Pineapple Cupcakes with Toasted Coconut in a Jar or No Jar

My love for carrara marble led me to make these cupcakes, which, of course, has nothing to do with marble, but everything to do with my seeking out a solution to get that marble look.

I used to live in a building in Long Beach California on the the top two floors of four-story walk up. It was built in 1928 and the steps were made of carrara marble. I lived their for four years and every day my love for those marble steps grew.

Cararra marble found in Carerra and in Italy is one of the most beautiful stones in the world. Michaelangelo carved David from it. However, it’s not really suitable for my high maintenance kitchen where red wine and espresso flow like a river. It stains. It scratches. It changes over time. I don’t really care in other parts of the home, as my antique end tables are topped with carrara marble, but in my kitchen, it’s not going to work. Or is there some kind of marble that I should take a look at?

A friend of mine recently remodeled her kitchen with a stone called Nuvolato, a type of marble. She installed it in her kitchen where three children reside and she said she doesn’t care if it gets some stains, as she loves it that much.

She invited me to see it and on the morning of the visit, I made her these pineapple cupcakes with toasted Coconut. I remembered how much she loved my legendary coconut cupcakes, and I had always promised her some. However, that never happened and on this particular morning,  I didn’t have everything I needed for those, and created this new recipe.  I was in a crazy pineapple mood and fresh pineapple had its way into the batter.

A few days later I continued that pineapple mood and  I made this pineapple spelt breakfast cake with pineapple flowers.  But my pineapple craze started with these simple, yet flavor bursting tropical pineapple cupcakes.

I loved her nuvolato. She loved my cupcakes. It was a happy afternoon.

I couldn’t design a more perfect looking stone, as it was exactly what I want for my own kitchen. I am currently getting an estimate to put this stone on my island. I’m not sure if I’m crazy or not. She did it two ways. Honed and polished. She said the honed (by her sink) is not staining at all, as she can easily rub those spots off, but the polished does pick up stains. She still doesn’t care. I love her attitude. She got what she wants and she’s quite content to please herself and not worry about imperfections. I want to be that way too. After all, my kitchen is the most lived in room of the my house and it should be okay that it shows a little history.

SINCE THIS POST: I had carrara marble (honed) put in my kitchen and I love it.

Do you have any input on putting marble on a kitchen countertop? I’m replacing Cambria quartz for the island, but leaving it on the back counters, so I need something that compliments it. This one does and it’s beautiful. The kitchen island right now is two levels, counter height and bar height, cutting my work space way down. By bringing the bar to the counter level and having one solid surface, I’ll have a lot more prep room, photography room and sunlight on the prep area. If I had only known to do this five years ago when I put the quartz in, but that was pre-blogging days.

Am I crazy for not going with granite or is there a granite that could do the job?

In the meantime, I’ll continue to ponder this decision.

The Pineapple Cupcakes with Toasted Coconut

I used fresh pineapple and  little bit of coconut inside a yellow cake, whipped up a cream cheese frosting, and topped with toasted coconut. I wish I would have had more fresh pineapple to decorate. I think a piece of pineapple with the cherry would have looked pretty. These were moist, fragrant and the texture of the coconut added a nice crunch.

I always bake a few in a jar for freezing for future treats. At any given time, my freezer has jar cake of some nature, explained more in this recipe here for red velvet in a jar.

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Pineapple Cupcakes with Toasted Coconut

Moist yellow cupcake, filled with pineapple and coconut, topped cream cheese and butter frosting and toasted coconut.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12

Author: Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1¾ cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup fresh pineapple finely chopped (can used canned)
• 2 tablespoons yogurt
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup oil canola oil
• 1/2 cup coconut
• TOASTED COCONUT INGREDIENTS
• 1 cup coconut
• Cream Cheese frosting recipe in found in link below.
• Marachino cherries for each cupcake
• Note: If baking in jars you can use 1/2 pint wide mouth jars. Spray the jars with baking spray.

Instructions

• Sift baking soda, baking powder, flour together. Set aside.
• Mix together, eggs, sugar yogurt, pineapple, vanilla.
• Mix dry mixture into the sugar mixture. Add in oil, and mix. Add coconut.
• Pour into cupcake pans ¾ way.
• Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes, depending on size of cupcake.
• This makes approximately 12 large cupcakes.
• TOASTED COCONUT INSTRUCTIONS
• Lower heat to 350. Lay out coconut on shallow baking pan. Bake for 5 -10 minutes, checking at 5. If you want it really brown and crunchy, bake longer, but keep checking so it doesn't burn.
• The Cream Cheese Recipe is in a link below also found in my dessert category.
• Top with a cherry
• BAKING IN JARS
• This recipe rises high. I ended up with jars of cake filled to the brim, so I turned them over and they fell right out. I cut them in half and put them back in the jars. Do not fill more than 1/4 of the way of the jar. If you freeze your jar cakes like I like to do, leave an inch between the cake and the lid.

Please follow me on instagram. If you make this recipe,  please tag me #spinachtiger.

If you love this recipe, please give it five stars. It means a lot. xoxo

You can find the cream cheese recipe here. Just top with toasted coconut.