Pina Colada Cupcakes

This is a part of a bigger post I'll be throwing up on Friday (another 3-D edible invitation-and no, it's not a luau).  I wanted a tropical cupcake, and so I googled cupcakes that use boxed cake mixes.  I really prefer boxes, they are so much moister than most from scratch recipes.  I'm sure that says something about my palate, but I'm OK with that.  I found this recipe via Betty Crocker.  It calls for rum extract as well, but I just went with the pineapple and coconut.  I really liked the results. 

Ingredients:  1 yellow cake mix, 3 eggs, 1/3 c. oil, 1/4 c. water, 8 oz can of crushed pineapples (don't drain). 

Instructions:  Mix all ingredients, including juice and crushed pineapples.  Bake at 350 for 14-18 minutes.  (I was able to get 18 cupcakes out of this cake mix).

 For the coconut icing, I just used a can of whipped icing, and then I dipped each cupcake in shredded coconut. 

I decided this wasn't good enough, so my last 12 cupcakes (that were going towards my project) got the same treatment, except I just mixed the coconut right into the icing, spread it in one big clump, and then I rolled the cupcakes in crushed graham crackers to look like sand. 

 Heather provided the crushed grahams and umbrellas.  Her husband questions my influence, and ultimately our sanity. 

 He's not far off base in his concerns, but regardless....more on these cupcake destinations soon, but I just need to say one more time....

umbrella or not, they were tasty!  ...and easy to make. 

Linking To:  Fireflies and Jellybeans Glue Sticks Sugar Bananas HOH Fingerprints on the Fridge