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!
These are the best cupcakes I’ve ever made in my entire life. Absolutely delicious….seriously absolutely delicious. Thank you for sharing your brilliance, I am truly grateful!
If you like pineapple and coconut this recipe will definitely be a crowd pleaser.
I made these cupcakes today and they are phenomenal!!!! My only problem is that the icing came right off the cupcakes. I ended up scraping the icing off the ones that I have already done. I was thinking it was because I used generic cream cheese, but i’m not sure. I saw other people was having problems with this also. I had made the icing yesterday and stored it in the fridge to ice the cupcakes today. Should I make another batch of icing using philadelphia or do you have any suggestions on saving the icing?
Side note: I’ve made many of your cupcakes before and never had this problem. HELP! I’m serving these in 3 hours and need some guidance.
If the icing is coming off the cupcakes, either your frosting is too thin, or your cupcakes are still warm ? If the frosting is too soft, put the full bowl of frosting in the fridge 15-20 minutes, then use it to frost the cupcakes. Make sure your butter and cream cheese are both cool or cold. I do prefer to use philadelphia brand, but a generic brand should be ok, as long as it’s full fat (reduced fat has added water).
I have made these cupcakes and they are so delicious and so moist! I am wondering if I can puree a cup and a half of strawberries and make a strawberry cake with the base of this cupcake recipe. What do you think Glory?
I made these cupcakes the other day and they were soooooooooooo good! The recipe was easy to follow and the results were amazing! Literally tastes like a pina colada, which I love! Thanks for the great recipe! I will be making these again!
Small question, when I made these cupcakes today the oil seems to have seeped through the cupcake liners leaving the cupcake itself “oily”. Is a full cup of oil really necessary?
As with any food, baking comes down to personal preferences. Feel free to experiment. I would image you could reduce the oil a bit without any adverse effects. If you remove too much oil, you’ll need to replace it with another moist ingredient. Happy Baking!
Should these be refridgerated? Do they hold up well if I had to make them the day before?
The cupcakes should be perfectly fine left (loosely covered) at room temperature for a day.
I had just made these, and i noticed that the batter was very liquidy. When i took them out if the oven i noticed a very strange consistency and it doesnt feel like cake at all. I know someone who has tried the recipe once before and had the same problem….. any tips?
Yes, the batter will be very thin, that is correct. Not sure what you mean by it doesn’t feel like cake? What does it feel like? Did you let them cool and try one yet?
I saw these on Pinterest and HAD to make them for my annual tiki party. DELISH!!! I had to come comment too because being a fellow blogger I love when people leave me bloggy love. I have a feeling a lot of people are going to be making these because they have been repinned off my board A LOT. Plus I shared their yummy deliciousness and your blog on my Fizzy Party FB page. I hope people who come to you through me leave some blogy love.
I just finished decorating these for our BBQ today. They look and taste amazing!!! I will definitely make them again!
I’m thinking of making these tonight – what type of decorating tip did you use for your cupcakes in this photo? Also, did the pineapple slice stay up nicely or did it want to fall down? You just stuck it in the icing, right?
Great blog!
Michelle- I used a 1M tip to frost them. Make sure your butter and cream cheese are still cool when you use them, so that your frosting will be thick enough to hold it’s shape. I just stuck the pineapple in and it stayed on it’s own fine. Just make sure the slice is very thin. Happy Baking!