Piña Colada Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Rum Sauce

Directions

• Cupcakes
• Preheat oven to 350°F and line cupcake pan with liners
• In a clean mixing bowl add butter and sugar and whisk to cream until you have a light and fluffy mixture. This will take about 3-4 minutes.
• While the butter and sugar are creaming, mix together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and salt. Stir with a whisk to combine and set aside.
• Next add the eggs one at a time to the creamed butter and sugar. Scrape the sides as needed. Once the eggs are incorporated, add the crushed pineapple, juice and vanilla.
• On a low speed, add the dry ingredients a little at a time until full incorporated.
• Don’t over mix. Overmixing will develop too much gluten and make the cupcake chewy. Once just combined, pour the batter into the cupcake liners in the pan, filling just half way.
• Bake for 15- 20 minutes check with a wooden toothpick inserted into the middle of the cupcake. If it comes out clean it is ready. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
• Pineapple Compote
• While the cupcakes bake, make the compote.
• Chop the pineapple into small cubes. In a saucepan add the pineapple and lemon juice and bring to a boil, then add the sugar. Turn the heat to low, simmer for 8-10 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and add the rum. Stir to incorporate, then allow the compote to cool completely before filling the cupcakes. If you make this in advance, store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.
• Coconut Buttercream
• Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream the butter until super soft and creamy. This should take around 5 minutes. Add 2 cups of confectioner’s sugar at a time until all has been added and incorporated. Finally add coconut cream and mix well until really light and fluffy.
• Salted Caramel Rum Sauce
• Heat sugar in a heavy duty saucepan with high sides on medium heat (stainless steel preferred, avoid using nonstick if possible). Stir constantly with a high heat resistant spatula. Sugar will form clumps and eventually melt into a thick brown liquid. PLEASE BE CAREFUL it will be extremely hot!
• Once sugar has melted, immediately stir in butter until melted and well combined. Then, very slowly stir in ½ cup of heavy cream, since the heavy cream is colder it will rapidly bubble. If nervous, wear an oven mit.
• Remove the caramel sauce from the heat and stir in the salt and rum. Allow the sauce to cool down before use, it will thicken once cooled. The sauce can last up to 1 month in an airtight container in the fridge, make extra and put some on ice cream, waffles, etc.!
• Air Fryer Dehydrated Pineapple Slices
• Peel and core the pineapple, and thinly slice around ⅛ of an inch thin.
• Place the slices in the air fryer, you may need to do it in batches, so they are not overlapping
• Cook at 250°F for 30-40 minutes or until nice and crispy.
• To Assemble Cupcakes
• Using an apple corer, or small knife, core a hole in the middle of the cooled cupcake, and fill with the pineapple compote. Place the cut out back on top of the compote, then pipe on the coconut buttercream.
• Top each cupcake with a sliced dehydrated pineapple, toasted coconut and drizzle with salted caramel rum sauce! Enjoy!