Italian Cream Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting

Cupcakes have become very popular lately. I do not recall where this recipe is from, possibly Cuisine Magazine, but I have made them. They were very good despite being alittle labor intensive. Nice for special occasions.

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Yields: 2 dozen

Ingredients

• WHISK TOGETHER

• 3  cups all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt

• CREAM TOGETHER AND ADD

• 2  cups sugar
• 1 1⁄2 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 6  eggs, seperated (reserve whites)
• 2  tablespoons hazelnut syrup
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1  cup buttermilk

• BEAT AND FOLD IN

• 6  egg whites (reserved earlier)
• 2  cups sweetened flaked coconut, toasted
• 1  cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325*; line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners and coat with nonstick spray.
2. Whisk dry ingredients together in a bowl; set aside.
3. Cream sugar and butter in a stand mixer with a paddle attatchment on medium speed until white and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
4. Add yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Mix in syrup and vanilla until incorporated.
6. Mix 1/2 the dry mixture into butter mixture, followed by buttermilk, then remaining dry ingredients; blend just until incorporated.
7. In a bowl with a mixer on high speed, beat egg whites into stiff peaks; fold into batter.
8. Fold hazelnuts and coconut into batter.
9. Fill liners to the top with batter and bake until toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20-25-minutes.
10. Cool Cupackes in the pan for 20-minutes; transfer to rack.
11. Frost when cool.
12. CREAM CHEESE ICING:.
13. 2 packages (8-oz. each) cream cheese, softened.
14. 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened (1 1/2 cups).
15. 3 tablespoons hazelnut syrup.
16. 2 tablespoons heavy cream.
17. 1 lb. powered sugar, sifted.
18. Whip cream cheese and butter together in a large bowl with a mixer at medium speed until combined.
19. Add syrup and cream; beat in powdered sugar until creamy.
20. Generously frost each cupcake.
21. GARNISH:.
22. 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, toasted (5 oz.).
23. 1/2 cup hazelnuts.