Using my basic chocolate cupcake recipe as a base, I made a few tweaks to come up with this new rendition! Voila! Introducing my coconut chocolate cupcakes. They are pretty tasty and would make a great party treat. I adjusted the sweetness of the cupcake so that it would not end up too sweet when eaten together with the frosting. I also used Italian buttercream instead of American. It takes a little bit more steps to make but it is less sweet in comparison with American. In the case you do not plan to add frosting, I would suggest for you to slightly increase the sugar and add some chocolate chips.

Ingredients 

• 60g All purpose flour
• 50g caster sugar
• 25g unsweetened cocoa (I used Ghirardelli)
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp or 3g baking soda
• 65g sour cream
• 30g well beaten egg
• 60g coconut oil 
• 1/2 tsp coconut flavouring 
• 20g hot water diluted with 2g of coffee granules
• 70g coconut milk (Ayam brand)

Other

• 6 cupcake liner
• 1 big star piping tip and piping bag
• shredded coconut flakes

Method

• Preheat the oven at 150 degree celsius
• Sift all the dry ingredients together (flour, baking soda, sugar, salt and cocoa). Gently whisk to distribute the ingredients evenly. 
• Add in the egg, sour cream, coconut flavour, coconut milk and oil. Mix gently to combine. Add in the coffee mixture. Mix gently to combine. Do not over mix.
• Place the cupcake liner into the muffin tray. Fill up the cupcake liner with the batter, about 80 percent full. Fill some water on the unfilled muffin tray holes. This is just to protect the tray. 
• Bake for about 18 minutes or until when the skewer inserted in the middle of the cupcake turns out clean.. Turn the tray at 9-10 minutes for more even baking. Do note that mine is already fully baked at 18 minutes.
• Let the cupcakes sit in the tray for 10-15 minutes before transferring it to a cooling wire rack. Allow it to cool down completely before piping

Italian Buttercream

Ingredients

• 150g caster sugar
• 40g water
• 90g cold egg white
• 225g salted butter (room temperature)
• 2 tsp coconut milk (Ayam brand)
• 1/4 tsp coconut flavour

Note: 1.) I used salted butter to balance the sweetness, so it is up to you whether you want to use unsalted or not

2.) Since we are dealing with meringue, ensure that your bowl and whisk are free from oil or yolk

Method

• Whisk egg egg whites at fast speed till foamy , add in 1/3 of the sugar and continue to beat till soft peak. Simultaneously heat up the remaining sugar and water till it reaches 120 degree celsius
• Slowly add the boiled sugar on the side of the bowl and mix it till it reaches firm peak
• Allow the mixture to cool down completely before adding the soft butter, one by one. Mix on high speed until mixture is smooth and well combined.
• Add 2 tsp of coconut milk and coconut flavour , mix till combined.
• Transfer to piping bag with piping tip and pipe onto the cupcake.