I wrote a post about beauty tips, which is hilarious if you know me (I try to avoid even getting dressed when possible). BUT IT MAKES SENSE, for reasons I have carefully outlined in my post. (Spoiler: I'm beauty lazy, so if you get beauty tips from me, they'll necessarily be super easy and accessible.)
The bonus tip is eat in a way that makes you feel good. These Skinny Mini Coconut Cakes adapt the cloudlike joy of coconut cake into a petite 120 calorie dessert you can feel happy about. (But let's be honest, we all feel pretty happy about regular coconut cake as well.)
Skinny Mini Coconut Cakes
Recipe by:
SkinnyTasteYield: 24 mini cakes
These little cakes are the cute, light version of your coconut cake fantasy. The frosting is marshmallowy and the angel food cakes are fluffy, making this a cloudlike coconut dream dessert. Each cake comes in at around 120 calories!
Cake Ingredients:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2/3 cup cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 egg whites from large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 cup coconut water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Coconut Meringue Frosting Ingredients:
4 egg whites from large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
about 1/4 cup of coconut water
1 1/2 cup shredded coconut, plus more for topping
Directions:
Make the cakes: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 muffin tins with cupcake liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, cake flour, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites, coconut water, vanilla extract, coconut extract, and cream of tartar on low speed until it's foamy. Turn the speed up to medium and add the granulated sugar about 1 tablespoon at a time. Turn the mixer up to high speed and beat until the egg whites form medium peaks (SkinnyTaste says: "Don't beat until the mixture is extremely glossy and stiff; it should be modestly glossy, but the very tips of the peaks formed when you dip your finger in should flop over just a bit.")
Add the dry ingredients into the egg white mixture in two additions, folding each addition in gently. Be careful not to overmix.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling each well pretty close to the top. Bake for 18 minutes or until the tops are slightly golden. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and cool completely before removing from the pan.
Make the frosting: Place the egg whites with the vanilla extract and coconut extract in the clean bowl of a stand mixer. Stir the water and sugar together in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring this to a boil and cook until the syrup reaches 234 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 4-8 minutes.
When the syrup begins to boil, start mixing the egg whites on low speed so they begin to get foamy. When the syrup is up to temperature, turn the egg whites to medium-high speed and very slowly drizzle the hot syrup into the whites. Beat until the frosting forms stiff glossy peaks, tossing in the salt to mix in along the way. Gently fold shredded coconut in to the frosting.
Assemble the cakes: Use a serrated knife or unflavored dental floss, cut each cupcake into two layers (I find the floss easiest: just wrap it in a loop around the cupcake and tighten until it cuts right through). Lightly brush the bottom layer of a cupcake with coconut water and top with about a tablespoon of frosting. Place the top layer on, piling another tablespoon of frosting on top. Top with extra shredded coconut. Repeat this for each cupcake. Serve immediately (the frosting is really best the day it's prepared, but we enjoyed these the second day also).
To read my 5 beauty tips for lazy girls, add your own lazy beauty tips, and see more photos, please head over to
Willow Bird Baking!
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