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June 10, 2016

Birthday party perfect 1950s Pink Coconut Snowball Cupcakes


It's hard to believe that nearly a year has passed since I last sat down to debate what I might like to serve when my next birthday rolled around (which I did by taking a look at 15 of my favourite desserts ever).

With my 32nd rounding the bend in precisely one month's time, I've already begun planning my birthday menu and though, as usual, the dessert choice is nowhere near finalized yet (more often than not, that happens at about 11:45 pm on July 9th), a quick peek through my collection of saved vintage recipe ads turn up a real charmer of a mid-century take on coconut snowball cupcakes.



{Looking very, very much like the marshmallow cream filled chocolate snack cakes that are Sno Balls, these adorable pink coconut topped cupcakes would be an ideal choice for any birthday celebration. Vintage recipe image source.}


I love chocolate, I love coconut (and as discussed in this post, it's always a safe choice when feeding my family), and I absolutely love anything pink, plus these darling little cupcakes just seem to have a fun, festive air about them.

They're also a snap to whip up, which means less time spent with the oven on during July - which is always a good thing! I like, too, that they'd be a breeze to put a gluten-free cake mix to work in and that, if so desired, one could certainly leave the coconut untinted.

You could also add in some chocolate chips or pieces and make these double chocolate snowball cupcakes. A favourite extract - say orange, mint, lemon, almond, or coffee - could also be used to jazz them up further, as could adding some festive candies or slices/pieces of fresh fruit on top of the pretty pink coconut.

If one goes in for birthday candles (and I definitely do!), it's always fun when serving cupcakes at a celebratory meal to top each one with enough candles to collectively equal the person's age - or conversely, just select a couple of cupcakes and stick a number shaped candle atop both.

And if you wanted to take this recipe in an especially elegant direction, you could forgo the coconut and instead coat each little cake in a layer of fondant or almond paste and then adorn them with candied (edible) flower petals, grapes or citrus peel. They might not look quite as "snowballish" any longer, but I assure that they'd still be every bit as scrumptious.

I've still got a month to decide on what I'll be making for this year's birthday, and you know, I'm starting to think - in the name of serious scientific taste testing, naturally - that I might just have to road test these cutie pies (err, cakes) before then.

One has to be sure, after all, that they're going to adore their birthday dessert and it's always better to veer on the side of (completely delicious) caution in these kinds of instances. :D

60 comments:

  1. Don't these look yummy?? What a great treat for summer picnics and parties. Another fabulous post my dear! XOXO..

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    1. They really, really do! I love how easily they could work for a slew of different holidays/special occasions, too - from orange and green for Halloween to blue and red for the 4th of July.

      Many hugs & joyful weekend wishes, dear April,
      ♥ Jessica

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  2. awesome charming and kitschy recipe. Happy early birthday of course where does the time go! Though 32 is quite young of course :) I can't quite wrap my head around how fast birthdays start moving one you are in your 30s I sometimes honestly forget im 38

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    1. Isn't it though? I just love a good mid-century kitsch filled recipe, especially since (while I was born in the 80s) I grew up with a bunch of them, made in the kitchens of my mom and both of my grandmas.

      Goodness, is that true! I'm still writing "2015" sometimes and almost forget that I'm nearly two years into my thirties. It's staggering (and at times a bit worrisome, honestly) how quickly one year flows into the next these days. Oh well! So long as one is alive that's what counts, no matter how quickly the years want to whip past. Hopefully this summer will slow down a little though, with the relaxed pace of the season.

      Big hugs & happy Sunday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  3. The less time the oven is on usually the better in summer I agree, and taste testing is sometimes perfectly acceptable. I mean you wouldn't want to serve anyone something that you have never tried before and therefore don't know if it tastes any good? :) I never have the problem of deciding what I want for a birthday cake. Cheesecake as you know is my perennial favorite. :)

    Sarah
    www.sewcharacteristicallyyou.com/blog

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    1. It's a major favourite of mine, too, and I won't lie, I'm leaning heavily towards it again this year, but haven't quite decided yet. As a good friend of mine pointed out last year, there's technically nothing to stop one from having multiple desserts for their b-day and you know, I'm quite tempted to take her advice this time around. At least two different ones, given that I'm turning 32? That justifies such entirely, doesn't it? :D

      Many hugs & thanks for your great comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  4. Now that I think of it, I don't recall a home made cake for my birthday ever. All I recall were store bought :(

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    1. Oh no, I'm sorry that you may never have had a homemade b-day cake, dear Lorena. I genuinely wish we lived nearby so that I could make you a big one, in whatever flavour you wanted, for your next birthday celebration.

      Many hugs & happy Sunday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  5. What a delightfully kitchy recipe, Jessica! I love these vintage recipes. Many hugs, and wishing you a great weekend xxx

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    1. Thank you sweetly, my lovely friend. I'm a giant fan of kitschy mid-century recipes, too. They're fun, tasty and rarely take themselves too seriously - all points that adhere me to any recipe all the more.

      Oodles of hugs & joyful Sunday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  6. Those look yummy! My birthday is coming up too and I've also been menu planning. I'm hoping to incorporate at least one vintage recipe on my list. I love the "little cake" look of these cupcake, rather than a modern "cupcake" shape. Very cute!

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    1. Very good observation, my fellow soon-to-be-birthday gal. They do indeed look more like someone shrunk a standard sized cake than made a modern cupcake. Love that! :)

      Many hugs & blissful b-day countdown wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  7. The appearance of these cakes is adorable, I love the coconut, chocolate (now in the house had not even a little 'chocolate and ran to the supermarket ... what a shame! Heheh) and the pink is a .. color joining us girls, even though I do with the harsh blacks clothes a part of my soul is candy pink! I believe that all variations of the recipe is very tasty, as well as creative .. You still have a few weeks to choose, but rather a recipe that does not need too much time in the oven, you're right! Meanwhile, I am preparing the jam yellow plums, despite the bad weather we have many thankfully!

    a warm and sweet embrace

    serena

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    1. Yum! Your yellow plum jam sounds absolutely wonderful! Plums are one of the many crops that grow here in our corner of Canada and I have fond memories of picking and canning them as a youngster.

      Thank you very much for your lovely comment and hugs - tons are coming right back at you, dear Serena.

      xoxo ♥ Jessica

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  8. Oho, Jessica!
    Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
    You know, I also love chocolate and coconut. This recipe is manageable, just one funny thing: how does one make 150 strokes-a-minute? Do we measure ourselves and the determine of we need to be faster? Or we try to hit 2.5 strokes a second?
    (old recipes always make me giggle).
    Can you imagine these in GREEN?
    That would be fabulous!

    ...
    Have an absolutely lovely day!

    M.

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    1. Doesn't they though? From unique ways of describing measurements to the assumption that all cooks just knew how to get from point A to point B with some rather tricky dishes, vintage recipes sure can make the modern home chef grin sometimes. :)

      They'd be a blast in green - and suit both Christmas and St. Patrick's Day quite nicely in that cheerful hue.

      Oodles of hugs & happy mid-June wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  9. i finally have to try this kind of dough - my way to go is usually shortcrust for fruits or yeast dough (for bread or pizza). but i love chocolate too - and a sponge mixture is the best way to integrate the dark brown stuff in bakery :-)
    but i will use butter!
    big hugs and a wonderful sunny weekend! xxxxxxx

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    1. Same here - butter all the way. I will cook with shortening once in a blue moon, but I find it too hard on some of my GI conditions, so stick with butter, olive oil or coconut oil most of the time.

      Scores of hugs & joyful weekend wishes coming right back at you, my beautiful friend,

      ♥ Jessica

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  10. How exciting, dear Jessica, that it is almost your birthday!

    My how yummy these cupcakes look; I would love to eat these pink snowballs - they are so pretty.

    Have you decided on what you are going to wear for your party? I hope that it is the happiest yet.

    Have a fun filled Saturday!
    ♥Hope

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    1. Excellent question, dear Hope! You know, I must say, I haven't really given it too much thought yet. I generally pick my b-day outfit based on our plans for that day and as such haven't been finalized yet, my outfit is similarly still up in the air. Definitely something cute and comfy no matter what - b-days are usually long days with lots of activity and such is not the time to feel constricted and/or in pain due to your outfit choice, if at all avoidable. Chances are (especially if we finally have some sunny weather by then!) we'll do a shoot that day and I'll share my b-day ensemble here later in the season.

      Many hugs & joyful Sunday wishes to you as well,
      ♥ Jessica

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  11. These look yummy. There is something so appealing about cooking good old fashioned food and then enjoying it with family and friends. I wish you much joy as you prepare to spend your special day with those you love. Certainly enjoy these cakes on whichever occasion you choose to make them. I'm off to get food now, you have made me hungry xx

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    1. There really and truly is, sweet Emily, I completely agree. I appreciate food from all ages and do certainly make plenty of modern recipes, but will always return to - and have a special place in my heart for - charming mid-century culinary delights like these adorable snowball cupcakes. :)

      Thank you very much for the early b-day wishes. I love the month leading up to such (which houses my brother's birthday sixteen days before my own) and still get as giddy as a little girl in the lead up to the big day itself.

      Many hugs & sincere thanks for all of your fabulously lovely recent blog comments,
      ♥ Jessica

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  12. Just a month, so nice! I love birthdays! I loved the cupcakes and yes, also because they are pink, dear Jessica! But I don't eat chocolate, so I would have to find a variation to bake these ones. They look delicious! The idea of every cupcake holding a candle is sweet, but I also liked two to have the right number! I am sure you will have a superb party! Hugs and regards!
    DenisesPlanet.com

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    1. Same here! It always genuinely makes me sad when I hear someone say that they "hate birthdays" or that they don't want to celebrate theirs any longer because it just makes them think about how short their life is growing. I understand that perspective, but I feel that such is missing the forest for the trees, as the old expression goes. A birthday is all about celebrating life and the fact that one was blessed to enter this world. It's a special event just for us each year and deserves to be toasted and held in high regard no matter if a person is two, twenty or a hundred and two years old!

      Tons of hugs & thanks for your beautiful b-day wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  13. This looks so yummy!
    I'm the worst cook on earth and my kitchen is so tiny. This is why I never cook on my birthday, we always have dinner in a restaurant. ;)
    But I'm sure your birthday menu will be delicious!!

    Many hugs,
    Sandra <3

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    1. Sometimes one's b-day is the very last day of the year that they want to cook on, I get that for sure, and have celebrated with restaurant meals before, too (most recently for dinner on my 30th b-day). If you have good places to eat around your house, why not? It's your special day after all and (hopefully!) you can do whatever your heart desires on it. :)

      Tons of hugs & happy mid-June wishes coming right back at you, sweet Sandra,
      ♥ Jessica

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  14. Wow I never thought of making these from scratch, I bet they taste so much better that way! For some reason I only ever see them being sold at gas stations? Haha. This looks like a super fun birthday treat :)

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    1. So true! I can only think of one supermarket around these parts that sometimes has them in the bakery section - usually, as you wisely observed, they're gas station fair all the way.

      Doesn't it though? I keep coming back to pairing them with generous amounts of scrumptious ice cream in my mind and and make just take that approach, especially if we have a bbq dinner at home for my birthday (not sure as to our exact plans yet, but that idea is being floated around at the moment).

      Many hugs & happy Sunday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  15. I love making birthday plans! Those coconut snowball cupcakes look yummy :)

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    1. Same here! Mine, Tony's, a family member's, a friend's - you name it, and I'll happily help plan a b-day anytime (and probably volunteer to bring some or all of the food to the party, too :)).

      Big hugs & happy mid-June wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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    1. Big time!!! Maybe it's just me, but I think that the cutest the food is, the better it's apt to taste and these darling pink snowball cupcakes are pretty high up there on the adorableness meter. :)

      Have a fabulous middle of June, Ally!
      ♥ Jessica

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  17. Yum! While I've never attempted a coconut coated cake/dessert vintage recipe as of yet, this one makes me want to give one a try sooner than later!

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    1. That's great to hear! Coconut is a common player in our family and I almost always have some on hand - especially since it's really nice in more basic recipes, too, included crusted poultry and seafood, with parfaits, and sprinkled on cereal (hot or cold).

      I hope you adore these super cute cupcakes if you give them a spin.

      Big hugs & happy Sunday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  18. I don't think I've ever eaten anything like this - I'm not sure we have an equivalent in the UK on sale. Look really delicious - who doesn't like chocolate and coconut together?! xx

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    1. Ooohh, you've got me wondering now if I can picture a similar store bought product from our days in Ireland. Nothing is super jumping out at me. Perhaps this popular North American style treat hasn't hopped over the pond yet? Either way, I bet a homemade version would be better tasting and perhaps better for you, as it wouldn't have preservatives and the like. If you give it a go, I hope this fun vintage recipe turns out wonderfully for you, sweet CiCi.


      Oodles of hugs & happy mid-June wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  19. I think I'll save this one for winter use, using untinted coconut really makes them look like snowballs. Thank you for another mouthwatering recipe, dear. :)

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    1. That sounds like a great plan! If I was making these for Christmas, I'd be tempted to include some mint extra in the cake batter and/or top them with sugar coated jelly mint leaf candies. Though, of course, they're awesome as they are at Xmas or anytime in the year. :)

      Big hugs & many thanks for your lovely comment, sweet Sanne,
      ♥ Jessica

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  20. Woo, they are pink! Fabulous!
    I too get giddy with excitement over my birthday! I hope the build up to your big day is a wonderful one xxx

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    1. Thank you very much, my sweet friend. Hard to believe, in little more than three weeks, I'll be another year older. Fortunately, I'm loving my 30s so far and am excited to see what "32" holds in store for me/us (Tony will be 36 come his next b-day).

      Many hugs & joyful mid-June wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  21. Oh I love those! I hope your birthday is amazing. I love planning parties, I don't care who for, so it's always exciting to look forward to my own birthday and nudge my husband (who likes to try to do something special) towards things that I'd love to have, haha!

    That ad reminds me of Making it Modern on YouTube. And now I want to cook a few vintage recipes to see how they hold up!
    xo
    Kristina
    www.eccentricowl.com

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    1. Same here on all counts! Tony is an awesome birthday planner/gift giver and has really gone above and beyond for me over the years (for which I'm sincerely appreciative) - very much including during our first year together, when we'd only known each other in person for a little over a month at that point (we'd meet online a few months earlier).

      It's wonderful to connect with a fellow party planning fan. It often surprises folks, given what a huge introvert I am, but I really enjoy party planning and hosting, especially if it's a more intimate gathering of, say, a dozen or less guests. I host multiple family events our place and help with others at relatives homes throughout the year, and would feel like a big part of my social calendar and non-work related life was missing without them (birthdays massively included!).

      Many hugs & happy wishes for the new week,
      ♥ Jessica

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  22. We're the same age! Happy early bday! Looks like you'll be serving some fun stuff! XO
    Lauren-Blair
    www.prefertobedemure.com

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    1. Thank you very much, lovely Lauren. How cool that we're the same age, I didn't know that. Three huge cheers for being born in 1984. Perhaps I'm biased, but I think it was a rather awesome year, don't you? :)

      Big hugs & happy mid-June wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  23. Those look delicious- and I definitely think that testing them beforehand is a must ;)
    The Artyologist

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    1. Oh, absolutely! One can never be too careful. Strict taste testing protocol must be followed, all in the name of culinary science. :D

      Thanks for your lovely comment, sweet gal. Have a beautiful week!

      ♥ Jessica

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  24. Ahh 32 like me :) these look great - I am all about food right now!

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    1. It's really cool that we're the same age. I often encounter bloggers who a little older or younger, but don't regularly interact with too many others who are the same birth year (Lauren from Prefer to Be Demure is another "32er" like us though, and is a notable exception to that statement).

      Have a stellar last weekend of spring!

      xoxo ♥ Jessica

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  25. Wow Jessica.You find the best retro recipes. I too am a huge fan of the chocolate coconut combo. Can't get enough! Just recently discovered Lindt dark chocolate bars with coconut in them. Soooo delicious! Am definitely going to try these cupcakes next time I have a party.

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    1. Same here! I love that, for me at least, it's one of those classic flavour pairing that really transcends the seasons and works awesomely all year round.

      Many thanks, hugs & joyful weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  26. So we are nearly birthday twins! My bday is July 9th!! I have no idea what's going on....I will be 50 this year so had planned to have a big party, but all my friends are online friends...so??

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    1. That's absolutely awesome! Do you know Kate-Em from the blog what Kate-Em Did Next (by pure coincidence, she's the commenter below you here on this post), she shares your birthday, and CiCi from the blog CiCi Marie and I are both July 10th gals. It's just amazing how in a small online community, a number of us all have birthdays right around the same time in July (I can think of a couple others, too, but can't recall off hand their exact birth date, so will refrain from hazarding a guess here).

      I hope that your 50th is a truly fantastic day for you and wish you nothing but the best and happiest memories for your birthday and year ahead!

      xoxo ♥ Jessica

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  27. These look like a fun bake. I hope they taste as good as they look!

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    1. It's hard to get chocolate and coconut wrong (I have run into such on occasion, but thankfully, not often), and mid-century recipes are usually very tasty, in my experience, so I have high hopes of this fun dessert being a winner. I like, too, that it's ingredients are fairly universally available, so folks from around the world can give it a shot, if they so desire.

      Big hugs & joyful birthday countdown wishes, my fellow July born gal!
      ♥ Jessica

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    2. I don't have any birthday plans yet do you? I really had better get thinking about how I would like to celebrate!

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    3. You know, other than pondering the menu, I really haven't given things a lot of thought yet. It was a busy, at times somewhat stressful, spring, and I really feel like I want to kick back and just take things easy for this b-day. Perhaps a family BBQ - if the weather cooperates. To no one's surprise here locally, we had rain on the very first day of summer. That is quite the rarity around these parts, I can assure you.

      I hope that we both hit on wonderful plans and have thoroughly marvelous, fun filled celebrations - complete with good weather.

      Oodles of hugs & happy start of summer wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  28. Such a fun looking treat! You can never go wrong with pink! <3

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    1. Agreed! It's my all-time favourite colour and one that I reach for often for home decor and dessert options as well. Plus, it just suits summer so well, as they're both cheerful and fun.

      Many hugs & sincere thanks for all of your great blog comments this week,
      ♥ Jessica

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  29. Those do look like fun - and so very retro.

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    1. Don't they though? You could pretty much call these cute desserts "Iconic 1950s Cakes" and I doubt most people would bat an eye. :)

      Thank you all of your wonderfully nice blog comments this week, dear Mim. I hope that you guys are doing well and enjoying a great first week of summer.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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