Tropical Mango Vanilla Cupcakes (video)
These amazing cupcakes combine the flavors of mango and coconut for a tropical flair. The buttercream frosting is made with a fresh mango reduction for a superb taste of mango. The vanilla cupcake is moist, rich, and buttery with a hint of coconut.
This is one of my first recipes from when I first started this blog. It’s a fan favorite and a family favorite as well. I’ve recently started to adjust this recipe slightly to give it better and more consistent results. The biggest change I made was to the buttercream. The original recipe uses fresh mango puree, and while the taste was there, it wasn’t as prevalent as it could be. So I’ve updated the recipe to use a fresh mango reduction for more flavor and a thicker consistency.
Why this recipe is so great:
- It has the best mango buttercream. Instead of just using mango juice or mango extract, I pureed a heaping cup of fresh diced mangoes, cooked it down to half a cup, and used it in the buttercream. Using the reduction gives the frosting a natural mango flavor that really shines through without having to use an extract. It gives the buttercream a beautiful bright orange color as well without having to use any food coloring. The reduction also helps thicken the frosting and makes it more stable.
- The cupcake is super easy to make. It’s all done by hand so there is no need to get out that heavy stand mixer.
- The recipe is easily adaptable. You can substitute the coconut yogurt with plain, vanilla or even sour cream if coconut is not your thing. You can also use canned mango pulp or frozen mangoes if fresh mangoes are not readily available where you are.
How to make mango cupcakes:
(the ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card further below)
- You start by tossing together all the dry ingredients.
- In another bowl, whisk the melted butter with the sugar.
- Mix in the rest of the wet ingredients. Then stir in the dry ingredients.
- Divide the batter into a baking pan lined with cupcake liners, and bake.
- Once the cupcakes have cooled, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Mix in the mango reduction, vanilla, and salt.
- Then mix in the powdered sugar until smooth.
Expert tips:
- Use room temperature ingredients. Because this recipe uses melted butter, it’s important that all refrigerated ingredients like your eggs, yogurt, and milk are at room temperature before you start. This prevents your butter from solidifying again.
- Select ready-to-eat ripe mangoes for the best flavor. Use mangoes that are fragrant and give a little, which is a sign of ripeness. Hard mangoes will lack flavor and sweetness, and will also be hard to peel and cut. For more information, here’s a great article from Saveur on How to Pick the Perfect Ripe Mango.
FAQ:
- What type of mango is best for this recipe? I recommend Ataulfo mangoes because they are sweet, have great flavor, and their soft texture makes it easy to puree. Depending on the size of them, you’ll need 1-2 mangoes to yield one cup for this recipe.
- Can these mango cupcakes be made without the egg? Yes, these cupcakes can be made eggless. Simply substitute the egg with 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce for best results.
You might also like:
These tropical mango vanilla cupcakes are moist, buttery, and have a hint of coconut. The buttercream tastes fresh and sweet, and is bursting with mango flavor.
Did you make this recipe? Please kindly leave a comment with your star rating below.
PrintTropical Mango Vanilla Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 12
- Category: dessert
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
These tropical mango vanilla cupcakes are moist, buttery, and have a hint of coconut. The buttercream tastes fresh, sweet, and is bursting with mango flavor.
Ingredients
Mango Reduction
- 1 heaping cup of fresh diced mangoes (see notes for substitutions*)
Cupcakes
- 1 & 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (114g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (or 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce)
- 1/4 cup (60ml) coconut flavored yogurt (see notes for substitutions**)
- 1/2 cup (125ml) milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
Buttercream
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (125ml) mango reduction
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 cups (500g) powdered sugar
Instructions
Mango Reduction
- Puree the diced mangoes until smooth using a blender. Measure out 1 cup and pour into a small saucepan.
- Bring the puree to a simmer on the stovetop over medium-low heat. While stirring frequently, let it simmer until it reduces to half the volume (15-30 minutes). Set aside to cool while preparing cupcakes and frosting.
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners.
- In a large bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter with the sugar. Mix in the egg, yogurt, milk, and vanilla.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Divide the batter into the 12 paper liners. Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
Buttercream
- Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Mix in the mango reduction, vanilla, and salt.
- Add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing in between. Blend until smooth after adding the final cup of powdered sugar. Frost as desired.
Notes
*You can substitute fresh mangoes with canned mango pulp or frozen mango chunks. If using frozen mangoes, thaw and drain before pureeing.
**You can replace the coconut flavored yogurt with plain or vanilla yogurt, or sour cream if you prefer.
The cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Place on the countertop for 1 hour to bring to room temperature before serving.
Hi there I’m a fan of your recipe, I was wondering if it can be made without the yogurt?
Hi Guinevere, I would say yes, it might not be as moist, but I think it would still taste as good. You can also substitute with sour cream if you have as another option. Enjoy:)
Hi … Can I decorate cupcakes after when they cool with batter and keep them in the fridge till next day?
Yes, you can decorate the cupcakes after it’s completely cooled and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy 🙂
hi! I came across your recipe and would love to try it! But are American measurements the same with the ones we use in Namibia, like how much is half a cup of butter??
Hi Rudo, I’m not familiar with Namibia measurements, but half a cup of butter is 114 grams. I hope that helps and feel free to email me back with any further questions.
Could you replace pineapple for the mango?
I have not tried it for myself, but I don’t see why not. Thank you for your question Robyn and let me know how it turns out.
I’m gonna try this using frozen mangoes. has anyone tried yet?
Hi Candy, I have never tried this recipe with frozen mangoes and I have not received any feedback from my readers in that regards either. Now, frozen fruits tend to be more watery, so I would recommend defrosting it on paper towels to absorb the extra moisture. Even with that, you will probably need extra icing sugar. I hope that helps:)
For the buttercream icing recipe, what is “icing sugar” Is that powdered sugar?
Hi Rachel, yes it is the same as powdered sugar, enjoy:)
Yum! I have 2 huge mangoes and was wondering what to do with them and I think I just found it! Thanks!
You’re welcome Nathalie and enjoy:)
Hi I am planning on making this recipe but I don’t have any yogurt. Is there any alternative to this (maybe heavy cream?) ingredient. Thanks for posting this recipe btw, it looks great! Can’t wait to try it!
Yes, you can use sour cream as a substitute. I hope that helps. Enjoy:)
I have just made a batch of mango cupcake with your shared recipe. It is amazing. I have done many time of cupcake before but this is the first time I feel pleased about what i have done. It is wonderful. Thank you so much Lily. I think Yogurt is the missing piece that i didn’t use the previous times. I wish you continue an interesting journey with your sweet kitchen.
Hi Rossi, thank you so much for your lovely comment and kind words:) You made my day!
Love mangoes and the buttercream on that cupcake looks mouthwatering delicious. Pinned
Thanks Chichi, hugs:)
Hi Abby, I’m sorry to hear that. If you do try this recipe again, perhaps add a little more mango puree and make sure your mango is ripe for maximum flavor. Thank you for your feedback and have a wonderful day.
Summer is almost over here and that is not going to stop me from making these. They sound so yummy!! Will substitute vanilla for coconut though since dear hubby and I both dislike coconut. Thank you for sharing! Look forward to making these and of course tasting them. 🙂
You’re welcome and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Thanks for stopping by and I appreciate your comment:)
Hi, May I Know the heating temperature is using fahrenheit or celcius?
Hi Renee, my baking temperatures are in Fahrenheit, thank you for your question, I will specify from now on.
How much butter?
1/2 cup melted butter for the cupcakes and 1/2 cup softened butter for the buttercream, enjoy and thanks for shopping by:)
So glad I found your blog through Pinterest. I love these cupcakes and will definitely be making them sometime soon. I’m glad they have mango since it’s one of my favorite fruits but I’ve not used it very often in recipes. BTW, I think your grandma is onto something – sounds good to me!
Wonderful! Let me know what you think when you make them and email me a picture if you can. And yes, my grandma is a genius, I actually pan-fried the next batch and they were pretty darn delicious. Thank you for stopping by:)
These cupcakes look gorgeous, love the bright colours! Pinned 🙂
Thanks, see you again!
This looks so delicious! I’ve never baked with mango before and after seeing this recipe, I think I need to fix that 🙂
Thanks, mangos are so delicious in every way, you can’t go wrong with it:)
I totally agree! I think that’s why they never actually make it to the bowl…I end up eating them raw most of the time lol
The hue of the buttercream is so gorgeous! I can almost smell and taste them from my screen. 🙂
I know, I actually got excited over buttercream, thanks for stopping by:)
These look so cute and delish! What a wonderful way to celebrate summer in style! BTW: I love your blog…Follow!!
Thanks Kloe for stopping by and introducing yourself and your blog, like your molasses cookie recipe, can’t wait to make it! Follow back:)
Firstly, mango vanilla cupcakes will be very popular in my house! Might have to use frozen mango because we are entering winter here 🙂
Secondly, I love using yoghurt in baking it leaves cakes so moist and I can only imagine the awesome flavour the coconut yoghurt imparts to the batter.
Lastly, I think your Grandma might be a genius. Yummy panfried cupcakes, I think you’d need some ice cream to finish them off though 😉
I was thinking the exact same thing, pan fried cupcakes with ice cream and maybe some fresh berries. I’m going to give it a try next time I make cupcakes. Will let you know. Thanks for visiting Amy:)
These look beautiful and tasty! I love your pictures! They are so colorful! Love it!
Blessings,
Morgan
Thanks for the compliment Morgan and nice chatting with you too:)
Beautiful!!! Love the yellow color:)
Thank you, so do I, nice chatting with you:)