Coffee Cupcakes With Mocha Buttercream Frosting

I hate coffee. Strike that. I used to hate coffee. Now I can mildly tolerate certain brands and types of coffee. Not that I know a lot about the different types of coffee. If you threw me in a Starbucks, I would just order whatever they were advertising in the closest poster.

There was always something about the smell that just really rubs me the wrong way. Maybe it’s because I once had to spend an entire night with some stranger’s cold coffee staining my jacket as I rode the bus back home from my part time job in college. Maybe it’s because I once went through a Starbucks craze while in high school and tried to make my own coffee at home with disastrous results. Who knows.

Cupcakes that taste like coffee, now that’s a horse of a different color!

By the way, look at that picture right up there with the mug with frosting. There is an actual cupcake in there. More like 4 cupcakes and about half a pound of frosting and a billion calories. Something just told me that I needed to make the coffee cupcake in a coffee mug, but when I noticed how much batter I needed, I quickly move over to the regular cupcakes.

If you are a true coffee lover, you will love these cupcakes because they take exactly like your favorite cup of coffee with the perfect amount of cream and sugar. And the mocha buttercream frosting? It’s pretty much the perfect coffee topping. I am telling you, this is going to be the only way you can start your Monday mornings. This is a really great recipe to experiment with different types of coffee (I am picturing myself making these next fall with pumpkin spice coffee… yum!). I do recommend using the darker roasts or anything with a strong flavor to really bring out that coffee taste.

When making the cupcake batter, you will notice that the batter is very thin and runny and you will be tempted to add more flour. Don’t. Resist this urge as much as you can. You will still end up with a light, springy cake, it just takes a little longer to bake. The results are a moist, melt-in-your-mouth coffee cupcake experience.

Yield: about 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

• Cupcakes
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup milk (I used 2%)
• 1 cup of your favorite coffee, I recommend a dark roast
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• Mocha Buttercream
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup of your favorite coffee
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, plus more for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degree. Line your cupcake pan with liners or grease with butter or oil.
2. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, espresso powder and sugar in a medium bowl.
3. Vigorously whisk the oil, milk, coffee, eggs and vanilla together in a large bowl.
4. Slowly add the flour mixture to the coffee mixture and mix to combine. Do not over mix.
5. Evenly distribute the batter among the liners. You may need to make a second batch.
6. Bake the cupcakes for about 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Allow the cupcakes to completely cool.
8. Cream the butter until light and fluffy.
9. Slowly add the powdered sugar.
10. Mix the cream, espresso, coffee and cocoa powder together, then add to the frosting and mix until fully incorporated.
11. Frost, dust with extra cocoa powder and enjoy!

Notes

Keep in an airtight container for up to three days.

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