My cupcake ritual...

Cupcakes are the best of all cake matter - small, fit into the palm of your hand, frosting covered morsels that come wrapped in their own gift paper. I love to make them and my posse luvs to eat them. It's hard to wait until a proper occasion comes up to get out the travel cupcake baking tin. Ahhhh - today was just such a day - a dear friend's, wise beyond her years, 19th birthday. Pink cupcakes were in order - her favorite color - and the request came for my near-famous coconut frosting. Yum! I like to cheat in the cupcake department and I am not afraid to admit it - the boxed cakes mixes in flavors like Cherry Chip, Confetti and Strawberry have become something of a de rigor in my crowd. And when you can hit a sale and pick up a box for a buck, well, just damn economical. But when it comes to the frosting, I am all about the prime ingredients -butter, cream cheese - that makes up for any indiscretion I might have made for not having baked from scratch, which I also do, and have the cake flour to prove it!
So, today in honor of this birthday celebration, I am going to willingly spill the beans on my favorite little creation - the Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe. Come on you bakers out there - make me proud!

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

2 sticks of butter, room temperature
1 8oz container of cream cheese
1 lb. of powdered sugar
2 tsp of coconut flavoring
1 tsp of vanilla
shredded coconut

Whip the butter and cream cheese together until smooth, add in the powdered sugar, vanilla and coconut. When finished, stir in as much shredded coconut as you wish - about 1/2 cup should do. Frost cupcakes, adding a dash to coconut to the top, or sprinkles if you like, to give them the festive attire that they so well deserve. Then, eat 'em!