Coconut Key Lime Pie Cupcakes

These days I am using Coconut wherever I can. I am a little bit obsessed with it. Not the dry sweet flaky stuff, but Coconut Oil, Coconut Milk and Cream of Coconut. How about you? Are you soaking up all the tips for using it on Pinterest like I am? I'm even using the oil in my hair lately and I love it!

So, I was formulating a new dessert for our family night this week, and I wanted to do something that I could teach my oldest stepson how to make. Starting with a box mix cake was a good place to start as he's an eager novice when it comes to learning how to cook.

Coconut Key Lime Pie Cupcakes

For the base:

• 1 box White, Vanilla or Yellow Cake mix
• 1 cup Milk
• 1/4 cup Coconut Milk (or just use all regular milk if you don't have this on hand)
• 1/4 cup melted Butter, slightly cooled
• 1/4 cup melted Coconut Oil (you can substitute all butter if you don't have any oil)
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp Coconut Extract
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

For the topping:

• 1 pkg Vanilla INSTANT Pudding
• 1 cup Cream, Milk or Half and Half
• 1 cup Cool Whip (or Dream Whip, prepared)
• 1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
• 2 TBL Cream of Coconut (in the drink mixers section-this is NOT canned coconut milk)
• 3 TBL Key Lime Juice (can be found bottled in the juice section)
• Green food coloring to desired shade 

1. For the cupcakes, line your pan with cupcake liners if desired. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Mix all ingredients on high for 4 minutes.
3. Fill each cup 2/3 full.
4. Bake for 9-11 minutes until set.
5. Let cool before topping.
6. For the topping, mix the pudding with the cream until blended. 
7. Add the cool whip and stir until completely combined. 
8. Add remaining ingredients and blend until you get a smooth texture.
9. Using a thick decorator tip and a bag, pipe the topping onto each cupcake. (or just cut the tip off of a ziploc bag and squeeze out desired amount).

I really like how these turned out, and I think they were even better today after they had sat out overnight. The topping is a texture similar to a Key Lime pie, i.e.: slightly on the sticky side. This one's a keeper!