Drunken Butter Rum Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• for the Cupcakes
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes
• 1 (18 1/2 ounce) box butter recipe cake mix (or yellow if you cant find it)
• 1 3/4 ounces vanilla instant pudding mix (about half a standard packet)
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup whole milk, cold
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup dark rum
• for the Butter Rum Glaze
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup dark rum
• for the Rum Buttercream frosting
• 16 ounces confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons dark rum, plus up to 2 tablespoons more, as needed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Line muffin pan with paper liners.
3. Toast pecan and coconut over medium heat in a dry skillet for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
4. Combine all cake ingredients in a large stainless steel bowl. Beat for 2 minutes on high with electric mixer. Stir in pecans and coconut flake mixture reserving about 1/3 cup for garnishing later.
5. Pour batter into prepared cups.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out of center completely clean.
7. Place on a cooling rack. Prick top of cupcakes with toothpick. ALLOW TO COOL COMPLETELY.
8. For glaze:.
9. Melt butter in saucepan.
10. Stir in 1/4 cup of the rum and sugar.
11. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat.
12. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup of rum.
13. For Frosting:.
14. Before starting, place your stainless steel bowl and the arms for mixer into the freezer, for about 5 minutes. The cold bowl and arms form stiffer peaks in your frosting.
15. In large bowl, with mixer at medium-low speed, beat sugar, butter, vanilla, and 4 tablespoons rum until blended.
16. Increase speed to medium-high; beat until light and fluffy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.
17. Beat in more rum as needed for desire consistency for frosting.
18. To finish cupcakes:.
19. Dip tops of cupcakes into Butter Rum Glaze and allow excess to drop off before placing back down. This part can get a bit messy.
20. Pipe on dollops of frosting, I usually leave some of the cupcake showing cause the glaze is so shiny and pretty.
21. Drizzle a small amount of remaining drizzle over top of frosting. Sprinkle with remaining pecan and coconut.