These mango coconut cupcakes have a light coconut cupcake base, are filled with homemade mango curd, and then topped with coconut buttercream and toasted coconut! They're the perfect summer dessert if you love mango and coconut!
You might also like these mango macarons or these toasted coconut donuts!
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Ingredient Notes
Cake Flour - I always use cake flour in my baked goods because it makes them super soft and tender, but all purpose flour also works great!
Coconut Oil - The coconut oil helps keep the cupcakes super moist while adding extra coconut flavor!
Coconut Extract - To get more concentrated coconut flavor in the cupcakes, I highly recommend using coconut extract! You can usually find it in the baking aisle next to the vanilla!
Coconut - I prefer sweetened shredded coconut flakes, but unsweetened will work too if that's all you can find.
Coconut Cream - For more rich coconut flavor, I like to use coconut cream in these cupcakes! But for a lighter option just use coconut milk.
Fresh Mango - Fresh mango is best, but you can use frozen mango if that's all you can find. You'll need about 1 large mango or 1 cup of mango chunks in order to get ½ cup of mango puree.
Lime Juice - Fresh lime juice has the best flavor, but bottled will work well too.
Egg Yolks - You need a few egg yolks to make the mango curd! (I personally always have a ton of yolks leftover from making macarons).
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
How to Make Mango Curd
Homemade mango curd is surprisingly easy to make! You just need a couple tools to set you up for success.
- Double boiler - A double boiler is necessary to ensure that the egg yolks cook slowly and evenly because no one wants chunks of scrambled egg in your curd. You can buy a double boiler but it's super easy to just fashion one yourself. To make a double boiler, simmer 1-2 inches of water in a small saucepan until it's steaming. Then place a heavy bowl (I prefer glass bowls but stainless works too) on top that's large enough to not touch the water, but not so big that it won't sit on top. That's it! Just be sure to periodically check to make sure there is still water in the bottom saucepan because you don't want it to all evaporate.
- Silicone whisk - I prefer using silicone and glass as opposed to metal when cooking with acidic ingredients like citrus so that you don't end up with a slightly metallic taste.
- Fine mesh strainer - You always want to pass the mango curd through a strainer to make sure to remove any bits of egg that may have cooked unevenly.
Add the mango chunks to a blender and blend until smooth.
Then pass through a fine mesh sieve in order to discard the tough, fibrous bits. The mango doesn't pass through easily, so you need to press it through with a spoon or spatula. You need about ½ cup of mango puree.
Create a double boiler by bringing 1-2 inches of water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Place a heatproof glass bowl on top and make sure it's not touching the water.
Add the mango puree, egg yolks, sugar, lime juice, and salt into the top of your double boiler.
Whisk until completely combined and then continue to whisk as the mango curd cooks (constant whisking prevents the curd from curdling). Continue to whisk the curd for 10-15 minutes or until it become thick and paler in color (it should be similar to the consistency of hollandaise sauce). If the mango curd isn’t thickening, turn up the heat and constantly whisk.
Once thickened, remove the glass bowl from the heat. Cut the butter into chunks and whisk into the mango curd until fully combined and smooth.
If desired, pass through fine mesh strainer and then pour into a glass jar. Let cool to room temperature and then cover and store in the fridge for up to a week.
How to Toast Coconut
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Spread the shredded coconut in an even layer on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Toast for 5-10 minutes, tossing every couple minutes until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
How to Make Coconut Cupcakes
Reduce the heat of the oven to 350°F and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together the melted coconut oil and sugar until smooth. Add in the eggs, coconut extract, and vanilla and whisk until fully incorporated.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Mix half of the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, then add in the coconut milk. Once incorporated, add in the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Pour about ¼ cup of batter into each cupcake liner (they should be about halfway full).
Bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Remove from pan and let cool on wire rack.
Let the coconut cupcakes cool completely before filling and frosting.
Use a cupcake corer to remove the center of each cupcake, then fill with 1-2 teaspoons of cooled mango curd.
Frost the filled mango coconut cupcakes and then gently press the toasted coconut into the buttercream.
Tips for the Best Baked Goods
Use room temperature ingredients! Always make sure ingredients like butter, eggs, milk, yogurt, etc. are at room temperature before baking (unless the recipe indicates otherwise)! This ensures they'll incorporate into the batter more easily and leads to overall better texture. Remove all ingredients from the fridge 30 minutes to an hour before baking for best results.
Measure your flour correctly! It's most accurate to use a kitchen scale, but if you're measuring by volume you want to spoon and level! Fluff up the flour a bit with a spoon, and then spoon flour into the measuring cup. Once it's overflowing, use the back of a knife to level it off. Don't ever pack flour into the measuring cup or you'll end up with way too much! Improperly measured flour can lead to dry, dense baked goods. [Measure cocoa powder the same way!]
Use an oven thermometer! Just because your oven says it's 350, doesn't mean it is! If you oven hasn't been calibrated recently, it can be as much as 30 degrees off, which will negatively affect all baked goods from cakes to macarons! An oven thermometer is the easiest/cheapest way to ensure your oven is always at the proper temperature.
Make sure you baking powder is fresh! Baking powder is important for helping baked goods rise properly, but it has a relatively short shelf life once opened, so it's one of the few items I never buy in bulk! To test if your baking powder is still fresh, add a small amount to boiling water. If it bubbles it's still good to use, but if not it's time to toss it!
Cupcake Decorating Tips
Make sure you let the mango coconut cupcakes cool completely before frosting!!
Since these cupcakes get covered in coconut, you just need a simple round piping tip (no need to be fancy)! I use the large round tip from this decorating kit. The tips are much larger than standard sizes and so fun for decorating cupcakes!
After frosting, lightly press the toasted coconut into the buttercream!
Garnish with fresh flowers if desired for a more tropical look!
Recipe FAQ's
These cupcakes will last in the fridge for up to 3 days. However, they taste best when served at room temperature! I like to let them sit at room temperature for about an hour before serving.
The cupcakes themselves are naturally dairy-free! However, the buttercream and mango curd do have butter in them.
Fresh mango is best, but you can use frozen mango if that's all you have. Let the mango fully thaw, then blend up and strain like you would with the fresh mango.
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
More Recipes You Might Like!
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Recipe Card
Mango Coconut Cupcakes
Special Equipment
- double boiler
Ingredients
Mango Curd
- ½ cup mango puree, about 1 large mango
- 3 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- pinch kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Coconut Cupcakes
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons coconut extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups cake flour, substitute all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup coconut cream, or coconut milk
Coconut Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- pinch kosher salt
- 2-4 tablespoons coconut cream, or coconut milk
Instructions
Mango Curd
- Add the mango chunks to a blender and blend until smooth. Then pass through a fine mesh sieve in order to discard the tough, fibrous bits. The mango doesn't pass through easily, so you need to press it through with a spoon or spatula. You need about ½ cup of mango puree.
- Create a double boiler by bringing 1-2 inches of water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Place a heatproof glass bowl on top and make sure it's not touching the water.
- Add the mango puree, egg yolks, sugar, lime juice, and salt into the top of your double boiler.
- Whisk until completely combined and then continue to whisk as the mango curd cooks (constant whisking prevents the curd from curdling). Continue to whisk the curd for 10-15 minutes or until it become thick and paler in color (it should be similar to the consistency of hollandaise sauce). If the mango curd isn’t thickening, turn up the heat and constantly whisk.
- Once thickened, remove the glass bowl from the heat. Cut the butter into chunks and whisk into the mango curd until fully combined and smooth.
- If desired, pass through fine mesh strainer and then pour into a glass jar. Let cool to room temperature and then cover and store in the fridge for up to a week.
Coconut Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Spread the shredded coconut in an even layer on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Toast for 5-10 minutes, tossing every couple minutes until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
- Reduce the heat of the oven to 350°F and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted coconut oil and sugar until smooth. Add in the eggs, coconut extract, and vanilla and whisk until fully incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix half of the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, then add in the coconut milk. Once incorporated, add in the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Pour about ¼ cup of batter into each cupcake liner (they should be about halfway full).
- Bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Remove from pan and let cool on wire rack.
- Let the coconut cupcakes cool completely before filling and frosting.
- Use a cupcake corer to remove the center of each cupcake, then fill with 1-2 teaspoons of cooled mango curd.
Coconut Buttercream
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter and powdered sugar until smooth.
- Add in the coconut extract and salt and beat the frosting on high for 4-5 minutes until lightly and fluffy.
- If needed, add in coconut cream 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.
- Frost the filled cupcakes and then gently press the toasted coconut into the buttercream.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Deena says
Good recipe. Switched out American buttercream because it’s too sweet and used a coconut Swiss buttercream. Very good and will make again. Be careful to not overbake the cupcakes. They dry out fairly easily.
Shari says
These are delicious! I already had mango curd, so did not use this recipe for that. I will stress that if you store extra cupcakes in the refrigerator, to let them sit out a couple hours before serving. I set some out last night and ate them within an hour. They were a little stiff and dry. BUT, one was left out overnight and what a difference it made the next morning. Cake was much softer once it came to room temperature. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Hattie says
Really tasty and actually easy to bake, despite all the different steps. Really something special and great for summer.