Italian Cream Cupcakes with Coconut Pastry Cream Filling and Fluffy Mascarpone Frosting

For the filling:

Split the vanilla bean lengthwise in half, scrape seeds out and add both seeds and bean paste to the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat just until it starts to simmer (tiny bubbles begin to form around the edges). Remove the milk from the heat, cover and let steep for about 5 minutes.

Take the coconut for the filling, cupcakes, and garnish (2 1/2 cups total). Spread coconut out on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and toast very lightly in a 350ºF oven for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, just until most of it is slightly golden. Remove from the oven and cool.

Whisk egg yolks, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl until well blended and smooth.

Sift together the flour and corn starch. Then whisk flour and cornstarch into the egg mixture until smooth.

Remove vanilla bean from the milk. While whisking constantly, slowly add a small amount (about 1/2 cup) of hot milk to the egg mixture until it is combined. Whisking constantly, add the egg mixture back into the pan of milk. Return the pan to medium heat and whisk constantly until the mixture starts to boil. Continue to whisk for another 30-60 seconds until it thickens. Remove pan from the heat, and immediately stir in amaretto and 1 cup toasted coconut. Pour mixture into a small bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap lightly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool to room temperature, then cover the bowl with another piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. This can be prepared 2 days ahead. You should prepare the filling one day ahead so it has time to completely chill before using.

For the cupcakes:

Note: Have your eggs at room temperature; you’ll achieve much greater volume with the whipped whites this way.

Whisk flour and salt together. Sift into a medium size bowl.

In a mixer with a wire whisk attachment, whip egg whites on medium high speed until stiff peaks form. Don’t overbeat! Set aside.

In your mixer with a paddle attachment, combine oil and butter together on low speed (it will have tiny lumps but don’t worry, it will all come together). Add sugar and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well to combine.

Combine buttermilk, cream of coconut, and baking soda, stirring to blend well.

Alternate adding the flour and buttermilk mixture to the batter, beginning and ending with flour. When adding flour, use on/off turns on low speed, slowly mixing until the flour is not quite incorporated. Scrape down sides of the bowl and add 1 cup of the reserved toasted coconut, mixing on low just to blend in any flour and the coconut.

With a rubber spatula, fold the whipped egg whites into the batter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl under the batter and up through, turning the bowl as you go. Be gentle—you don’t want to deflate your egg whites! Mix just until the egg whites are incorporated.

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full with batter. Bake one pan at a time in the oven until light golden and cakes spring back when lightly pressed. Remove pan from the oven and place it on a baking rack. Cool in pans 5 minutes, then remove cupcakes to the rack to cool completely before filling and frosting.

For the mascarpone frosting:

Have mascarpone at room temperature for about 30 minutes or so, to soften. This is the key to having fluffy mascarpone frosting!

With a wire whisk attachment on your mixer, beat mascarpone cheese on high speed until fluffy. On low speed, add cream, sugar and vanilla until blended, then continue whipping on high until medium stiff peaks form. Don’t over beat! The mixture should be light and fluffy. Use immediately.

To assemble cupcakes:

Cut a small hole in the top of each cupcake, about the size of a quarter, going down only about halfway through.

Fit a pastry bag with a plain tip and fill it halfway full with the coconut cream. Squeeze coconut cream into the holes in the cupcakes just until it is even with the top.

Now you’re ready to frost. Fit another pastry bag with a star tip and fill it with the mascarpone frosting. Decoratively swirl frosting on top of cupcakes. Sprinkle with remaining toasted coconut and pecans (see note). If not serving right away, store them in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 day.

Note: to toast pecans, place on a baking sheet in a preheated 350ºF oven and toast until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Watch carefully, they can burn quickly!