Jan’s Celebratory Mocha Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Adapted from a recipe by Robyn Stone

Eilene had a few friends over to celebrate graduating from high school. Jan decided to make cupcakes to celebrate.  Jan thinks the coffee enhances the flavor of the chocolate, so she will frequently add some to her chocolate cakes. It was a very hot day so the buttercream frosting suffered a bit.

Jan’s Celebratory Mocha Cupcakes

Ingredients

1¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup Scharffenberger’s or Dagoba cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt

¼ cup half and half
¼ cup milk
¼ cup melted butter
1 egg

½ tsp. vanilla
½ cup espresso

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325º F.

2. Place cupcake liners in muffin tin.

3. Sift together the dry ingredients several times to blend thoroughly.

4. Combine the milk, half and half, melted butter, egg, and vanilla together.

5. Slowly add the wet ingredients to dry mixture, using a low speed on your blender, until well combined.

6. Reduce the speed to the lowest setting and carefully add the espresso to the cake batter.

7. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute to force air into the batter, for a lighter cake.

8. Evenly distribute cake batter. Each cupcake liner should be about ¾^ths full.

9. Place the cupcake pan into the oven on the middle rack and bake 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

10. Remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool completely.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

8 Tbs. butter (1 stick), softened
2½ cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
2-3 Tbs. half-and-half
¼ tsp. vanilla

Directions

1. Cream together the butter and ½ cup of confectioner’s sugar at a time.

2. After the first cup of sugar has been added, add the vanilla and then beat on high to aerate the frosting (beat air into it to make it lighter).

3. While continuing to beat the frosting, add the half-and-half, one tablespoon at a time, until the buttercream has reached a consistency where it will hold its shape.

4. Pour the buttercream frosting into a gallon zip top bag.

5. Using scissors, snip off a small piece from one corner of zip top bag.

6. Squeeze the frosting into that corner and twist up the rest of the bag.

7. “Pipe” the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.