Hawaiian Dream Cupcakes

Last week was my daughters birthday. Dan made dinner for her and a cupcake for dessert. We bought a beautiful pineapple at the store, so he decided to make cupcakes with pineapples in it. He did start with the Caramel Puddle Cupcakes recipe and changed it a bit.

Hawaiian Dream Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup regular or low fat sour cream
1/2 chopped fresh pineapple


Preheat oven to 350F
Line 12 cupcake tin with paper liners

Directions:

In large bowl using electric beaters, beat butter for 1 minute. Gradually beat in sugar, beat for 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Using wooden spoon, alternately stir flour mixture and sour scream into butter mixture, making three additions of flour and two of sour cream, when almost mixed add the pineapple and mix only to combine.

Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling about three quarters full.
Bake in centre of oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until cake tops spring back when lightly pressed.
Transfer to rack for 5 minutes.
Remove cupcakes to rack; let cool completely.

Icing:

Makes 2 cups

2/3 cups unsalted butter, very soft
Up to 4 cups icing sugar, sifted
1/2 cup finely minced pineapple, (Drain the pineapple) you may need to put on a tea towel to get the juice out. You do still need some juice however for the liquid

Using electric mixer, beat icing sugar and butter on low speed until mixed and pineapple and beat until you achieve a spreading consistency.

Dried Pineapple for the toppers

Thinly slice the pineapple

Place on baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper

dehydrate in 200F oven for about 1 hour

Remove from oven let cool on rack

To assemble the cupcakes

Ice the cupcakes

Roll the cupcakes into coconut

Then place the dried pineapple on top.