These Pina Colada Cupcakes are like a tropical vacation for your taste buds!
I’ve been playing with this recipe for over a year, and I’m very happy with the final results!
I’ll be doing a dessert display for a big luau party this weekend and wanted to perfect this recipe before the party.
I took this batch to a church pot luck tonight and got lots of great reviews!
The Pina Colada effect comes from matching a Pineapple Cupcake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting.
Although if for some (crazy!) reason you don’t like coconut, these cupcakes would be delicious with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting (and maybe a small slice of fresh pineapple).
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2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil/extra light olive oil/etc
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup (full fat) sour cream
1 1/2 cups canned crushed pineapple (drained slightly)Directions-
1. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until slightly thickened and a light cream color (about 2 minutes).
3. On low speed, mix in the oil and vanilla until blended.
4. Add in the pineapple and sour cream and mix until fully incorporated.
5. Add the flour mixture and blend until just combined and smooth.
6. Line a cupcake pan with 12 paper liners and fill about 2/3 full.
7. Bake cupcakes in a pre-heated 350*F oven for about 22 minutes.
8. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.
9. Frost with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below)Note – If using light or non-fat sour cream, increase the vegetable oil to 3/4 cup.Recipe yields 24-28 cupcakes.Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
(this is just a slight variation on my Cream Cheese Frosting recipe, but I’ll add it to this page as well, so it’s easy to find)
½ cup (1 stick/8 Tablespoons) butter (cool)
8 oz. cream cheese (directly from fridge)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (always use pure vanilla extract if possible)
1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract (you may want to start with just 1 teaspoon of coconut extract, you can always add more, but you can’t take it out!)
4 cups powdered confectioners sugar
1 Tablespoon Dark Rum
-OR-
1 Tablespoon heavy cream, heavy whipping cream or milk
Directions:
*Place butter in a large mixing bowl and blend until smooth. Add cream cheese and blend until well combined, about 30 seconds.
*Add vanilla extract, coconut extract and powdered sugar (1 cup at a time) and blend on low speed until combined. Increase to medium speed and beat until it begins to get fluffy.
*Slowly add the heavy cream or rum.
*Beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.
*Use at once or keep refrigerated. (This frosting will keep well in the refrigerator for several days, but you may need to re-beat it for the best texture.)
For added flavor and texture, top frosted cupcakes with toasted coconut.
(To toast coconut- lay about 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut on a baking sheet and bake at 375*F about 4-5 minutes).
Decorate cupcakes with fresh pineapple, maraschino cherries or paper umbrellas.
How to Make Pina Colada Cupcakes
Pina Colada Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil extra light olive oil/etc
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup sour cream full fat
- 1 1/2 cups canned crushed pineapple drained slightly
Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 tablespoons butter set at room temperature for about 10 minutes
- 8 oz cream cheese directly from fridge
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract always use pure vanilla extract if possible
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract you may want to start with just 1 teaspoon of coconut extract, you can always add more, but you can’t take it out!
- 4 cups powdered confectioners sugar
- 1 tablespoon dark rum
- or
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream heavy whipping cream or milk
Instructions
- Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until slightly thickened and a light cream color (about 2 minutes).
- On low speed, mix in the oil and vanilla until blended.
- Add in the pineapple and sour cream and mix until fully incorporated.
- Add the flour mixture and blend until just combined and smooth.
- Line a cupcake pan with 12 paper liners and fill about 2/3 full.
- Bake cupcakes in a pre-heated 350*F oven for about 22 minutes.
- Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.
- Frost with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below)
Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
- Place butter in a large mixing bowl and blend until smooth. Add cream cheese and blend until well combined, about 30 seconds.
- Add vanilla extract, coconut extract and powdered sugar (1 cup at a time) and blend on low speed until combined. Increase to medium speed and beat until it begins to get fluffy.
- Slowly add the heavy cream or rum.
- Beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Use at once or keep refrigerated. (This frosting will keep well in the refrigerator for several days, but you may need to re-beat it for the best texture.)
Notes
(To toast coconut- lay about 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut on a baking sheet and bake at 375*F about 4-5 minutes). Decorate cupcakes with fresh pineapple, maraschino cherries or paper umbrellas.
Nutrition
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Happy baking!
oh so beautiful and summery! i want to have a summer party just so I can invite people to eat these! i love your photo with the grass matting background – so perfect
Your cupcakes look amazing!
I have never made cupcakes with oil (only butter). Did you find they tasted a bit oily? I find this happens when I make banana bread with oil vs butter.
Looking forward to your reply and trying this recipe.
TIA!
I made a batch this weekend for my mother's surprise party and they were a big hit. I did omit the coconut extract in the frosting but they were still delicious! Thanks for a fabulous recipe 🙂
These were fantastic! I was a little unsure about how I'd feel about a pineapple cupcake, but I can't tell you how much I love these! My coworkers gobbled them down almost instantly. Thank you for the amazing recipe!!
very yummy recipe!! I added a 1/2 a tsp. of Malibu rum in the frosting along with the coconut flavor and 1/2 tsp. pineapple juice from the can and gave frost fun flavor!! thanks for sharing 🙂 !!!
I made those today and I love how moist the cupcakes are. I will have to adjust the frosting for next time, I had the same issue with the frosting being too liquid (I wish I had read the comments before trying to pipe it in) also the frosting was too sweet for DH…
I laminate the recipes that I do over and over again, this pina colada is not ready to be laminated YET, but your chocolate cupcakes +chocolate frosting are! Those are the best ones I have ever had!!!
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipes… I also love the way you decorate everything…
This is an amazing recipe. Hellloooo baking attempt for next week! :]
RA- Yes, plain yogurt would probably work fine.
Enjoy!
Anonymous- Glad you enjoyed the recipe! For the frosting, I think you identified your two problems already… Yes, I think the Smart Balance is an issue. If it is whipped, or has water in it, then it will not work well for frosting. If you want a butter alternative you might try Earth Balance (often in the health food section). Just make sure it's not whipped.
Also, warm butter and warm cream cheese would also be a problem. If you have a heavy stand mixer you can use the butter right from the fridge, or leave it out maybe 15 minutes. The cream cheese should definately be used right from the fridge.
If your frosting is too warm (which would make it too soft to pipe on cupcakes, or hold any shape), put the whole bowl of frosting in the fridge until it firms up (maybe an hour). You may need to re-whip it a bit.
I made these and they are delicious! One question, though-my frosting came out too liquidy, not the right consistency. I had left out the butter and cream cheese for a long time. Actually, I also used Smart Balance instead of butter. Did I maybe leave them out of the fridge for too long, or was it thta I didn't use real butter? I would love to make them again.