Cupkate's Marshmallow Coconut Cupcakes

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin tins with 24 paper liners.

In a mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add butter to dry ingredients, mixing until butter disperses evenly and mixture resembles cornmeal.

In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, milk, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds. Slowly add to dry ingredients, mixing until well blended.

Spoon batter into paper liners. Bake 12-15 minutes or until top of cupcakes spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in tins 5 minutes; remove from tins and cool completely on a wire rack.

When cupcakes have cooled, fill a pastry bag with meringue frosting. With an inverted pastry tip or apple corer, cut a hole out of the middle of each cupcake from the top. Fill holes and frost cupcakes with meringue frosting. With a kitchen torch, toast frosting until lightly browned; sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Meringue Frosting

Pinch salt in a medium, heat-proof bowl, mix together all ingredients. Over a pot of boiling water, whisk mixture until it appears foamy and reaches 165°F on a candy thermometer. Transfer to a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat until cool.

Recipe courtesy of Kate McEachern, Cupkates, San Francisco, Calif.