Hawaiian Cupcakes

My friend, Laura, wanted to learn how to bake. SO, she was recruited to help me with my third entry to Iron Cupcake Earth. We made Hawaiian cupcakes that are to die for! They are a pineapple upside-down cupcake. The cupcake itself is a perfectly moist mango cupcake studded with white chocolate chips. They are filled with a homemade macadamia nut marzipan. We soaked the tops of each cupcake with rum and topped them off with a touch of coconut buttercream frosting. A few pieces of macadamia nuts are sprinkled over the tops.

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These cupcakes are sweet, moist, and make you feel like taking a nice little vacation.

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Please remember to go to http://www.ironcupcakemilwaukee.com/ at the end of this month to vote for all three of my entries for this month's "nuts & seeds" challenge! My entries for this month are: Hawaiian Cupcakes, Easter Pie Cupcakes, and Fig & Walnut Cheesecake Cupcakes. Thank you so much for your support!!

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See the recipe for the Hawaiian cupcakes below...

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INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE CUPCAKES...
2 cups granulated sugar (I used Baker's sugar)
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
3 ripe mangos (diced)

1 can mango in light syrup
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt

1 bag white chocolate chips

EXTRAS...

2 cans pineapple pieces (in pineapple juice) drained and sliced in half

1/2 cup rum

FOR THE COCONUT BUTTERCREAM FROSTING...

1.5 lbs powdered sugar

1 teaspoon coconut extract

1/4 cup soymilk

1/2 stick butter (room temp.)

FOR THE MACADAMIA NUT MARZIPAN....

Apx. 10 oz. macadamia nuts

1 cup powdered sugar (possibly more if not thick enough)

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INSTRUCTIONS:

TO MAKE THE MARZIPAN....

Chop and blend the macadamia nuts in a food processor until smooth. Add in powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until it is the consistency of a thick peanut butter.

TO MAKE THE BUTTERCREAM...

Blend the butter, soymilk, powdered sugar, and coconut extract in a mixer until smooth and thick. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

TO MAKE THE MANGO CUPCAKES...

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray 3 cupcake pans with cooking spray.
Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Blend the mangos in a food processors until a fine puree. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add the mango mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears. Stir in bag of white chocolate chips.

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TO ASSEMBLE THE CUPCAKES...

Place 4 pieces of the pineapples into the bottom of each cupcake cup. Pour enough batter into each cup to fill them half way full. Drop apx. 1-2 tsp. of marzipan on to the batter in each cup. Top each cup with another layer of batter (cupcakes should be a little over 3/4 full.) Place in oven and bake until edges turn golden brown. Once done, allow to cool. Turn each cupcake out of the pans, brush with rum. Using a pastry bag, swirl a small amount of coconut buttercream on each cupcake. Top each cupcake with reserved, chopped pieces of macadamia nuts.