Take yourself to Hawaii with Aloha Cupcakes

It's Spring here.... sunshine everywhere and the temperature is getting warmer! Which means tropical fruits and lots of them!  I picked up a pineapple and mango just thinking we'd cut them open and eat them. But then I thought... woah, wait... I can make CUPCAKES out of them!

So, I came up with these.  Now, they didn't quite rise like I wanted them to, so I'll have to tweak the recipe a little if I make them again to change the ratio of flours/baking powder to create a better rise.  But... they were SO moist and so full of flavor!  I brought some to all my neighbors and they all loved them!!  One of them said it tasted like Hawaii!

They are a pineapple cupcake with chunks of yummy pineapple baked in topped with a mango buttercream with chunks of mango garnished with two pineapple wedges and a tropical umbrella!

Whip up a batch of these, relax on your back porch with your sunglasses and relax... day dream yourself to Hawaii with these Aloha Cupcakes!

Aloha Cupcakes - Pineapple cake toppled with mango buttercream
Makes approx 32-36  cupcakes

Pineapple Cupcakes
12 tablespoon (1 ½ sticks) butter, room temp
1 ½ cups sugar
4 egg whites
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup sour cream
½ fresh pineapple, diced (about 1 cup)

3 cups sifted cake flour
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.  Line cupcake tin with liners.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
4. One at a time, mix in the egg whites.  Whip until light and fluffy.   Scrape the sides of the bowl.
5. Add the vanilla and sour cream and mix to incorporate.
6. Add ½ cup of the pineapple and all the juice of the entire 1 cup.   Reserve the last of the pineapple for later.   Mix until combined.  Scrape the sides of the bowl.
7. In thirds, add the flour mixture to the egg and sugar mixture.  Mix only until combined, making sure to scrape the sides.  Between each addition, add half the milk.
8. Fold in the remaining pineapple chunks.
9. Fill cupcake liners ⅔ full with batter.   (See *Tips & Tricks* below)
10. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Rotate pan after 10 minutes of baking to ensure evenness.
11. Cool in pans for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

*Tips & Tricks*

If you fill your Cupcake liners up too high with batter, sometimes it can cause them to be flat and spill over the edges when baking.  To ensure a nice, round dome, fill your liners no more than ⅔ full.

Mango Buttercream
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 lbs powdered sugar, sifted
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup heavy cream
½ cup finely chopped fresh mango and the juices (you could even run them through your food processor to get them chopped up really fine)

1. Cream butter in a large bowl.
2. Add sifted powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly until creamy;   Scrape the sides of the bowl.  If necessary, add 1 tablespoon of the cream to help smooth out the mixture.
3. Add the vanilla and mango with juices about half way though adding the powdered sugar.
4. Slowly add the remaining cream.  You may or may not need all of it or more.  Add it slowly until you get your desired consistency.
5. Mix on high for 5 minutes until creamy and fluffy.