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.
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.
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.
Ingredients
- 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.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
- 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.
- 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).
Makes 12 cupcakes or a 10″ round cake
Happy Caking!
Wynona
I made it for the first time and made 100 of them !!! its just a fail proof recipe….each n every cupcake was savored in minutes !!!
thank you for sharing such an awesome recipe and in such detailed steps. i think no one can go wrong with this recipe.
Kirsty – wonderful news! Did you take photos? Would love to see 🙂 Please email me if you did [email protected]
I just made these ( the mixture made 17 big cupcakes, wonderful) and the have come out beautifully. Cannot wait for everyone to taste them, I have even made the hearts! Thank you so much for the receipt.
Hi – I would use lemon juice or lime juice, they’ll give it that tartness your after.
Hi, are there any other alternatives for passion fruit? Here in the Philippines we seldom have this kind of fruit. Thanks
Great recipe Wynona! Next time I need to make cupcakes, I am totally making these…they look delishhh!
That’s the closest thing I’ve ever seen to a ‘about-to-head-to-the-beach cupcake’. That must be bursting with a tropical zing!
Thank you so much for this recipe. It sounds so GOOD!
This is one of my favorite cupcake recipes of all time! Looks delish!