Chocolate Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting

(from Maida Heatter's Book Of Great Desserts)

Makes 24 cupcakes.

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus a bit more for dusting forms
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup powdered, unsweetened cocoa (preferably Dutch process)
5 1/3 ounces (2/3 cup) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup milk

Adjust two racks to divide oven in thirds. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter two cupcake pans (each pan with 12 regular size forms) and sift a bit of flour over them and shake out the excess. Or, line 24 forms with cupcake liner papers.

Sift together 2 cups flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa. Set aside. In large bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter. Beat in vanilla and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth after each and scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary to keep the mixture smooth. On lowest speed, alternately add sifted dry ingredients in three additions and milk in two additions. Continue to scrape the bowl with rubber spatula and beat until smooth. Do not overbeat.

Spoon batter into prepared pans, filling the cups only two-thirds to threquarters full. Bake for 15 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Do not overbake. Cool in pans 2 to 3 minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely.

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting:
(adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten

1 1b. cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 lb. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. pure almond extract
1 1/2 lbs. confectioner's sugar, sifted
8 oz. sweetened, shredded coconut

In bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, blend cream cheese, butter, and extracts. Add confectioner's sugar and mix until smooth. Frost cupcakes and sprinkle generously with coconut.