Espresso Cupcakes with Espresso Frosting

I know. You can’t believe you read that title right. But it’s all true. I have a great recipe for you today.

I’ve been messing with espresso. (Because Cuiban!) Specifically Café La Llave Espresso in some recipes and I’m delighted to share the first of these right here:

Café La Llave Espresso Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream Frosting.

The challenge was to use Café La Llave Espresso in baking. And between you and me, I think I crushed it.

Espresso Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream. Believe it. Now you can have your espresso and eat it too.

I even busted out my gorgeous new Kitchenaid Majestic Yellow Stand Mixer for it’s trial run, but that’s not important right now.

INGREDIENTS

Espresso Cupcakes

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs at room temp
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 Cake Flour (Swan’s Down)
• 1 Tbsp. espresso powder (I use King Arthur brand for best results)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
• 1/2 cup brewed espresso (I’m using Cafe La Llave Espresso K-Cups

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F

2)Line a 12 cup cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

3)Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt together in a large bowl.

4)In a separate bowl, whisk the melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla together until nicely combined.

5)Stir in about half of the flour mixture and mix

.

6)Stir in the brewed coffee and the rest of the flour mixture and mix until fully combined.

7) Pour about ¼ cup of batter into each cupcake liner (they should be about halfway full).

8) Bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. (start at 18 and test so you don’t over-bake.)

9) Remove from pan and let cool on wire rack.

10) Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

Espresso Buttercream Frosting

• 1 cup unsalted buter, room temp (softened, not melted)
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp. espresso powder
• 2 TBSP. heavy cream

1. 1) Cream together softened butter, powered sugar and espresso powder until smooth and creamy.
2. 2) Add 1-2 TBSP cream as needed to thin buttercream. Beat 4-5 minutes at high speed til fluffy.
3. 3) You can spread the frosting with a knife or find yourself a cute piping tip. They will taste wonderful either way.

Like I said: I crushed it.

(With lots of help, of course, from my dedicated kitchen staff – thanks, Jon.)

Many thanks to Café La Llave for providing the delicious espresso inspiration.