Pina Colada Cupcakes

My friend, Liz whom I've talked about before, made me homemade pineapple preserves, which made me obviously want to make cupcakes and top them with a rum buttercream and some toasted coconut. Isn't that where your mind goes immediately? I thought so. Also, there's about 10 inches of snow on the ground, and I needed a little fucking summer. This recipe makes about 3 dozen cupcakes or three 9in cake pans. 

For the Cupcakes

1/2 c vegetable oil

1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp

2 c granulated sugar

3 eggs, separated

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 c cake flour

2 c all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 c buttermilk

1/2 c pineapple juice

1 c chopped pineapple (I had pineapple slices, so I just chopped those).

1. Preheat oven to 375 F and prepare cake molds or cupcake tins. 

2. In two bowls, separate eggs and whisk the egg whites to medium peaks. Set aside. 

3. In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together oil, butter, and sugar. 

4. Add in eggs yolks one at a time until incorporated. Then add the vanilla. 

5. Mix together dry ingredients in a separate bowl. In another measuring cup, combine buttermilk and pineapple juice.

6. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to sugar mixture. 

7. Add in 1/2 of the wet ingredients.

8. Repeat with another 1/3 of dry, second 1/2of wet, and finish with the last 1/3 of dry. 

9. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter and fully incorporate. Once combined, add in the pineapple chunks and incorporate. 

10. Divide into your cake/cupcake tins. If you are making cupcakes, it's about 15 - 18 minutes in the oven. For cake, it's about 18 - 22 minutes. 

11. Allow to cool before filling. 

For the Buttercream

1/2 c dark rum

4 sticks unsalted butter, room temp

6 c powdered sugar

Pinch of salt

Splash of vanilla

*optional* splash of milk or heavy cream- I'm not gonna lie, I wanted more rum flavor, so I loosened with rum- this rum did NOT have the alcohol cooked out of it, so just keep that in mind (but it is miniscule).

1. Reduce the dark rum in a small pan on the stovetop until it's about 1/8 cup and allow to cool.*Beware of the vapors- girl, I felt like Scarlett O'Hara. 

2. In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and slowly incorporate powdered sugar, salt, rum, and vanilla extract. 

3. If it feels too thick, you can add a splash of milk or cream to loosen it a bit. 

Assembly 

You will also need:

Pineapple preserves (If you don't have a friend who makes it by hand, store-bought is fine.)

2/3 c coconut flakes (I used sweetened)

1. Toast the coconut on the stove top for a few minutes. Make sure to babysit it, because this shit will burn real quick. Allow to cool.

2. With a serrated knife, cut a hole into each cupcake, and fill with the pineapple preserves. 

3. Top with the rum buttercream. 

4. Add coconut flakes on top.

5. Make a real drink and enjoy together.

**IF you made a cake instead, this is what I would do:

1. Place first cake down. Add some buttercream, and with a piping bag, pipe around the top of the cake so that you have a dam. Add some pineapple preserves and coconut flakes. Repeat.