Month of Cupcakes Kickoff

Hello all,

Do you ever get hung up on making a decision?

I do. I hate making decisions. Yes, I know, terrible to admit but I positively loathe having to choose; not because I dislike being in charge (trust me, not a problem) but in reality because I love variety and never know what I want. What to have for dinner, what flavor of coffee I want, whether I want to study procrastinate on Pinterest or FoodGawker...the list goes on and on.

For example, I had decided (or so I thought) that I would do an April Cupcake Challenge here on the blog. Simple enough decision, now the only problem lay in where to obtain the recipes from. Do I go Julie and Julia on all of you and get a cupcake book? Or can I just pick my most favorite, most mouthwatering cupcake posts from some of the best baking blogs out there? OR do I just not do cupcakes at all because I can't decide between my first choice and second choice?

Now you see -  there's too much room to over-think it. Well it's your blog silly, my mind says to itself Just do you.

'But what does that even mean??' I ask my mind back. Then I realize I'm talking to myself inside my mind and it's very close to becoming talking to myself outside of my mind. Not an attractive feature while walking to class, let me tell you.

Well, just like avoiding decisions I am going to avoid that question too, for now. Right now, I am seriously in the mood for some cupcakes, and I think a whole month of them sounds just delightful.

Don't you?

I'm so glad you agree! So take this as a challenge, or just a month brimming with delicious baby cakes, but cupcakes will be the name of the game for the month of April here on Sugar Mountain.

Phew. Decision reached.

And to kick things off: Mocha Coconut Frappuccino Cupcakes! This recipe has been on my "To Bake" list for ages, and now that I've made (and eaten) an unhealthy amount of them, I can say that it was worth the wait, and that I most likely will not wait long until I make them again. They are that good.

 

During this month I'll also share links I've found with tips on cupcake baking, decorating, storing, etc.

If you want to join in on my month of cupcakes, just comment here on the post, sharing a link to your blog and letting me know if you'd like me to share your photos here on mine. That means all your posts in April must  be cupcake related, and I only ask that if you do want to get involved, to please link back to this post so that more bloggers can get involved and share their own crazy cupcake obsession.

Happy Baking!

Mocha Coconut Frappuccino Cupcakes Via How Sweet It Is 

1cup + 2 tbsp flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 tbsp instant coffee
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp sour cream
1/2 cup melted butter, cooled
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line one 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, coffee, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl whisk together egg and sugar until you reach a smooth consistency with no lumps. Beat in vanilla, coconut milk, and melted butter.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing until just combined and batter is smooth. Stir in sour cream. Fold in chocolate chips.
5. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to fill cupcake liners with batter. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean

Coconut Cream Frosting:

1cup softened butter
3 2/3 cups powdered sugar (more may be needed)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1-2  tbsp coconut milk
1/2 cup sweetened, shredded coconut

1. Beat butter until light and fluffy, then begin to beat in powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Beat in vanilla extract and teaspoonfuls of coconut milk until desired consistency is reached. Stir in sweetened shredded coconut and beat until smooth.

1/2 cup toasted coconut (*toast for 10 minutes at 350 degrees until golden - stirring often)

Mocha Coconut Drizzle:

2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp instant coffee powder
1-2 tsp coconut milk

1. Sift together sugar, cocoa powder and instant coffee in small bowl. Add coconut milk and stir. Continue to stir until thick glaze comes together, adding splashes of coconut milk if necessary.