Tasty Pina Colada Cupcakes

With temperatures hitting the high 90s this week I swear all I can think about is sitting by the pool with a big frosty margarita and pretending the laundry pile doesnt exist.

But lets be real.

As much as I’d love to sip tropical drinks poolside all day a mom of three soccer players cant exactly be tipsy at 2pm on a Tuesday! The carpool lane judges you know.

These Pina Colada Cupcakes have been my absolute savior this summer.

The coconut and pineapple flavors remind me of vacation even when in the backyard.

So yummy with that tropical flavor but without the rum so the kids can enjoy them too. Though sometimes I wonder if a little rum in the frosting would be our secret mom ingredient for those really long days…

Anyway these cupcakes are super easy to make even when your kitchen feels like the inside of an oven already.

Ingredients for Easy Pina Colada Cupcakes

Here’s what you’ll need to make these delicious pina colada cupcakes:

• All-purpose flour (don’t pack it in or you’ll end up with dry cupcakes…learned that one the hard way!)
• Baking powder AND baking soda (you need both trust me)
• Salt (just a pinch but it makes everything taste better)
• Unsalted butter (softened at room temp…I always forget to take it out early and end up microwaving it for 10 seconds)
• Vegetable oil
• Canned crushed pineapple WITH the juice (I use the full 8oz can for maximum flavor)
• Powdered sugar for the frosting
• Heavy cream or cream of coconut (I like using a bit of both for the frosting)
• Toppings: pineapple slices maraschino cherries and those cute little umbrellas

These are seriously the most refreshing summer treat!

How to Make Your Pina Colada Cupcake Recipe

Here is a step-by-step instructions on making these easy and tasty cupcakes!

Step 1: Prep Your Kitchen

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line your cupcake pan with those cute liners.

Step 2: Mix Your Dry Ingredients

In a bowl whisk together the flour baking powder baking soda and salt. This takes like 30 seconds but don’t skip it! Mixing these together first prevents those weird flour lumps that nobody wants to bite into.

Step 3: Create Your Wet Mixture

Beat the butter oil and sugar on high speed until it looks light and fluffy. This usually takes about 2-3 minutes with my mixer. Then add in the eggs one at a time.

Step 4: Combine Everything

Mix half the crushed pineapple into your wet mixture. Then add half the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Don’t overmix or they’ll get tough!

Add the remaining pineapple and vanilla then finish with the rest of the dry ingredients. The batter will look a little lumpy from the pineapple and thats perfectly fine!

Step 5: Fill and Bake

Fill each cupcake liner about 3/4 full. Any more and they’ll overflow. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Step 6: Cooling Time

Let them cool in the pan for about 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

They need to be COMPLETELY cool before frosting or you’ll have a melty disaster.

Step 7: Make the Buttercream

Beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Then add half the powdered sugar (warning: it will get everywhere no matter how careful you are).

Mix in the coconut extract and about 2 tablespoons of cream then add the rest of the powdered sugar. If its too thick add a little more cream. I like mine fluffy but still firm enough to pipe.

Step 8: Decorate!

Pipe the frosting onto your completely cooled cupcakes.

Top each one with a maraschino cherry and pineapple slice. Add those little paper umbrellas if you want to be extra fancy.

Baking Tips for the Perfect Pina Colada Cupcakes

• Pat those maraschino cherries dry with paper towels before placing them on your frosting!
• Don’t overmix your buttercream! Mix just until everything is combined and smooth. Overmixing adds too much air and you’ll end up with weird bubbles in your frosting that are impossible to smooth out.
• If you have a kitchen scale USE IT for measuring flour. My cupcakes always turn out better when I weigh ingredients.
• Store these in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge. You can store them in the fridge 2-3 days! They’ll stay fresh on the counter for 2 days (if they last that long in your house…they definately don’t in mine!)
• Make sure your butter is actually room temperature for the frosting.
• If you’re taking these to a potluck wait to add the umbrellas until you arrive. Those little paper things will get soggy and sad looking if they sit in the frosting too long.
• The canned pineapple works WAY better than fresh for this recipe. I tried it both ways and the canned gives more moisture and flavor. Plus its easier when you’re trying to help with math homework at the same time as baking!