Make this moist and tasty Boozy Pina Colada Cupcakes recipe using boxed cake mix! With all the flavors of your favorite tropical cocktail: coconut, coconut rum, and pineapple, this cocktail-inspired dessert recipe is perfect for your next party.
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You'll love these Coconut Rum Cupcakes!
These pina colada cupcakes with coconut rum are so easy to make and so delicious!
Imagine eating a pina colada in cake form. This is it! I'm a big fan of cupcakes and these take the cake (pun intended).
The cupcake itself is made using yellow cake mix, but elevated with crushed pineapple and cream of coconut for extra flavor and moisture. The addition of coconut rum takes it over the top!
Related post: Coconut and Rum Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting
The frosting has a bit of chew from the shredded coconut and is also spiked with coconut rum. Of course, it has to have maraschino cherries on top just like the classic pina colada drink.
These easy-to-make boozy cupcakes are great for any special occasion! Trust me, this dessert is ALWAYS a crowd pleaser!
Ingredients
- Yellow cake mix
- Eggs
- Vegetable oil
- Cream of coconut
- Coconut rum
- Crushed pineapple
- Vanilla frosting
- Shredded coconut
- Maraschino cherries
I like to use yellow cake mix but you can use vanilla if you prefer. I just adore cake mix desserts, don't you?! Even though we are adding some other ingredients to make these taste like a cocktail, you still get a great cupcake base every time!
Instead of milk we use cream of coconut to incorporate a rich coconut flavor and additional moisture. If you’re thinking of using coconut milk, you can, but the flavor won’t be as rich.
Most of the time, fresh is always best. But in this case, it’s better to use canned crushed pineapple to ensure consistency in texture and taste. You’re guaranteed to get sweet pineapples and no sour ones, compared with buying fresh from the market.
If you don't have coconut rum, you can use regular rum. You should have enough coconut flavor from the cream of coconut to not miss out on too much flavor.
For the vanilla frosting, you can buy pre-made ones like I did or make a batch from scratch using your favorite recipe! My Very Best Vanilla Buttercream is so so so good and still super easy to make!
See the printable recipe card for quantities and full recipe.
How to Make Spiked Pina Colada Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line a cupcake pan with 24 cupcake liners.
Make the cupcakes
Step 1
In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, add the cake mix, eggs, oil, water, cream of coconut, 1 teaspoon of the coconut rum, and crushed pineapple.
Beat on high for 3 minutes.
Step 2
Fill each of the cupcake liners ⅔ full with batter. Put the pan to the oven, and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
Step 3
Cool cupcakes for 1-2 hours.
Make the coconut rum frosting
Step 1
To prepare the frosting, add the store-bought vanilla frosting and the remaining 1 teaspoon of coconut rum to a bowl and beat for 2 minutes.
*I love this hack for a quick customized frosting, don't you!
Decorate
Add the coconut frosting to a piping bag with a 1A tip, and squeeze the frosting into the center of each of the cupcakes.
Top with a maraschino cherry and some extra coconut.
How to Make it Your Own
- Texture – If you enjoy having different textures in your baked goods, you can incorporate some nuts (like walnuts) for added crunch, or raisins for some chew!
- Filling – Fill the cupcakes with cream cheese in the middle before baking. Each bite will be filled with luscious decadence.
- Mini – Make mini cupcakes when you’re serving a huge crowd. Do note that you will cut the baking time in half.
- Non-Alcoholic - You can remove the rum from this recipe and use coconut extract or rum extract to add a little more flavor.
- Boozier - To make them even more boozy, use a skewer to poke holes in the cupcake then drizzle extra coconut rum on top before frosting.
Tools
I never think you need to run out and buy new tools to make my recipes. Use what you have. But these are my favorite baking tools.
- Mixing bowl. I LOVE this batter bowl.
- Whisk
- Cupcake pans
- Cupcake liners
- Cooling rack
- Piping bag and tip
Top tips
- Allow the eggs and butter to come to room temperature for easier mixing.
- Do not overmix the batter. Otherwise, your cupcakes will turn tough and dense.
- Always preheat the oven. You want it to be at your good cooking temperature so that the cupcakes cook and rise evenly.
- Make sure you don't overfill the liners. Keep it to ⅔ full so they don't spill over.
- Cool the cupcakes in the pan for a few minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
- Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting. Otherwise, the frosting will melt on the hot cupcakes! It’ll still be delicious though.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store the leftover pina colada cupcakes or made ahead boozy cupcakes in airtight containers in the fridge for up to five days. It's best to store them without frosting if you can help it.
Yes, you can freeze liquor cupcakes. However, just like any other cupcake, it's best to freeze them unfrosted and just frost them a day or two before serving. This will make sure that they look the prettiest when served.
The secret to moist cupcakes is the fat and sugar content. In this case, we get it from the sugar, coconut cream, eggs, and vegetable oil.
If your cupcakes turn out to be dry after baking, you can save it by brushing simple syrup, which is a mix of equal parts of water and sugar, on to the top of the cupcake.
Make these yummy and oh-so-easy Pina Colada Cupcakes with coconut rum for your next party.
Make sure you don’t lose this recipe by saving it for later! Also, for more recipes make sure you’re following me on Pinterest, Instagram and like my page on Facebook. If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a star rating and tag me in your pictures!
More easy coconut and pineapple recipes
- Fruity Pineapple Dump Cake with Coconut
- Tropical Pineapple Cupcakes
- Coconut Rum Cupcakes
- Pina Colada Slush
- Kahluah and Coconut Rum White Russian Recipe
More easy cupcake recipes
- Boozy Margarita Cupcakes
- Moscow Mule Cupcakes infused with vodka
- Rosé Cupcakes
- Prosecco Cupcakes
- Sangria Cupcakes
Boozy Pina Colada Cupcakes Recipe with Coconut Rum
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Cupcake pans
- cooling rack
- Piping bag and tip
Ingredients
- 1 15.25 oz box Yellow Cake Mix
- 3 eggs
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup cream of coconut
- 1 teaspoon coconut rum
- 4 oz crushed pineapple in juice undrained
Frosting:
- 1 container vanilla frosting
- 1 teaspoon coconut rum
- ½ cup shredded coconut
- Maraschino cherries for garnish
Instructions
Make the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a cupcake pan with 24 cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, add the cake mix, eggs, oil, water, cream of coconut, 1 teaspoon of the coconut rum, and crushed pineapple. Beat on high for 3 minutes.
- Fill each of the cupcake liners ⅔ full with batter, transfer the pan to the oven, and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Cool cupcakes for 1-2 hours.
Make the Frosting
- Add the store-bought vanilla frosting and remaining 1 teaspoon of coconut rum to a bowl and beat for 2 minutes.
- Add frosting to a piping bag equipped with the 1A tip, and squeeze frosting into the center of each of the cupcakes.
- Top with a maraschino cherry and some coconut.
Notes
- Use room-temperature butter and eggs for easier mixing.
- Do not overmix the batter to prevent the cupcakes from turning tough.
- Make sure not to overfill the liners. Keep it to ⅔ full.
- Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting.
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