Pimp My Cupcake

It's easy to find a cake mix and a tub of frosting here in Costa Rica . . . even easier for North Americans. I'm always stunned by expats who say that they simply cannot find anything from the U.S. Cake mix and frosting are ubiquitous. Yes, a tad pricey, but hardly budget-busting. So let's get down to it and pimp my cupcake. You will need:

• A box of cake mix* and the items needed to make said cake (usually eggs, water, and oil).
• A tub of frosting. Okay, it's not really a tub, but what would you call it? A jar? A can?
• Cupcake papers/liners, obviously . . . and indeed these can be difficult to find in Costa Rica.
• Two cups, more or less, of shredded coconut (sweetened, natural/unsweetened . . . it matters not).
• One cup of pineapple jam (although orange marmalade would be terrific).
• Your choice of trick-it-out/pimp-it items. For this recipe we're using only pineapple jam and the coconut.

That's it. Piña Colada Cupcakes, with a surprise.

Get out your ol' pal, the Kitchen Aid mixer, or a bowl and your hand-held mixer. Make your cake according to directions, with the following twists:

• When it calls for water, place about three tablespoons of the pineapple jam in your measuring cup, and then add water until you have the amount indicated on the box. Stir it about until you have a watery mix suitable as the water called for on the box.
• When the box calls for oil, add about four (4) tablespoons of shaved/flaked coconut to your measuring cut, and fill the rest with oil until you have the correct amount. Hardly difficult, right? And coconut contains oil; so you'll not destroy the science that makes the cake mix work.

Allow me to provide this tip to any non-bakers. Do not over-mix your batter. It will result in a dense, almost tough cake (or cupcake), versus a light and fluffy cake. Over-mixing will not allow you to serve the perfect cupcake . . . though your cupcake shall be certainly still be very, very edible. Did I mention very edible?

When your cake batter is completely mixed for the time indicated on the box, fold in a full cup of coconut . . . simply with a spoon -- you're done with the mixer. Remember, don't over-beat that batter.

Scoop/pour the batter into your cupcake papers. No, you don't want them 100% full-to-the-top . . . you'll want about 3/4 full. Anyone got a complaint with an extra large cupcake? The final step before placing them in the oven? Place one tablespoon of pineapple jam in the center of each cupcake. 

Pimp my cupcake.

Into the oven they go and out they come about 20 minutes later. Yes, for you bakers, a toothpick will still come out cleanly when they're done . . . even despite that jam in the center.

Now onto a rack they go to cool. Don't rush the cooling process in the refrigerator. Just pour yourself a cocktail, relax, and let's begin our frosting.

I'm am the laziest person I know. Just ask my husband. If I can avoid scrubbing one single dish, I will. Therefore, I mix the frosting in the tub (?) in which it came. To this tub of vanilla frosting (cream cheese frosting would also be fabulous), add about a quarter-to-a-half-cup of pineapple jam. Keep adding until it's clearly going to slosh out of the tub. Stir with a butter knife. A spoon will slosh to easily and quickly. 

But wait! Don't answer yet! Let's add more coconut. Yep, as much as you can possibly incorporate into the frosting tub without sloshing. Admittedly, you could pour it into a bowl and just keep adding; but I opted for the lazy way.

Lest your frosting be a tad over-worked and/or a bit thin, place it in the refrigerator or freezer for about 15 minutes. Now frost those cupcakes (which are completely cooled at this point, right? You cooled them at room temperature, right?). No fancy piping bag/tip needed, just use that same butter knife and spread around some frosting.

Final step. Whoops, my laziness is showing again. Pour some coconut into a bowl, or merely into the lid of the tub and dip your cupcake into the coconut. 

Bam! Piña colada cupcakes . . . with pineapple and coconut . . . made from ordinary ingredients and a boxed mix.  

So what was that twist I promised? The pineapple jam fell to the bottom of the cupcake, creating a pineapple upside down cupcake. The cupcake was delicious, it held together just as a pineapple upside down cake will, and it was a nice surprise at the bottom of the cupcake. I wonder: is that a pineapple phenomenon? A cupcake-thing? I have no idea.

So now you know how easy it is to take store-bought mix and frostings, add a few of your own ideas, and make a very special cupcake. As I said, orange marmalade would be delicious. You could toast the coconut. You could use chopped almonds in place of the coconut on top of the cupcakes. Get creative . . . because you know what season is fast-approaching. Enjoy.