Well, Logan. It’s that time again—your birthday! Every year I’m amazed at how much you’ve grown. This year you’re SIX. How did that happen? Are you sure you’re really that old?
We’ve had quite the year. You started kindergarten and were disappointed with public school at first. We found a different school a month into the year and made a brave change that proved worth the extra morning drive. You adapted and thrived.
Your interests have shifted in some ways and stayed the same in others. You’re not as obsessed with the Solar System as you were last year—maybe you don’t remember all the moons of Saturn or how many Earths fit inside Jupiter anymore—but you still love garbage trucks and recycling. I can rely on you to bring the cans into the garage every Thursday after school. You miss watching the trash truck when you’re gone during the day.
You’ve become quite good at math for a kindergartener, and I’m proud of how hard you work at school.
For a while you asked daddy and me constantly when you’d have a baby brother. You even pretended you already did and named him J.J. You want a dog so badly, but we’ve told you you need to earn it by being responsible. You forget that bargain nearly every day, and we gently remind you—it’s okay.
You’re an incredible car navigator with a great sense of direction. You know the routes to and from our house and even some alternate roads. Sometimes it’s a little tricky when you suggest a different way at the last minute, but I admire your confidence.
I know you think I’m mean sometimes, but it’s because I love you and want to teach you right from wrong. One day when you’re a dad yourself you’ll understand. For now, know that I love you and I’m trying my hardest to be a good mommy.
I hope you have an amazing sixth year. I can’t wait to see what adventures we’ll find together.
Hugs and kisses (even though you’ll just wipe them off),
Mommy
p.s. I just realized you haven’t called me “mamum” in a while. I miss that.
We absolutely loved these Lemon Coconut Milk Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream. The coconut milk keeps the cake tender and moist. I considered adding coconut flakes to the batter or frosting, but I knew the birthday boy wouldn’t want that, so I left them out.
If you’ve enjoyed similar recipes in the past, we’ve made Solar System Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttermilk Cake and hosted a Solar System birthday party—those celebrations were a blast and great inspiration for themed baking.
If you’d like to garnish these lemon coconut cupcakes with toasted coconut, there are several easy methods to toast coconut flakes, how to store them, and ideas for using toasted coconut in other desserts.
Lemon Coconut Milk Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream
36 cupcakes
15 minutes
18 minutes
33 minutes
These Lemon Coconut Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream are a delicious spring cupcake to celebrate a birthday with!
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- zest of 2 extra large lemons
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 2 1/2 cups light coconut milk
For the Lemon Buttercream:
- 4 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1/8 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- juice of one extra-large lemon
- 2 pounds powdered sugar, sifted
- milk, if needed, to reach desired consistency
Instructions
For the Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin tins with cupcake cups or grease using nonstick cooking spray.
- Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Zest the lemons and rub the zest with the sugar to release the oils. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat for 2 minutes, scraping the sides as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, and the coconut extract. Beat for 3 minutes.
- Slowly pour half of the coconut milk into the batter and mix until incorporated.
- Add half of the flour mixture and beat until combined. Add the remaining coconut milk, beat until smooth, then add the remaining flour mixture. Scrape the sides and mix once more so everything is well blended.
- Divide the batter into cupcake tins. Makes 3 dozen (36) standard-sized cupcakes. Bake for 18-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool before frosting.
For the Lemon Buttercream:
- Cream the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Gradually add the powdered sugar while mixing.
- Add the salt and lemon juice. Scrape the bowl and beat on high until the frosting is light and fluffy. Add milk as needed to reach the desired consistency.
Notes
Cupcakes heavily adapted from Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes. Buttercream adapted from a classic buttercream recipe.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Spatula Set
- Mixing Bowls
- Hand Mixer
- Muffin Pan
- Citrus Juicer
- Microplane Zester
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 36
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 331Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 186mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 1gSugar: 34gProtein: 3g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
Did you make this?
I’d love to see your version! Snap a photo and tag @goodlifeeats with the hashtag #goodlifeeatsrecipes so I can see what you baked.