Chocolate & Coconut Cupcake Nests

Chocolate & Coconut Cupcake Nests 

Chocolate and toasted coconut is a combination I could definitely live off! Combined in a cupcake with sweet buttercream, this may be a new favourite! 

These toasted coconut topped vanilla buttercream nests, sit on top of light and fluffy chocolate cupcakes with desiccated coconut throughout…. and don’t forget the mini chocolate eggs! Sweet, chocolatey and easy to make, they are a perfect Easter treat. 

Preparation  : 20 minutes 

Baking Time : 20 – 25 minutes

Makes : 16 – 18 cupcakes

Ingredients

– For the Cupcakes –

• 330g Dairy-Free Milk (I used Oat) 

• 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar 

• 275g Caster Sugar

• 55g Coconut Sugar

• 100g Dairy-Free Butter

• 335g Plain Flour

• 1 tsp Bicarbonate Soda

• 40g Cacao Powder

• 40g Desiccated Coconut

– For the Buttercream –

• 120g Dairy-Free Butter

• 400g Icing Sugar

• 1 tbsp Diary-Free Milk (I used Oat)

• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract

– For the Decoration –

• 40g Desiccated Coconut

• Vegan Chocolate Eggs

Method

– For the Cakes –

1. Preheat the oven to 160C fan and line a cupcake/muffin tray with cases (I prefer my cupcakes to be muffin size so I use muffin cases). 

2. In a bowl or jug, whisk together the milk and apple cider vinegar and leave it untouched whilst you make the rest of the cake batter (the aim is for it to curdle, as unpleasant as that sounds!)

3. Cream the butter and sugars together, then add the flour, cacao powder, desiccated coconut, bicarbonate soda and mix. 

4. Slowly add in the milk mixture, making sure to mix it until it’s all combined into the cake batter. Be careful not to over-beat the batter, as too much air in the mix can cause the cakes to sink in the centre when they come out of the oven (something that I’ve done too many times!) 

5. Spoon the mixture into the cases, filling the cases between 1/2 and 3/4 full and place in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes. 

6. Once baked, take the cupcakes out of the tray and place them on a wire rack. Leave them aside to cool completely, before starting to decorate them. 

7. Whilst the cupcakes are cooling, turn the oven up to 180C fan and place the desiccated coconut (for decoration) on a tray.  

8. Toast the coconut for 5 minutes, or until brown, then leave to cool whilst you make the buttercream.

– For the Buttercream –

1. Cream the butter to soften it, then add the icing sugar, whisking until combined (I use a standing mixer on a high speed with a whisk attachment). 

2. Once creamed, add the dairy-free milk (half a tablespoon at a time), vanilla extract and continue to whisk.

3. Choose your preferred piping nozzle and fill the piping bag with the buttercream, then pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes, creating a relatively flat top.

– For the Decoration –

1. Sprinkle the toasted coconut over the icing, to create the effect of the nests.

2. Place the chocolate eggs on top to complete the effect and enjoy! 

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