Cheery Cherry Coconut Cupcakes

You know how it is when you are looking for a certain type of recipe with certain kinds of flavors. I just picked up some cherries at the market and I wanted a cake with cherries and coconut. Alas, I could not find what I was looking for. So I winged it and put together this recipe. It came out pretty good. It has a very tender crumb. I added red food coloring, figuring that would be a hit with the kids.

The top of cake turned a bit brown and tasted like toasted coconut.

Cherry Coconut Cupcakes
my original recipe

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
11/2 cups flour
½ teaspoon red food coloring (optional)
1/2 cup flaked baby coconut
1 cup fresh cherries, pitted and chopped

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a muffin pan with liners. Makes 25 cupcakes. Or you can do 12 muffins and a nine inch cake. Butter and line with parchment a 9 inch round. Cream the butter, coconut oil and the sugar, beat for about five minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Add vanilla extract and red food coloring. Combine dry ingredients and add the dry mixture into the butter mixture very slowly (otherwise you will get a face full of flour). Add cherries and coconut, just mix until combined.