This is my favourite cupcake recipe. Amazingly moist, with beautiful tropical flavours from the pineapple, banana and coconut. The passionfruit in the icing gives it some tartness which cuts the richness of the cream cheese. Every time I make it, I am asked for the recipe so I thought I would share it here. Enjoy!

Please note, I have included the recipe here with and without photos for printing.

Makes 12 cupcakes or a 10″ round cake

2 cups plain flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons bicarbomate of soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/2 cup apple sauce
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
2 mashed bananas (medium size)
1 grated carrot
1 cup desiccated coconut or sweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup canned pineapple chunks or rings drained, cut into small pieces

Cream cheese icing

250 g cream cheese room temp
100 g butter room temp
120g icing sugar sifted
Juice of 2 passionfruit

Shredded fresh coconut topping. If unavailable, use dessicated coconut or sweetened shredded coconut.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius. Sift flour into a large bowl with sugar, bicarb soda and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, mix oil, apple sauce, eggs, mashed bananas and vanilla. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients until all mixed but do not overmix. Fold in carrots, coconut and pineapple. Mix gently until just combined. Scoop batter into 12 cupcake liners, filling to about 3/4 of the way up. I like to use an icecream scoop for this. Alternatively, pour into a greased and lined 10” springform pan. Bake for the cupcakes for 25 mins and the cake for about 60-70 minutes. Cooked when sides are beginning to shrink away from edges of tins and tops are golden. Or use skewer test – the skewer should come out clean. Leave the cupcakes/cake in the tins for 5 minutes and then cool on a rack. Cool cupcakes/cake completely before icing.

Icing:

Beat cream cheese and butter with electric mixer until smooth, approx 2 mins. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, approx 3 mins. On low speed, mix in the passionfruit. Pipe the icing on the cupcakes/cake and top with coconut if desired.

Storage:

Fresh coconut only stays fresh for a day or two. If you make the cupcakes without the fresh coconut, they are good for about 3 days in the fridge (the cream cheese needs refrigeration).

With photos… 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius. Sift flour into a large bowl with sugar, bicarb soda and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, mix oil, apple sauce, eggs, mashed bananas and vanilla.

Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients until all mixed but do not overmix.

Fold in carrots, coconut and pineapple. Mix gently until just combined.

Scoop batter into 12 cupcake liners, filling to about 3/4 of the way up. I like to use an icecream scoop for this. Alternatively, pour into a greased and lined 10” springform pan. Bake for the cupcakes for 25 mins and the cake for about 60-70 minutes.

Cooked when sides are beginning to shrink away from edges of tins and tops are golden. Or use skewer test – the skewer should come out clean. Leave the cupcakes/cake in the tins for 5 minutes and then cool on a rack. Cool cupcakes/cake completely before icing.

Icing:

Beat cream cheese and butter with electric mixer until smooth, approx 2 mins. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, approx 3 mins. On low speed, mix in the passionfruit. Pipe the icing on the cupcakes/cake and top with coconut if desired.

Happy Caking!

Wynona