{The Girl Kyle Bakes} Cup[cake] o' Joe

I have a love/hate relationship with the site foodgawker.  Their site is so easy to use, but I hate that they’ve declined every submission I’ve entered so far. Ggrrrr!!  I guess I need to step it up and get myself a better camera.  In the interest of great baking I have continued to use the site.  For you I am looking past my irritations because the benefits outweigh my own ego.  Haha!

I came across browneyedbaker’s mocha cupcakes with espresso buttercream frosting and was immediately attracted to her beautiful swirly frosting. Moments before I began baking I remembered a coffee flavored cupcake I’d made many years before when I was trying to create at caramel latte type cupcake.  It was my roommate’s sister’s FAVORITE cupcake.  She still talks about it to this day.  I decided to combine chockylit’s cupcake with BEB’s frosting.  I think this is a match made in heaven!

I was extremely pleased with the way the buttercream turned out.  It was similar to a swiss meringue buttercream, but without all the work that goes into that!  I’d like to try this again soon with another flavor.

Coffee Cupcakes

21 cupcakes

{adapted from Cupcake Bakeshop}

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup Ghirardelli chocolate mocha hot cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee grounds
• 1/2 cup espresso
• 1/4 cup whole milk

1. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds. 2. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. 3. Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated. 4. Whisk together flour, chocolate mocha powder, baking powder, salt, and coffee grounds in a bowl. 5. Measure out coffee and milk together. 6. Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine. 7. Add about one third the coffee/milk mixture and beat until combined. 8. Repeat above, alternating flour and coffee and ending with the flour mixture. 9. Scoop into cupcake papers about two-thirds to three-quarters full (depending on whether you want flat or domed cupcakes. Note that these cupcakes will shrink slightly when they cool). 10. Bake for 17-20 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

Espresso Buttercream Frosting

{adapted from BrownEyedBaker}

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4½ cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup Ghirardelli chocolate mocha hot cocoa
• 1/4 cup espresso (as needed for consistency)

1. Mix the espresso powder into the vanilla until dissolved; set aside.

2. Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping once to scrape the sides of the bowl.

3. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the powdered sugar a little at a time, waiting until it is mostly incorporated before adding more. As neccessary add espresso for your desired consistency.

4. Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, scrape the sides of the bowl and increase the speed to medium-high and whip until fluffy, about a minute or two.