Tag: coffee cupcakes

Caramel Latte Cupcakes

How do I decide what to bake each week? It depends on the time of year, what flavors are in season, and how much time I have. Earlier this weekend I baked creamsicle cupcakes and lemon cupcakes with raspberry buttercream for my gentleman friend’s swim club party, both of which are perfect summer flavors. But coffee is a great flavor at any time of year, and it works very well in many types of desserts, from cupcakes to brownies to tiramisu. Tiramisu is my favorite, though I’ve never made it. Maybe one day, so stay tuned.

I found the recipe for these cupcakes at Frosting & Fettucine and took the advice of the original baker to create a caramel latte version, using a caramel latte buttercream I invented this morning based on my standard caramel buttercream, which uses Smucker’s salted caramel sauce. The end result is a tender cupcake with very subtle flavors, so I think it needs a bit more punch the next time I make it, particularly in the cupcake itself. I fully intend to make this again and to use the recipe as a base for other flavors, likely spice-type ones in the fall, as they have wonderful texture.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

  • 1 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons instant coffee crystals
  • 1 tablespoon warm water
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup buttermilk or sour milk (2 teaspoons vinegar and enough milk to make 2/3 cup, stirred and left to sit for 5-10 minutes)

For the frosting

  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 heaping tablespoons Smucker’s salted caramel sauce (I mean, heaping! Don’t hold back)
  • 2 teaspoons espresso powder

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cupcake tins with paper liners; my batch made 18 cupcakes.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Combine instant coffee crystals and warm water; stir to dissolve. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. Whisk in eggs until the mixture is smooth, then whisk in flour mixture and buttermilk/sour milk alternatively to combine. Batter will be very thin.

Fill cupcake wells 2/3 full (about 1 and 3/4 scoops of a 2-inch cookie scoop) and bake for 15-18 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from tins and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

To make the frosting, beat butter on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Add powdered sugar and beat on low until all the sugar is incorporated into the butter; this takes a few minutes. Once all the sugar is incorporated, beat on medium for 1-2 minutes, then beat in vanilla, caramel sauce, and espresso powder. If desired, dissolve espresso powder in a few teaspoons of heavy cream so you don’t see the flecks.

Fit a piping bag with a large plain tip and pipe a blob of frosting onto each cupcake. Using an offset spatula, flatten the blobs into more even circles. Store cupcakes in airtight containers at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Irish Coffee Cupcakes

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than with some Irish coffee cupcakes? These treats are an easy adaptation of my mocha cupcakes and feature Bailey’s Irish Cream in both the cupcake and frosting. The recipe conveniently uses three tablespoons of Bailey’s total – the exact amount in a miniature bottle that you can find at your local state store.

What’s a state store, you non-residents of Pennsylvania may ask? Here in the commonwealth all liquor stores are state-run, and therefore called state stores. Beer, however, comes from a different shop known as a beer distributor, where you can buy six packs or cases. Some restaurants and grocery stores can sell six packs to go, too. What can I say? Apparently Pennsylvanians took Prohibition pretty seriously, and we’ve never quite caught up with the rest of the country…not that you’d be able to tell that on St. Patrick’s Day. Happy (and safe) celebrating!

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

  • 1/2 cup coffee, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon Bailey’s Irish Cream
  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 egg, at room temperature

For the frosting

  • 1 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons Bailey’s Irish Cream

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners; my recipe yielded 20 cupcakes.

In a medium-sized glass measuring cup, whisk together coffee and espresso powder until the powder is completely dissolved. Add milk, vanilla, and Bailey’s and stir to combine, then set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and mix to combine, scraping down your bowl at least once. Add flour mixture and coffee/milk mixture in alternate batches, starting and ending with the flour and mixing just to combine between each. Stir with a spatula to ensure that all the flour mixture is incorporated.

Using a two-inch cookie scoop, drop scoops of batter into the cupcake wells, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake for 17-20 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, then remove cupcakes from tin and cool completely on a wire rack.

To make the frosting, combine espresso powder, vanilla extract, and Bailey’s in a small bowl and stir to completely dissolve the espresso powder. Beat butter on medium speed for about 2 minutes, then add powdered sugar all at once and beat until the sugar is fully incorporated into the butter. Add espresso mixture and beat 2-3 minutes until completely combined; you’ll want to scrape your bowl a few times in the process.

Fit a large piping bag with a Wilton M1 tip and pipe swirls of frosting on each cupcake. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Makes 20.

Coffee & Walnut Cupcakes

I’ve never been a coffee person. Tea is my warm beverage of choice, especially now in caffeine-free migraine life.  But even before I went caffeine-free, I’d really only liked coffee in baked goods, like my favorite dessert, tiramisu.

While coffee and walnut seems like a more American combination to me, this recipe actually comes from Baking with Mary Berry, which Mike gave me for my birthday this year. I’ve seen several coffee and walnut combinations on British food sites, right up there with the Victoria sponge, the Battenburg cake, and various fruitcakes. My batch turned out okay, just a bit on the dry side. The original recipe called for extra large eggs, but I only had large on hand – I suspect the extra large eggs give a bit more volume and moisture to the cupcakes, so next time I’ll definitely use them. That’s the beauty of baking; even “mistakes” can turn out delicious.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

  • 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
  • 1 tablespoon boiling water
  • 8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups self-rising flour
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

For the frosting

  • 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
  • 2 teaspoons boiling water
  • 7 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 12 walnut halves, toasted*

*Mary’s original recipe doesn’t include toasted walnuts, but I prefer toasted nuts to raw ones for flavor and texture.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake tin with paper liners; my batch yielded 13 cupcakes, so I used two tins.

In a mixing bowl, combine coffee granules and boiling water, stirring to combine. Add butter, flour, sugar, milk, and eggs and beat until combined. Stir in walnuts.

Using a 2-inch cookie scoop, scoop batter into cupcake tins. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For frosting, in a mixing bowl, combine coffee granules and boiling water, stirring to combine. Add butter and powdered sugar, beating on low speed for a few minutes, then on medium speed for a few more minutes, to combine completely. Scrape your bowl a few times to avoid streaks of dissolved coffee.

Using a 1-inch cookie scoop, scoop frosting onto cupcakes and spread with an offset spatula. Top with a toasted walnut half.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. The original recipe yields 12, but mine yielded 13.