Birthday Cupcakes

♪♫HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME♫♪

For a while now I've really been wanting to make some piña colada cupcakes. I made some a while back from scratch and although they were delicious they didn't taste anything like piña or colada :( SO I decided to try again, to make some for mine and Chris' birthday which is today. They are SOOO good. I used a pineapple cake mix, added some coconut extract and made my own coconut flavored cream cheese frosting. With a few of them I put a chuck of pineapple in the center. I will definitely be making these again.

Here is the recipe to the best of my memory:

Piña Colada Cupcakes

• 1 box of Pineapple Supreme Cake Mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup of canola oil
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
• 3/4 cup of milk (you may substitute with coconut cream or heavy cream)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of coconut extract

1. Preheat oven to 350˚ & grease your pan well.
2. Mix Pineapple Supreme Cake Mix, eggs, canola oil, water, & coconut extract. Put in baking dish of your choice and bake according to the cake box instructions. I use 12 regular sized muffin pans and 24 mini muffin pans. (if you want pineapple chunks inside the cupcake put a little bit of cake mix in the bottom then a pineapple chunk then cover with more cake mix. Only fill cupcake pan 2/3 of the way full.
3. Meanwhile, combine sweetened condensed milk, milk, and coconut extract.
4.  When cake is done cooking remove from oven and poke holes using then end of a wooden spoon, or something of equal size. Make sure NOT to poke all the way through. Pour milk mixture over and allow to cool. Once the cake has cooled most of the way, refrigerate.

Now for the icing:

• 4 oz of cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup of unsalted butter, softened
• ABOUT 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon of milk (or heavy cream if you have it)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon (or more depending on how strong you want the coconut flavor to be) coconut extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• **1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut **optional  

1. Beat cream cheese and butter together until fluffy
2. Add powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time after 1 cup has been added, add the milk, then add the rest of the powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time.
3. Beat in salt, coconut flavoring, and vanilla until smooth.
4. Add more powdered sugar to thicken or more milk to thin, until you have the desired consistency.