Springtime is coconut time in my book. OK, Summer could be coconut time too, but Spring definitely kicks it off. I think coconut desserts are perfect for this season because they are light and sweet, and their pretty white color is the perfect backdrop for all kinds of decorations, whether soft pastels or bright pops of color. These coconut cupcakes are pretty perfect. The cupcakes bake up light and tender, and not at all dry (like a lot of homemade white cakes do). They have delicious coconut flavor baked into the cakes, more coconut flavor in the silky coconut buttercream, and even more coconut flavor thanks to sweet, shredded coconut sprinkled on top. One of our locally owned grocery stores has an amazing bakery section, and they put the most darling plastic party favor rings on top of their cupcakes. My kids always go bananas for them because it’s two treats in one—a yummy cupcake and a fun dress-up ring. I took that idea one step further and decorated my coconut cupcakes with cute and colorful ring lollipops shaped like tulips from Oriental Trading Co. You can find the recipe for these yummy coconut cupcakes, along with instructions and a link to the tulip-shaped ring pops, on the Oriental Trading Co blog HERE. Check it out today and bake up a batch of tulip-topped coconut cupcakes just in time for tulip season!
