Mocha Cupcakes

I love coffee flavored anything. And mocha, a chocolate and coffee combo is really the best... well, after peanut butter and chocolate, that is!

And when I found myself craving cupcakes this week, after trying to cool down from the extreme heat by making granitas all week ( which isn't really such a bad thing !), I searched for a mocha cupcake and decided on this one.

To intensify the coffee flavor, I used espresso powder mixed with hot water, rather than strong coffee and I loved it.

Begin by sifting, then mixing your dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl and stir to combine.

In another bowl, combine buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla.

Slowly add the wet to the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed.

Then combine the hot water with the espresso powder and pour this into the batter mixture.

Then spoon the batter into the cupcake liners and bake 18 to 22 minutes.
I used jumbo muffin cups to get 6 nice big cupcakes...no little dinky cupcakes around here!

Mocha Cupcakes (adapted from here)
Makes 12 cupcakes

(Note: I halved the recipe and made 6 jumbo cupcakes).

7/8 cup ( 4.1 ozs.) AP flour
1 cup sugar
3/8 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt ( a little less if using Morton's salt)
1/2 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/4 cup vegetable oil ( I used canola)
1 egg, room temp.
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. espresso powder dissolved into1/2 cup boiling water

***************************

Preheat oven to 350. Line 12 standard muffin tins with paper liners.

1. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl or standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and stir to combine.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla.
3. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry.
4. Add the espresso mixture stirring just to combine, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
5. Spoon or pour the batter into the muffin cups and bake 18 to 22 minutes or til a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool in the cups 15 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
Pinch of fine grain sea salt
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 tbsp. espresso powder dissolved in 1/2 tbsp. warm water
1 1/2 - 3 tbsp heavy cream or milk
*******************************
1. In a medium bowl, combine the sifted confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter til fluffy.
3. Slowly add the confectioners' sugar/cocoa mixture and cream til well combined.
4. Add salt, vanilla and 1 tbsp. heavy cream ( or milk). Blend on low speed til moistened. Add additional heavy cream (or milk) til it reaches desired consistency. Beat on high speed til frosting is smooth and fluffy.
Frost the cooled cupcakes.