An Almond Joy has never been my first choice for that last minute candy bar grab at the grocery store checkout line. Yes, every once and a while I’m craving one, but most of the time I reach for a Snickers bar or Twix. Although I do love coconut and I’ve just been dreaming of how good a chocolate cupcake would be with a velvety smooth, luscious and fluffy coconut frosting. The chocolate and coconut combination is simple yet irresistible. Honestly though, what isn’t irresistible when combined with some form of chocolate?
I tried several batches of chocolate cupcakes while creating this recipe and decided I liked this one best. It’s silky texture, moist crumb and rich chocolate flavor makes these a cupcake to remember. If you were ever wondering why boiling water is often added to chocolate cake/cupcakes, it is simply to intensify the flavor of the cocoa . In this recipe I also chose to add the baking soda to the cocoa and boiling water mixture to deepen the brown color to create a beautifully dark cupcake. I thought of making a similar almond joy coconut filling to top the cupcakes with, but I decided I’d way rather have a melt in you mouth frosting instead. Even with the frosting, rather than a coconut candy filling, you wouldn’t believe how much these taste like an Almond Joy simply because they contain the same flavors. Maybe I’m biased and I will likely always choose a fresh cupcake over a store bought candy bar, but I think these are far better than an the candy bar version.
You can top these cupcakes as you like. If you want you can even leave off the almonds or shredded coconut and you’ll still have an incredibly delicious cupcake. If you are looking to do the flowers on top out of sliced almonds, I’d recommend when you purchase the almonds that you look for a package of them that still has the skins intact around the edges, and ones that aren’t all broken into bits. Also, if you want to make them simpler you can do 5 – 6 petals instead of making a double petal layered flower. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup salted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup coconut milk (canned, well shaken)
- 1 tsp coconut extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup sweetned, shredded coconut, (optionally ground in a food processor for smaller pieces)
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup sliced almonds or 24 whole almonds
- 24 milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large heat proof mixing bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and baking soda. Carefully pour in boiling water and whisk until bubbling subsides and mixture is well blended, allow to cool for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer set on low speed, blend together melted butter, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, vanilla and salt until well combined, about 30 seconds. Stir in eggs and eggs yolks, mixing just until combined after each addition. Blend in lukewarm cocoa mixture then blend in heavy cream. Slowly mix in flour and blend until combined, while scraping down sides and bottom of bowl.
- Divide batter among 24 paper lined muffin cups and bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 18 - 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in muffin tin several minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool. Cool completely then frost with coconut frosting. Sprinkle each frosted cupcake with coconut (before frosting sets), leaving about a 1/2 - 1 inch circle in center of cupcake uncoated with coconut. Gently press 5 or more sliced almonds around 1 chocolate chip in center of cupcake, or gently press 1 whole almond into the center of each cupcake. Store in an airtight container.
- Coconut Frosting:
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together butter and coconut milk on medium-low speed until combined, then increase speed to medium-high and whip until very pale and fluffy, about 6 minutes. Blend in coconut extract. With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in powdered sugar then increase speed to medium-high and blend until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Recipe Source: Cooking Classy
Stephanie: I am so going to bake those cupcakes. They look amazingly good. Have a great day! Steph February 3, 2013 at 12:25pm
Nupur: Wow, making the frosting with coconut milk is a brilliant idea.. Never thought of it,, thanks for sharing.. Am sure they must taste delicious. February 3, 2013 at 1:02pm
Averie @ Averie Cooks: They’re beautiful and I don’t reach for AJ’s either in the store – that said, when baking, the chocolate + coconut combo is a win! And I do love Almond Joy’s but if I was buying a candy bar, it would probably have peanut butter in it :)
But now I want a cupcake! February 3, 2013 at 1:12pm
Shawn @ I Wash…You Dry: These look fantastic! I bet they taste even better!! February 4, 2013 at 1:57pm
Jaclyn: Thanks Shawn =)! February 4, 2013 at 8:03pm
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious: Oh man, I just want to dive head first into these! February 6, 2013 at 2:50pm
Rachel @ Bakerita: Yum! These look amazing too…I’m going to need some chocolate cupcakes to try all your amazing cupcake ideas and frostings. I love the almond flower! :) February 7, 2013 at 7:05pm
Jaclyn: Thanks Rachel =)! February 7, 2013 at 7:46pm
Loretta | A Finn In The Kitchen: Almond Joys are one of the only candy bars I’ll eat anymore, so I bet I’d love these! February 7, 2013 at 7:31pm
Jaclyn: I hope you have a chance to try them Loretta I bet you would love them =)! February 7, 2013 at 7:40pm
Lauren: I made these for my hubby on our Anniversary. We both LOVED them. Delicious! Thank you for sharing. Also, I love the makeover you gave your site :) February 17, 2013 at 3:30pm
Jaclyn: Thanks so much Lauren! I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed and Happy Anniversary to you both! February 18, 2013 at 10:07pm
Lisa: I just made them and they were a success! The recipe turned out perfectly. The cake is moist and the coconut flakes with the frosting were delicious! My cupcakes never turn out but this time it finally did! February 25, 2013 at 7:23am
Jaclyn: Lisa – that is so great to hear! I’m so glad these turned out for you and that you thought they were delicious =). Thanks so much for your comment! March 1, 2013 at 9:29pm
Chocolate Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting & Almonds {Almond Joy Cupcakes} « The Best Cupcake Recipes: [...] Recipe available from Cooking Classy. [...] February 25, 2013 at 1:02pm
francesca: traducete in italiano grazzie March 12, 2013 at 10:41am
Jaclyn: You can use the google translator button that should appear at the top of the web page. Hope that helps! March 12, 2013 at 11:11pm
Chocolate Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting & Almonds: [...] via Cooking Classy [...] April 2, 2013 at 12:21am
Pual: yolo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! April 3, 2013 at 6:58am
Coconut and Almond Frosted Chocolate Cupcakes | Fermented Justifications: [...] Cooking Classy had the perfect recipe and I had all the ingredients. Yes….I keep cans of coconut milk in my pantry. I like to have it on hand for a curry dish or turning leftover rice into rice pudding. The coconut milk kept the frosting nice and light and after adding the extract, the frosting tasted just like the filling of a candy bar. I was pretty conservative with the shredded coconut; I didn’t want to spend the evening picking pieces of it out of my teeth. [...] April 29, 2013 at 5:31pm