Piña Colada Cupcakes

My college roommate's birthday is coming up, so I wanted to make cupcakes to give her, along with her birthday present.  I was running short on time, but still wanted something homemade, so I started looking for recipes that would be simple, but still taste wonderful.  I came across this recipe from Betty Crocker and decided to go ahead and give it a try.

Cupcake Ingredients

• 1 box of Betty Crocker SuperMoist yellow cake mix
• 1/3 c vegetable oil
• 1/4 c water
• 1 t rum extract
• 1 can (8oz) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
• 3 large eggs

Icing Ingredients

• 1 t rum extract
• 1 t coconut extract
• 1 container Betty Crocker Whipped vanilla frosting
• shredded coconut

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 º F.

2.  Place cake mix, oil, water, 1 t rum extract, crushed pineapple, and 3 eggs in a large bowl.

 

 3. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds, then mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.

4. Pour batter into liners, filling them 2/3 full.

5. Bake 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

6. Allow cupcakes to cool completely.

7. Stir 1 t coconut extract and 1 t rum extract into container of frosting.

 

8. Spread frosting on top of cupcakes.

9. Dip frosted cupcakes into shredded coconut.

 

10. Enjoy!

What I Learned This Time

• You may want to use a spoon or pour the batter into the liners.  I tried to use my batter dispenser, but some of the crushed pineapple kept getting stuck in the opening, making it difficult to fill the liners. 
• The recipe called for 3/4 cup shredded coconut to top the cupcakes.  I found that, for me, 3/4 cup of shredded coconut was not enough to top the cupcakes with the amount of coconut I wanted to top them with.  I ended up just placing some shredded coconut into a bowl to dip my cupcakes into.
• These cupcakes taste best after they sit for a while.  I tried one when I made them, then tried one the next day.  The cupcake the next day tasted better as the flavors had combined a little bit more.

These cupcakes were simple to make, and still tasted delicious.  When I took them to my roommates birthday lunch, people took 2 of them!  I would definitely suggest making them for any event or for anyone who loves piña coladas!

Thanks to Betty Crocker for this delicious recipe!
 

Please comment below if you have tried this recipe or if you have any suggestions!