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.
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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.
Delicious! If I wanted to make the mango buttercream ahead of time, can I freeze?
Thank you!
Thank you! In regards to the buttercream, it should be ok to freeze. If it becomes thinner after it thaws just add more powdered sugar.
Thanks for the recipe! I made it today to celebrate my daughter’s 22nd month bday. Cake turned out very good. I was making icing for the 1st time and that did not turn out well though. Maybe I used ghee instead of unsalted butter. Though the taste was good but texture wasn’t good. It was too solid and the ghee was separating from the mixture.
You’re welcome and I think you’re right. It was most likely because of the ghee. Try using regular butter next time. Thank you for your feedback and have a great week!
I LOVE MANGO SO I HAD TO TRY THIS RECIPE. CUPCAKES ARE SO LIGHT AND MOIST. I ADDED A LITTLE SUGAR TO MY MANGO PURÉE. THIS RECIPE IS DEFINITELY A MUST TRY. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS
THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS RECIPE.
You’re very welcome, Sylvia! So glad you liked it and thank you for your kind words!
Does the mango reduction make the icing thin? Is the consistency still good for piping on the cupcakes?
It shouldn’t as long as it has been reduced enough and yes, the consistency is thick enough for piping as shown in the pictures and video:)
hello! can i add food color to the frosting?
Yes, you can! I hope you enjoy the cupcakes:)
I thought these were fantastic and I will be adding them to my list of favorite cupcakes to make! I used the coconut yogurt and applesauce and it was a delicious cake. The frosting is always my favorite part and the mango flavor was so good in this recipe. Like I said I will be making this again and I would recommend this recipe to anyone who loves cupcakes and Mango as much as me.
Thank you for your kind words, Christen! I’m so glad you think the cupcakes are fantastic:)
Love ya recipes
Is it possible to put dried mango fruit in the cupcake and/or icing?
Yes, just finely chop it. I hope you enjoy the cupcakes!
Hi Lily
How long can I keep the mango reduction in the fridge before making the buttercream frosting? I would like to make the mango reduction before hand,
Thank you for your advice.
You can keep the mango reduction in the fridge for up to 3 days before making the buttercream. I hope that helps and enjoy the cupcakes!
Looking for a good mango cake recipe as well…can these cupcakes be baked as a cake as well?
You can use this recipe to make a cake. Please note the cake itself is a vanilla-coconut cake. It’s the buttercream that is mango flavored. I hope that helps and have a great day!
Thanks Lily
I made it last week as the recipe was written but wanted more mango flavored cup cakes.
Can I use mango flavored yogurt in place of the coconut flavored yogurt? I want add a very small drop of coconut oil as well. Will that work?
Yes, you can use mango flavored yogurt in place of coconut for more mango flavor. You can replace 1 tablespoon of the butter with a tablespoon of coconut oil if you want to keep the coconut flavor as well. I hope that helps and please feel free to reply back with any further questions.
Hello. Both my husband and son are crazy about mangoes. I’m keep looking for other ways to serve it to them.
I came across your cupcake and it looks so yummy!
My question is, can i add small bits of mango in the cupcake batter?
Yes, finely diced them and toss them in a bit of flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom. I hope you and your husband enjoy the cupcakes!
Thank you Lily. Will make them and share with you the result 🙂
For some reason my buttercream doesn’t taste like mango at all, or have an orange color. I followed directions and not sure what happen.
The color and taste of the mango buttercream comes from the mango puree. How did your mango puree taste and what color was it?
Reducing the mango purée and intensifying the flavor is the key! My daughter wanted mango cupcakes for her 8th birthday so I tried this recipe today. I have tried a mango cake before using extract and puréed mango but the flavor was just ok. This is amazing!!! And I love the hint of coconut in the cake. Perfect combo.
Thank you for your rave review and happy 8th birthday to your daughter!
Thanks for sharing this recipe. Can I add mango purée in the cake itself to moisten the cake and add more mango flavour? If so how much do you suggest? Thank you.
I’ve never done it myself, but you could try and replace the milk with mango puree. In theory that should work. Let me know how it turns out if you try it.
Hi! Realizing that I only have enough butter to make the butter cream….thoughts on subbing the butter in the cupcake batter for coconut oil?
Thanks!
Hi Dory,
If you are going to sub the butter with coconut oil in the cupcake, reduce it to 1/3 cup because I find baking with coconut oil more greasy. I hope that helps and let me know how you like the cupcakes!
Hi , i am planning to make this for my subs birthday. Is there a way to make the buttercream less sweeter. Will reducing the icing sugar make a difference in its consistency?
Hi Noora,
Reducing the icing sugar will make the buttercream thinner, so you won’t be able to pipe it. My only suggestion is to add another 1/4 teaspoon of salt to balance the sweetness a bit more.
Excited to try this recipe for my mother in laws birthday. Would it be possible to use a non-dairy or unsweetened coconut milk instead of milk in this recipe?
Yes, you can use those substitutes. I hope your mother-in-law enjoys the cupcakes.
Hello, I want to make this recipe but it’s for an outside event, can I use shortening and butter , instead of all butter and if so, how much of it? I usually use a high ratio shortening for outdoor events, I live in Florida… but I have never made a buttercream with mango purée , I’m excited.
Thank you
Hi Morena,
I would start with half and half and see what kind of consistency you get. I hear it’s still quite warm in Florida. I’m from Canada so it’s much colder here. Test it out before the event to make sure it’s stable. I hope you like the cupcakes and thank you for your question!
Thank you, I will try it tonight 🙂
I would like to make a cake instead of cupcakes. Any suggestions as far as converting this recipe for a cake?
You can use this recipe to make a cake instead of cupcakes. Bake at the same temperature until done. If you let me know what size of cake, I can give you a better idea of how long to bake it for.