Tropical Pineapple Cupcakes with Citrus Cream Frosting

For Erika's shower I was in charge of dessert, which I naturally decided would be cupcakes :)  I spent days scouring my cookbooks and favorite food blogs trying to find the perfect dessert that would go with our Hawaiian theme, but nothing seemed good enough until Mom sent me a text of a picture she took from one of her cupcake cookbooks of Tropical Pineapple Cupcakes with Citrus Cream Frosting.  Combining citrus and pineapple was perfect, and topping it off with a little sprinkle of coconut made it extra special.  What these cupcakes lacked in appearance {mine never really fluffed up}, they made up for in taste.  They were super refreshing and light, and the citrus frosting was one of the yummiest frostings I've ever tasted.  I would highly recommend making these for your next summer party - but be prepared for lots of people asking for the recipe :)

Tropical Pineapple Cupcakes with Citrus Cream Frosting

Ingredients
6 slices canned pineapple in natural juice
2 sticks plus 2 tblsp butter, softened
1 1/4 cup superfine sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups flour
3 tblsp juice from canned pineapple

Frosting
4 tblsp butter, softened
3/4 cup soft cream cheese
grated rind of 2 lemons
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
shredded coconut {optional}

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350.  Line muffin pan with paper liners.
2. Finely chop pineapple.  Put butter and sugar in bowl and beat together until light and fluffy.  Gradually beat in egg.  Add flour and, using large spoon, fold into mixture.  Fold in chopped pineapple and pineapple juice.  Spoon batter into paper liners.
3. Bake cupcakes about 20 minutes until golden brown.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
4. For frosting - put butter and cream cheese in large bowl and using electric mixer, beat together until smooth.  Add rind of lemon.  Sift confectioners sugar into mixture, then blend until well mixed.  Gradually beat in juice from lemon, using enough to form spreading consistency.
5. When cupcakes are cold, spread on frosting.  Sprinkle with shredded coconut, if desired.  Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve. 

Makes about 24 cupcakes

xoxo,
stephanie marie