Entirely Elizabeth

Coconut Cupcakes
Set your oven to 350° F (177° C) and line a 12 cavity muffin tin with baking cups or parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, granular sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Create a well in the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, coconut flavor, vanilla, and egg.
Careful not to add in too much of the outer dry mixture, whisk the wet ingredients until combined. Then using a spatula fold the outer dry ingredients into the wet until combined.
Slowly pour the warm water into the batter, stirring constantly. The batter should be loose with no lumps before moving on.
Divide batter equally into the 12 cavities, filling them 2/3 of the way full. I use a large measuring cup but you can use an ice cream scoop or whatever works for you. Pouring straight from a regular bowl is quite messy.
Place in oven on middle rack and bake for 15 minutes.
Take cupcakes out of the oven and smoosh 1 piece of guava in the center of each cupcake.
Place back in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes. Cupcake around the guava should spring back and no longer glisten.
Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from muffin tin. Cool to room temperature.
Coconut Cream Cheese Buttercream
On medium speed, beat together the butter and cream cheese until smooth and fully incorporated.
Add coconut flavoring, beat until incorporated.
In a separate bowl sift together the powdered sugar, meringue powder, and corn starch.
On low to medium speed, add 1 cup of the powdered sugar mixture to the cream cheese mixture at a time, scraping down the bowl between each cup.
Once all the powdered sugar mixture is incorporated, turn mixer to medium high and beat for 30 seconds.


Decorating
Fit piping bag with a coupler and piping tip of your choice. I used the Wilton 4B tip.
Fill bag with coconut cream cheese buttercream.
Pipe a circle of frosting around the perimeter.
Dip the frosted cupcake in shredded coconut until evenly covered.
Pipe a swirl in the center of the cupcake, leaving the coconut ring exposed.