Mocha Cupcakes With Salted Caramel Frosting Food

SALTED CARAMEL MOCHA CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare 2 standard muffin pans by lining with 24 paper cupcake liners. Set aside.
• Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, slowly and carefully add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. The batter will be very loose.
• This original recipe is for 2 round pans, and I found this amount to be just a bit too much for 24 cupcakes, so I remove about 1 cup of batter before dividing amongst the cupcake liners.
• Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Place cream in a small bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and then also add the bean. Set aside.
• Stir sugar, corn syrup, and water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush. It will thicken and turn deeper in color. After about 5 to 6 minutes, it should be deep amber in color. Don't let it get too dark. If it starts to smell burnt, immediately remove pan from heat.
• Gradually add vanilla cream, while continuously whisking. The mixture will bubble vigorously. Whisk over medium heat until smooth and thick, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and salt. Strain into a heatproof bowl. Place in refrigerator to cool completely.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter until creamy. At low speed, beat in the powdered sugar. Increase the speed to high and beat until fluffy, scraping down the side of the bowl, about 2 minutes longer.
• At low speed, beat in the cream and vanilla. Then gradually beat in the 1-1/4 cup of cooled caramel sauce. Scrape down the side of the bowl and the paddle, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light, 3 minutes longer.
• Using a wooden spoon, vigorously beat the buttercream for 30 seconds to deflate any air bubbles.
• Fill pastry bag with a large star tip and pipe buttercream onto cupcakes. Drizzle over the top of each one a bit of the remaining salted caramel sauce. (Any leftover salted caramel sauce is wonderful over vanilla ice cream!)
• Press a chocolate coated espresso bean into each swirl of frosting and then sprinkle lightly with sea salt.
• Serve immediately or store in a container in the refrigerator. Remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to serving

MOCHA CUPCAKES WITH SALTED CARAMEL FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°
• Place 18 cupcake liners in muffin tins.
• In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
• In a separate bowl, beat together room temperature eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
• Combine hot water and the 2 tsp of instant coffee until dissolved. Add to bowl.
• Add in the buttermilk and stir together the ingredients until just combined. Don't over mix.
• Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way full and bake in the oven for 14-16 minutes. Check the center with a toothpick to see if they're done. (The center will come out clean)
• Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
• Beat together the softened butter until creamy.
• Add in the vanilla extract.
• Beat in the salted caramel sauce.
• Beat in the powdered sugar slowly.
• Add in the 1/4 cup half & half a little at a time until desired creaminess is achieved. Add more if you want it more creamy.
• Pipe onto cool cupcakes.
• Drizzle with additional salted caramel sauce.

SALTED CARAMEL MOCHA CUPCAKE

Steps:

• For the cake batter: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard muffin pan or cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
• Mix the coffee extract into the brewed coffee. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
• In a bowl of a stand mixer, sift together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix to combine. Add the butter, vanilla and eggs and beat on medium speed until combined. Add half of the coffee and beat for 20 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the remaining coffee. Beat for another 20 seconds until the batter is smooth.
• Divide the batter among the cupcake liners, filling them three-quarter full. Bake until a tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool.
• For the ganache: In a medium saucepan, bring the cream, corn syrup and granulated sugar to a boil over medium-low heat, whisking until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate, whisking until the chocolate is melted. Add the coffee extract and whisk until smooth. Add the butter and whisk until smooth. Transfer the ganache to a bowl to cool.
• For the salted caramel coffee frosting: If using the espresso powder, mix the espresso powder and the vanilla together in a small bowl until dissolved and set aside.
• Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the butter on medium-high speed until creamy. Add the caramel and beat until combined. Reduce the speed to low, add half of the confectioners' sugar and mix until incorporated. Add the rest of the confectioners' sugar and mix until combined. Add the coffee extract and vanilla (or the espresso powder and vanilla mixture) and continue to mix at medium-high speed until completely incorporated, scraping the sides as necessary. Whip the frosting until fluffy. If necessary, use 1 to 2 tablespoons milk to loosen the frosting.
• To assemble: Cut a small and shallow hole in each cupcake and fill with the ganache. Frost the cupcakes with the salted caramel coffee frosting and sprinkle with a few granules of fleur de sel.

SALTED CARAMEL MOCHA CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Stir in coffee and milk.
• Heat it in the microwave for a minute or a stove-top until simmer.
• Let it cool to lukewarm or room temperature before use.
• Preheat oven to 350-degree F or 180 degrees C.
• Line the cupcake tray with cupcake liners.
• Sieve and mix all dry ingredients (All purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt) except sugar in a bowl.
• Mix coffee milk and vinegar in a medium-size bowl and let it stand for a minute.
• Add granulated sugar and brown sugar to it and whisk for 1 minute until the sugar is almost melted.
• Now add in oil. Whip the liquid ingredients until oil is completely emulsified.
• Add dry ingredients to the prepared liquid one adding and whisking in batches.
• Whisk only until lump-free batter.
• Mine is always ready within 30 seconds.
• Bake in preheated oven for about 18-20 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake will come out with a few dry crumbs. Don't over-bake.
• Remove it from the oven and after 5 minutes remove cupcakes on a wire rack and let them cool completely before frosting.
• Frost cupcakes after it has cooled down completely.
• I have used Wilton 1M open star nozzle.
• Pipe swirls as desired.
• Drizzle it with the caramel sauce and top it with a pinch of sea salt and coffee powder
• Refrigerate it covered in a cupcake box until served.

MOCHA CUPCAKES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the eggs, coffee, oil, vinegar and vanilla until well blended. In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into coffee mixture until blended. Do not over mix (this will cause tough cupcakes).
• Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full.(note: for cupcakes to all be the same size; use a 1/4-1/3 measuring cup to fill your cups). Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the cupcakes are a rather light gold, and mildly fluffed. Cool for about 10 minutes outside of the pan (to avoid residule cooking) before frosting *as below* .
• For frosting, in a microwave or over a saucepan, melt chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar and coffee at a high rate until smooth and holding (also, if the frosting seems a tad runny; add a sprinkle more confectioners sugar/ coocoa powder). Pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Top with chopped chocolate bits.
• Refridgerate for 6-7 days to keep fresh.