Creme of Coconut Cupcakes

From the 34th Anniversary Bayou Gourmet Cookbook by the Houma Daily Courier. Posted for ZWT5. 18 extra large baking cups are needed.

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Yields: 18-24 large cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 (18 1/4ounce) box  coconut cake mix, sifted
• 3  eggs
• 1⁄4 cup  oil
• 1  cup water

• Icing

• 1 (8 ounce) container  extra creamy  whipped topping
• 1 (12 ounce) can  creme coconut
• 1⁄2 cup  grated coconut
• 18  maraschino cherries, without the stems

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. To make cupcakes, combine sifted cake mix and eggs in a medium mixing bowl.
3. Add oil and water.
4. Cream this mixture on a medium speed for 2 minutes.
5. Place baking cups into cupcake pans; bake twelve cupcakes at a time.
6. Pour about 1/2 cup of mixture into baking cup lined muffin pan.
7. Place cupcake pans on center rack in the oven and bake mixture for about 28 minutes.
8. Let cupcakes cool for about 90 minutes.
9. Repeat above steps until all cake mixture is used.
10. To prepare icing, fold together whipped topping, creme of coconut and grated coconut into a medium mixing bowl to form a creamy icing.
11. Freeze for 20 minutes.
12. Top each cupcake with a generous spoonful of icing.
13. Place a cherry in the center of each cupcake.
14. Keep cupcakes refrigerated until ready to eat.