Mounds Cake Balls

This recipe came together due to a mistake.  When I made cupcakes, for some reason or another, they didn't rise.  I think the coconut was the problem.  It called for dessicated coconut and I did not dry out the coconut.  I didn't want to waste the cupcakes since they had such a great flavor, so I created the cake balls.  Thanks to my Mom for the dark chocolate suggestion.
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Cupcake Ingredients

• 3/4 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup of sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup of canned cream of coconut
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon of coconut extract
• 2 1/4 cups of flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 cup of sweetened coconut

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), room temperature
• 8 oz of Philly cream cheese (1 package), room temperature
• 1/2-1 cup of powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon coconut extract
• 1/4 cup of sweetened coconut

Cake ball ingredients

• dark chocolate melting wafers
• toasted coconut (cook coconut on a rimmed cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for about 8 minutes, stirring once half way through.)
• lollipop sticks

Method

Cupcake Method
1 Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar and cream till light and fluffy again, scraping down the sides halfway through to ensure even mixing.
2 Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds each to ensure mixing. Be sure to scrape down the sides after each egg to ensure even mixing.
3 Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in one bowl. In another add 1 cup of a well shaken can of cream of coconut and a teaspoon of vanilla and ½ teaspoon coconut extract. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix, then add 1/2 of the wet ingredients. Continue alternating with the wet and dry mixtures, ending with the dry. Stop mixing once just as the ingredients become incorporated; do not overbeat.
4 Fold in the coconut. Scoop into cupcake papers about one half to three-quarters of the way full. Bake for 18-22 minutes, rotating the pan after the first 15 to ensure even baking. Be sure to check with a toothpick to see if the cupcakes are done. If the toothpick comes out of the cupcake clean, then they're ready. Allow the cupcakes to cool for a minute or two in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting Method
1 Cream the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes. Scraped down the sides and bottom.
2 Add the coconut extract and slowly add the powdered sugar, taste as you go, adding more sugar until you have reached the desired sweetness.
3 Fold in the coconut.

To make cake balls:
Take cupcakes and put in a bowl and turn them into crumbs.  Add about ¾ of the icing.  Mix together.  Make sure there’s enough icing to make the cupcakes stick together.  Shape in to 1-2 inch balls.  Put in refrigerator to harden up a bit.  Melt some dark chocolate wafers and dip the end of a lollipop stick in it and then poke that end into the cake ball.  After all the cake balls have sticks in them, put them back in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to let the chocolate harden and band the cakeball to the stick.  Next, dip the cake balls in melted chocolate and cover with the toasted coconut.  Let harden in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.