This Coconut Buttercream Frosting is perfect for frosting cakes and cupcakes.

Cupcakes frosted with Coconut Buttercream Frosting

I really love this recipe for cupcakes.  You can spread the frosting on the cupcakes in a nice and simple swirl, and you’ll find that there will be plenty of frosting for doing this generously.  This is especially important for people who love a lot of frosting on their cupcakes, which is pretty much everyone, right?

Here are some cupcake recipes that would be good frosted with this Coconut Buttercream Frosting:

Cupcakes frosted with Coconut Buttercream Frosting

What is the difference between Coconut Cream and Coconut Milk?

Coconut Cream and Coconut Milk are made from the same ingredients (coconut, water, and sometimes guar gum for stabilizing), but coconut cream has a higher fat content than coconut milk (less water, more coconut), therefore it’s thicker. 

It’s probably not a good idea to substitute Coconut Milk for the Coconut Cream in this recipe since that thickness is desired for the consistency of the frosting.

At your market, look for Coconut Cream sold in a can.  Canned coconut cream can be found in the “Exotic” or “Ethnic” food aisle, usually located near the Thailand food products.  Look for your international foods aisle, and you’ll find it there!

Cupcakes frosted with Coconut Buttercream Frosting

The recipe here makes 3 cups of frosting, which is enough to frost 12 cupcakes pretty generously.  If you want to frost a two-layer cake, I’d make a recipe and a half to make sure you have a generous amount to work with.  If you’d like to add toasted coconut flakes for garnish, that would be an excellent idea.  Plus, toasted coconut is quite delicious.

How do you toast coconut flakes?

Preheat your oven to 325°F.  Spread coconut flakes on a baking sheet in a thin layer and bake FOR 5 TO 10 minutes.  The flakes will toast very quickly, so keep an eye on them- stir every couple of minutes to help ensure even toasting.

Cupcakes frosted with Coconut Buttercream Frosting

Bake some cupcakes with this Coconut Buttercream Frosting for the coconut lover in your life.  And keep them refrigerated until ready to eat!

If you’re looking for recipes to use up some of your leftover coconut cream, try making my Coconut Cake with Raspberry Buttercream Filling or my Strawberry- Coconut Cheesecake.

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Coconut Buttercream Frosting

This Coconut Buttercream Frosting is a great frosting for cupcakes and cakes.
Prep: 15 minutes
Servings: 12 servings (1/4 cup per serving)
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Ingredients

Instructions 

  • In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Increase the speed to medium, and slowly add the cream of coconut and vanilla, beating until smooth.
  • Spread onto cupcakes or cake.  You can try to use a piping bag, but it's a pretty soft frosting so it may or may not pipe very well.  Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Notes

  • HOW TO MAKE TOASTED COCONUT:
  • Preheat the oven to 325°F.  Spread coconut flakes on a baking sheet in a thin layer and bake FOR 5 TO 10 minutes.  The flakes will toast very quickly, so keep an eye on them- stir every couple of minutes to help ensure even toasting.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (1/4 cup), Calories: 266kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 28mg, Sodium: 94mg, Potassium: 9mg, Sugar: 41g, Vitamin A: 330IU, Calcium: 9mg, Iron: 0.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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5 Comments

  1. Mrs. Brownie says:

    Did you sift the powdered sugar?

    1. Lori Lange says:

      Always a good idea to get the lumps out!

  2. aaa says:

    What size is the can of coconut cream? Sizes may vary around the world, or even 5 years from now so saying 1/4 of a can isn’t very helpful.

    1. Lori Lange says:

      You need 1/4 cup… not 1/4 of a can. So the size of the can doesn’t matter.

  3. Holdthegross says:

    I love that this recipe uses coconut cream and not coconut extract!