyes2

Dec 17, 2011

I made this recipe for a potluck at work. Not only were these delicious, they looked amazing too. I had enough frosting to make another batch the next day and STILL had left over frosting. When I made my 2nd batch, I added about 1 T canola oil to the batter, and that made it alot moister. I would highly recommend adding a little oil to the cake batter. These are quite rich, but also work well as mini cupcakes (just cut the mounds bars into 4 pieces instead of 2) and they are the perfect snack size without being overbearing. I also topped mine with toasted coconut instead of the coarse sugar. Definitely a keeper!!!
sstetzel

Dec 15, 2011

Almond Joy is the nutty counterpart to Mounds. These have Mounds bars in them.
bbpawn

Dec 15, 2011

I am curious, what candy bar did you use? the only coconut I could think of was almond joy
pumabecker

Mar 16, 2011

These cupcakes are to die for. Everyone who ate them said they were the best ever. I highly recommend!!