Cheryl Porro [1]

The Cupcakes:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup whole milk
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
The Chocolate Ganache:
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
The Frosting:
2 1/2 cups shredded, sweetened coconut
2 eggs
10 ounces evaporated milk
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
3. Stir vanilla into milk.
4. Using an electric mixer, beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds. Add sugar, and beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds and scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl after each addition.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of milk. Scrape down the sides in between, and mix until fully combined.
7. Scoop the batter into the muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
8. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the top of the muffins springs back when lightly touched, and a wooden toothpick inserted in the cakes comes out free of uncooked batter.
9. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.

For the ganache filling:

1. Place chocolate in a heat-proof bowl.
2. Heat cream until bubbles form around the edge of the pan, then pour over the chocolate.
3. Let stand for 1 minute, then stir until combined.
4. Add vanilla and stir until incorporated.
5. Let cool to room temperature.

To fill the cupcakes:

1. Fill a pastry bag with the chocolate ganache and insert the 1/4-inch metal tip into the top of each cupcake, squeeze the bag until you feel a slight pressure, which should put approximately 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of chocolate in each cupcake. You should only squeeze for a couple of seconds.
2. Alternatively, cut off the top of the cupcake, scoop out a bit of the center and replace with 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of the ganache.

Save remaining chocolate to garnish tops of cupcakes with stripes.

For the frosting:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Spread the coconut on a sheet pan. Toast in oven, stirring frequently to prevent burning, until the coconut is an even brown color, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a small saucepan and beat lightly to break up.
4. Add the milk, sugar, and butter.
5. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until thick, bubbly, and golden, about 15 minutes.
6. Press mixture through a fine metal sieve and into a bowl to remove any lumps.
7. Add 2 cups of the coconut, reserving the remainder for garnish, and stir to combine.
8. Let the mixture cool, and spread generously over tops of cupcakes.
9. With a fine-tipped pastry bag, or the edge snipped off a plastic bag, pipe stripes of chocolate ganache over the top of the coconut icing to look like a Samoas Girl Scout cookie.
10. Garnish with remaining toasted coconut.

Yields 12 cupcakes