These tropical Piña Colada Cupcakes are like taking a bite out of paradise. Made with fresh pineapple, dark Caribbean rum and sweetened coconut, these cupcakes are the perfect addition to any tropical themed event. If you like Piña Coladas… try these cupcakes!
I made these cupcakes for a Tiki party I recently threw. It was so much fun to put together. With many bars and event spaces still closed down, we decided to make our own little socially distant paradise. We found a Tiki themed backyard space right here in Chicago. (Details on the party here!) After a few Tiki drinks it was easy to sit back, relax, and pretend we were in Maui.
If you have never made a real piña colada, it combines creamy coconut milk, pineapple, rum, ice and lime juice. The cupcakes were simple to make and had just enough rum to make them a little boozy like the cocktail. Real coconut fills the cupcakes and gives them a true piña colada taste. The cupcakes are topped with a delicious buttercream that’s creamy and sweet with bursts of juicy fresh pineapple.
To Make the Cupcakes
- Mix the dry ingredients together. In a medium bowl add the flour, baking soda and salt and whisk together until combined. Set the dry ingredients aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Add the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and rum to the bowl of a stand up mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat until the butter is light and fluffy. Pour in the oil and eggs and beat until combined.
- Add the dry mix and buttermilk. On low speed, alternate adding the dry mix and buttermilk to the mixing bowl until combined. Add the coconut so it mixes throughout.
- Add the batter to the cupcake pan and bake the cupcakes. Pour the batter into the cupcake pan, ⅔ full and bake at 350° for 15-17 minutes.
- Make the Frosting. Add the butter to the bowl of a stand up mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, heavy cream, rum and salt and beat until the frosting is fluffy.
- Mix in the Pineapple. Add the diced pineapple and mix until combined.
- Frost the Cupcakes. Using a piping bag, pipe the frosting on the cupcakes.
Tips and Tricks
- Dicing the pineapple. Make sure the pineapple is diced VERY small for the frosting! If you don’t it will get caught in the piping tip. I made this mistake the first time and it was a big mess.
- Piping tip. I used the Ateco # 849 tip to frost the cupcakes. It’s a larger tip that creates pretty and whimsical swirls.
- Keep the frosting on the cooler side. Because it’s based with butter, it can melt and be harder to pipe. I recommend putting it in the fridge for 10 minutes before piping.
- Refrigerating and freezing the cupcakes. The cupcakes can stay good in the fridge for 4-5 days or be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container. I made these cupcakes on a Wednesday for the party Saturday. I froze them and then let them defreeze in the fridge the morning of the party. Because it was so hot that day I kept them in the fridge until they were ready to serve. They tasted great and did not dry out!
Looking for more cake inspiration? Try my other cakes here!
Pina Colada Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcake
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons dark rum
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup shredded sweetened coconut
Frosting
- 2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons dark rum
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- ⅓ cup fresh pineapple, diced into very small pieces
Instructions
To Make the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place cupcake holders in a cupcake pan (this recipe makes 24 cupcakes).
- In a medium bowl add the flour, baking soda and salt and whisk together until combined. Set aside.
- Add the butter, sugar, brown sugar and rum to the bowl of a stand up mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat 2-3 minutes on medium speed until the butter is light and fluffy. Pour in the oil and eggs and beat until combined.
- On low speed, alternate adding the dry mix and buttermilk to the mixing bowl until combined. Add the coconut so it mixes throughout.
- Pour the batter into the cupcake pan, ⅔ full. Bake at 350° for 15-17 minutes until the tops are golden brown and a tookpick comes out of the middle clean. Let them cool completely on a cooling rack.
To Make the Frosting
- Add the butter to the bowl of a stand up mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, heavy cream, rum and salt. Beat for 2 minutes until the frosting is fluffy but firm enough to pipe. Add the diced pineapple and mix until combined. Make sure your pineapple is diced VERY small, if not it won't pipe well and will get stuck in the tip.
- Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, add a small amount of the frosting a piping back. I used the Ateco tip #849. Frost the cupcakes in a swirl pattern until they are all covered in frosting. You can refrigerate the cupcakes for 4-5 days or freeze them for up to 3 months.
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