Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate, Coconut & Cointreau

When Meeta of What's for Lunch Honey invited us to the biggest blog party with a befitting treat, how could one resist! I came up with some obvious few cake ideas, but given that am not a huge cake fan, I settled on these decadent vanilla-chocolate-coconut cup cakes soaked in Cointreau...YUMMMM!

The combination of all the flavors was truly intoxicating..oh wait or was it just the cointreau! I made quite a few of these cupcakes, and sent them off with R to be taken to work. All I know is he had some VERY happy (hic!) employees all day long ;)
Happy Birthday Meeta and hope to mingle a lot more this coming year!!

Vanilla-Chocolate-Coconut Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes (Adapted from Martha Stewart)
1. 11/2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 1 teaspoon baking powder
3. 1/2 teaspoon salt
4. 1/4 cup olive oil or 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature.I used olive oil to make a healthier version
5. 1/2 cup honey or 1 cup sugar. Again honey makes it a bit more guilt free ☺
6. 3 large eggs
7. 11/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
8. 3/4 cup milk

For the Chocolate Ganache
1. 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2. 1 cup heavy cream
3. 1 tablespoon cointreau or any orange liqueur (optional)

For the Topping
1. 1 cup dessicated coconut flakes
2. 2 tablespoons cointreau or any orange liqueur (optional)

Merthod
For the Cupcakes
1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time; scrape down bowl, and fold in the vanilla.
3. Add flour mixture and milk alternatively, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
4. Spoon batter in greased muffin pans and bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer pans to wire rack; cool completely.

For the Chocolate Ganache & Topping
1. Place chopped chocolate in a bowl. Keep aside.
2. Heat the cream in a sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, making sure it does not boil out of the pot.
3. When the cream comes to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Stir in 1 tsp cointreau if desired.
4. Allow the ganache to cool slightly.
5. Pour the remaining cointreau over the cupcakes till they soak some of the liqueur
6. Top with the slightly cooled ganache and coconut flakes

Enjoy :)