Coconut Cupcakes- AMAZING!!!

Instructions

1. Coconut Cupcakes Barefoot Contessa
2. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3. 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4. 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
5. 1/4 teaspoon salt
6. 1 cup sugar
7. 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
8. 3 large eggs
9. 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
10. 3/4 teaspoon pure coconut extract (optional)
11. 1/2 cup buttermilk
12. 1 7-ounce package flaked sweetened coconut, divided
13. Line 16 muffin cups with paper baking cups, and set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and set oven racks at top and lower middle levels.
14. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar and butter on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer speed to low, and add the eggs one at a time, beating 1 minute after each. Beat in the vanilla and almond extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and beat again briefly.
15. Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk alternately to the butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Fold in only 1 1/3 cups of the coconut.
16. Fill each muffin cup almost full with batter. Bake in a 325-degree oven for 11 to 14 minutes on the top and lower-middle racks of oven, then reverse the positions of the two cupcake pans (putting the one from the top on the lower middle rack and vice versa), and bake another 11 to 14 minutes or until the cupcake tops are golden and a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
17. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely, and then top them with cream cheese icing. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. If you want to freeze these, store them unfrosted in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.
18. Makes about 16 cupcakes.
19. Cream Cheese Icing
20. Do not consider skipping the sifting of the powdered sugar or you will have unattractive white lumps in your icing.
21. 2 3-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
22. 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
23. 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
24. 1/4 teaspoon pure coconut extract (optional)
25. 2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
26. Remaining coconut
27. In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract and almond extract until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in 1 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Gradually beat in as much of the remaining sugar as needed to reach a comfortable spreading consistency.
28. Spread each cooled cupcake with the cream cheese icing and then top with the remaining coconut. An easy way to do this is to turn each iced cupcake upside-down and press gently into the coconut to make it adhere.