Espresso Cupcakes!!

If you are a coffee lover you could easily replace these for your morning cup of coffee!! The cake was so moist and delicious, but nothing tops the icing! I love coffee ice cream and this is exactly what the icing tastes like expect for it’s a lot more sugary! There were several recipes for espresso/coffee/mocha cupcakes, but I choose this one from Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days as I already had everything I needed in my cupboard. Maybe one day I’ll make the others to compare!

Espresso Cupcakes
240ml (8 ½ floz) milk

20g (3/4oz) instant espresso powder

80g (3oz) unsalted butter, softened

280g (10oz) caster sugar

240g (8 ½ oz) plain flour

1 tbsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

2 large eggs (extra large for USA residents)

Pre-heat oven 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Prepare your muffin tin with cases.
Lightly warm the milk, without boiling, and dissolve the espresso powder in it.
Beat the butter, sugar, flour, b.powder, and salt on a low speed until the consistency resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Whisk the milk mixture and eggs together.
Pour 3-quarters of the mixture into the dry ingredients combine on a low speed.
Increase speed to medium until smooth and thick, pour in the rest of the milk mixture and mix until smooth.
Fill your muffin cases ¾ full and bake for 18-20 minutes

frosting:

50ml (1 ¾ oz) whole milk

16g ( ½ oz) instant espresso powder

500g (1lb 2oz) icing sugar

160g (5 ½ oz) unsalted butter, softened

Like before, slightly warm the milk and dissolve the espresso powder and set aside to cool completely.
Using an electric whisk or freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment on a low speed combine the icing sugar and butter until sandy in consistency.
Slowly start to add the milk mixture, once it’s all mixed in increase speed to high until light and fluffy.

Spread or pipe your icing onto your cooled cupcakes and decorate as you wish with chocolate-coated coffee beans or as I did. I shaved a chunk of Green & Black’s Dark Espresso Chocolate on top of my cupcakes.