Yes! I have had that silly song running through my head this entire weekend. It’s a good thing I like the song or else it’d be burning my brain already.
I couldn’t leave it well enough alone. For someone who considered not submitting anything this month for Cupcake Hero, I sure as heck went about doing a lot of baking for it. I couldn’t help myself! As the resident tropical diva, I had to pull out another mixed drink confectionary. For a while I thought that perhaps someone else would have come up with this kind of entry before for this month. But some quick googling later, I didn’t seem to find anything from the usual cupcake suspects. So, in a last stitch scramble before deadline, I whipped these up and prayed they were a success.
Pina Colada Cupcakes makes 18 cupcakes 
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1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
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1 cup sugar
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2 extra large eggs
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4 tsp. dark rum
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1 1/2 cup self-rising cake flour
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1/2 cup coconut cream
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1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
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1 can crushed pineapple, all liquid removed and drained
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Beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
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Mix in one egg at a time; blend well.
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Add cream of tartar and rum. Alternate the addition of flour with the coconut cream.
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Drain can of crushed pineapple, saving half a cup of the juice for the frosting. Fold in pineapple to the batter.
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Fill cups halfway and bake at 325F for 25-35 minutes, or until toothpick in the center of cupcake comes out clean.
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Cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing to racks to cool completely.
Banana Colada Frosting
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1/2 stick butter, softened
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1 banana, ripe and mashed
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1lb. powdered sugar
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2 tablespoons rum
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2 tablespoons pineapple juice
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3/4 cup shredded coconut
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Cream butter.
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Mash banana thoroughly with one tablespoon of rum.
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Beat together banana and butter.
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Slowly work in sifted sugar, halfway through adding the remaining liquid.
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Beat until thickened and fold in coconut.
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Slather onto cupcakes appropriately. Chill.
Final Review: I actually really enjoyed these cupcakes. It is still a little debatable to me if they actually taste like pina coladas. They sure do look like them though! As you can see from the pictures, I topped them off with cherries. I used left over passionate cherries (who I surmise are triply potent for having been lounging in their passoa liquor baths for this long) but any cherries will do to top it off. I only wish I had had some paper umbrellas to add as a final touch to them for the pictures. I also wish I’d had my cupcake holder thingy too. But that’s in my hometown and I stayed this weekend. Again, I had to work with what I had. But, did you see? I acquired some cupcake cups and they are the nice sturdy aluminum ones that really help me out since I’m still baking without cupcake pans. I know, sad lot in life. But, I am digressing. I think the actual cupcakes are wonderfully delicious. They have a nice pineapple bite with a distinct coconut after taste. I have no had one frosted yet, but my housemate says its the frosting that makes this cupcake. Albeit, he said I over frosted them. But I just said that it’s because the cupcakes were just frosted and not chilled, that’s why the frosting was so soft. Then again, I like gooey frosting. In the end, I may have over frosted them because I was 2 cupcakes short from having eaten them before I got to making the frosting. Either way, they seem like lovely little treats to have! This time I didn’t go all out with the booze, so it’s just a fine taste and not a whallop like my Island Passion Cupcakes. I’ll just call them a success and call it a month for the liquor portion of Cupcake Hero.
