I have dreams of becoming one of those cupcake connoisseurs who opens up her own gourmet cupcake shop and turns into a worldwide sensation. So, this year, all I wanted for my birthday was cupcake-making supplies: cookbooks, cupcake pans, fancy frosting supplies, and that is just what Jon got me. And of course, as a special surprise, he prepared one of the cupcakes from a cookbook he purchased for me and served it to me for breakfast on my big day.

The cookbook- The Artful Cupcake

The cupcake- Tropical Paradise

Cupcake

3/4 cup wide strip unsweetened coconut

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 egg

3 egg whites

2 3/4 cup flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 350. Soak coconut strips in 1/4 cup coconut milk. Combine remaining coconut milk with egg and egg whites. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the soaked coconut flakes. Add the egg mixture to the butter mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the flour mixture in 2 parts. Scrape the bowl between additions. Pour batter into greased muffin pan. Filling approximately 1/2 way. Bake 18-20 minutes until the edges of the tops begin to turn color. Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature

8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature

1 lb. confectioners sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon orange extract

Cream together butter and cream cheese on medium for 5 minutes. Scrape sides of bowl. On low speed, at the confectionars sugar in 3 additions, scraping between additions. Add the orange zest, vanilla and orange extract. Mix well and store in an air tight container in refrigerator until ready to use.

Instructions

Frost cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle with coconut strips. Sprinkle with chopped, toasted pecans.