White Mountain Coconut Cupcakes

Cupcakes:
11/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup coconut milk

Frosting:
11/4 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
3 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

1. Make cupcakes: Position rack in center oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin tin openings with paper liners.

2. Sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt.

3. In bowl of an electric mixer, using paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until smoothly blended, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and continue beating until color lightens slightly, about 1 minute. Mix in half of flour mixture, then  coconut milk. Finally, mix in remaining flour mixture.

4. Fill each paper liner with a scant 1/4 cup of batter to about 1/2" below top of liner. Bake about 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cupcakes for 10 minutes in pan set on a wire rack. Invert cupcakes onto wire rack to cool completely.

5. Make frosting: Put sugar, water, egg whites and cream of tartar in top of double boiler. Using hand-held electric mixer beat on high speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Place pot over simmering water and beat on high speed until frosting holds firm peaks, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat, add vanilla and almond extract and continue beating for 2 additional minutes to further thicken frosting.

6. Use an icing spatula to spread frosting over top of each cupcake, dipping the spatula gently into the frosting to make swirls. Sprinkle coconut thickly over frosting.

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