Mocha pumpkin cupcakes with espresso buttercream
5 Oct
Sometimes, you just have to throw away 30+ cupcakes and start over. That was my evening last night, how was yours?
Let me start again. So, I wanted to do a mocha pumpkin cupcake this week, where both flavors would be in balance. Not a pumpkin cupcake filled with chocolate or vice versa. I wanted both elements baked into the cake, and I wanted to be able to taste both of them.
Now, I tend to work off 2 main base recipes, my vanilla and chocolate. The vanilla recipe is great because the main thing I need to do to change it is sub out vanilla and sub another extract in (and often a puree of some sort, or tweak the liquids). My chocolate recipe can be manipulated within the realms of chocolate, but it’s not as versatile. “No worries,” I thought. “I’ll tweak my cocoa amount and add the pumpkin to taste to my chocolate recipe and it’ll be great!”
Except it wasn’t. The cupcakes weren’t baking all the way through, they were heavy and brownie-like and I hated them. Could you really taste the pumpkin and the chocolate? Yes, but they weren’t what I wanted, and since my carrot cake was less than stellar from last week, I wanted to wow the taste testers … show them I could really deliver. Because yes, I really do CARE what they think.
I switched gears and decided to do a quick test batch based off my vanilla recipe. I tasted the batter and it was interesting … the pumpkin was there and I thought the mocha was, too. The test batch baked up beautifully (phew). I cooled them then took a bite of one. Well, ok … it tasted like “cake.” But I was determined to move forward.
I tweaked the ingredients again in the larger batch, carefully adding more cocoa and pumpkin, as well as a little cinnamon. The cupcakes baked up well, thankfully, so I set to making espresso buttercream at 10:30 pm [Note: I'm usually in BED at 10:30]. I frosted the cupcakes, applied my drizzles, then called Ray into the kitchen to try the finished cupcake.
His response, “WOW!”
I tried one myself. My response? A fist-pump and some sort of happy expletive combined with “YEAH!”
And this is why, when you’re not happy with how something turns out, sometimes you need to do it over. Otherwise, you’ll never know how good it could be when done better.
Also to note, this is an updated version of my espresso buttercream. I looked at Brown Eyed Baker’s recipe (which I based my original on) and found that by combining her technique with simply adding the instant espresso powder to the buttercream gave me the look and taste I wanted. And it is oh-so-good.
Don’t skip on the salted caramel and chocolate ganache drizzles. Since they’re smaller amounts, they come together fairly quickly and REALLY bring the cupcake over the top.
Ingredients
Directions
Work on the salted caramel and chocolate ganache first so they have time to cool before use (you can even make these two a day ahead--just store in the fridge, then take out 1-2 hours before you're ready to use them.)
For the salted caramel, stir together granulated sugar and water in a saucepan.
Bring to a boil over medium high heat and cook without stirring until mixture turns a deep amber color.
Remove from heat and slowly add in cream until very smooth.
Add the vanilla and salt and stir until fully combined.
Let caramel cool for about 20 minutes, until it is just barely warm and still pourable.
For the ganache, place the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl.
Heat the heavy cream (I did this in the microwave for 40-60 seconds--be careful, you may need to stop it several times so it doesn't bubble over), then pour over the chocolate.
Let the chocolate and cream sit for approximately 10 minutes before stirring to combine. Let it come to room temperature.
For the cupcakes, heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and position the racks toward the center. Line cupcake pans with papers.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together. Set aside.
In a measuring cup, combine the brewed coffee, instant espresso and unsweetened cocoa powder, stirring thoroughly to combine. Let cool slightly.
Whisk the egg for 20 seconds, then add the sugar and whisk an additional 30 seconds until thick and frothy.
Add the oil, pumpkin and vanilla and beat until combined.
Alternate the dry and wet ingredients as flour-coffee/cocoa-flour-buttermilk-flour and beat until combined.
Divide the batter between the wrappers in cupcake tins and bake for 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack completely before frosting.
For the frosting, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Combine the vanilla and 1 tbsp instant espresso, stirring to combine.
Add 1 cup of sugar to the butter, beating until combined. Add the vanilla-espresso mixture.
Add remaining 1 tbsp of instant espresso powder, as well as the remaining confectioner’s sugar in 1/2 cup increments to taste.
Whip for several additional minutes after everything is combined.
Pipe the frosting on the cupcakes, then drizzle salted caramel and chocolate ganache over top.
That was good! It really hit the spot on an October morning.
The pumpkin/mocha and espresso flavors layered very nicely. At first it tastes sort of like a good pumpkin bread, but then that espresso kicks in… It’s like all the best smells and flavors of a coffee shop in one cupcake.
Aw you left the expletive out of your reaction to this cupcake! I guess this is a family blog.
On to my official comment.
OH MY GOD THESE CUPCAKES ARE AMAZING. The pumpkin! The coffee! The chocolate! Dancing in perfect harmony through a leaf-filled autumn field.
Forgive me. It’s Friday night after a very long week. But these were slammin. 2012 has been quite a year for CFP.
Haha Alexis…actually, I can’t remember WHICH one I used (I’m that colorful
)
The feedback coming in via comments, emails and the looks of pure joy on people’s faces is an indication that, yes, I nailed this cupcake. I’m very, very pleased with that. I’m also pleased with the lineup for the next 2 months! CFP is going to have an amazing Fall.
I love pumpkin. I love chocolate. I love espresso. These look and sound awesome!
Thanks Stacy! People seem to really love this one, and I’m happy with the balance between all the flavors.
Please help!! I’m making these (right now!) and I’m at the “whisking eggs for 20 seconds” part and I don’t see how much sugar to add to the eggs. Please advise! Thanks!
Ack! So sorry about that! It’s such a long ingredient list that it got misplaced!
You need to add 1.5 cups of sugar.
I am SO sorry about this. Let me update the recipe!
Thank you for checking this so quickly!! You’re a cupcake saver!
Thank YOU for reaching out to me! Like I said, it was a large ingredient list and I had made so many changes that I goofed. Not good.
Let me know how the cupcakes turn out, and if you’d like to send me a photo, I’ll post it on the blog as a Guest Baker!
Is it 2 1/2 teaspoons or 2 1/2 tablespoons of baking powder? I realize tsbp is a small typo, but it’s enough of one for me not to be sure which it is. :-/
Egads! Two typos in one recipe … I’m so sorry about this. It should be 2 1/2 TEASPOONS, not tablespoons. I just updated the recipe with the correct information and am going to read it top to bottom to ensure everything is set. Sorry for the mistake, and thanks Brandy for pointing it out!!!