120: Recipe: Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes

Hey peeps, hope y’all are having a good Sunday….its been so gloomy here….raining all day….I somehow find this so depressing, while my sweetie absolutely enjoys this weather…but it helped me catch up on my reading…

I made these fabulous chocolate espresso cupcakes for a friend at work…he gave me the recipe and wanted me to bake these for him…I made some minor tweeks, changed the frosting and came up with these gorgeous espresso infused cupcakes…

Recipe for 12 chocolate espresso cupcakes,

1 1/3 all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup whole milk
½ cup strong brewed coffee
1½ teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1 egg, at room temperature

Mix the espresso powder into the brewed coffee until dissolved and set aside to cool to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a standard-size muffin tin with paper liners. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat the butter and both the granulated and brown sugar together on until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and beat until completely combined. In a measuring cup, combine the milk, brewed coffee mixture and vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture, alternating with the coffee mixture, ending with the flour mixture.

Divide the batter evenly between the 12 liners. Baking for 20 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting cupcakes.

For the espresso buttercream frosting,

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2½ cups powdered sugar
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons espresso powder

Mix the espresso powder into the vanilla until dissolved and set aside. Using a whisk whip the butter for 5 mins. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, whisking until it is completely incorporated before adding more. Once all of the powdered sugar has been combined, whisk until fluffy. Add the espresso and vanilla mixture and continue to mix at medium-high until it is completely incorporated.

P.S.: Consuming an undisclosed quantity of these cupcakes has left me wide awake...when I really need to go to bed...I have to go to work t'row.....the price I pay for my espresso infused indulgence...