Coffee Cupcakes

Name: Coffee Cupcakes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 110 g unsalted butter (room temperature); 110 g Demerara sugar; 120 g light soft brown sugar; 2 large eggs (free-range or organic); 125 g self-raising flour (sifted); 120 g plain flour (sifted); 1/4 tsp good-quality vanilla extract; 1 tbsp instant espresso powder; 125 ml semi-skimmed milk (room temperature)

Rich coffee cupcakes made with real espresso powder, topped with crushed walnuts or chocolate-covered coffee beans. Perfect as a Mother’s Day gift or adult dessert.

55 min

Easy

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Ingredients

unsalted butter (room temperature) 110 g

Demerara sugar 110 g

light soft brown sugar 120 g

large eggs (free-range or organic) 2

self-raising flour (sifted) 125 g

plain flour (sifted) 120 g

good-quality vanilla extract 1/4 tsp

instant espresso powder 1 tbsp

semi-skimmed milk (room temperature) 125 ml

Instructions

Preparation and preheating

Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan) / 180°C / 350°F / gas mark 4, and line an appropriately sized muffin tin with cupcake cases — either a 12-hole muffin pan or three 12-hole mini muffin pans.

Creaming the butter and sugar

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugars together until pale and smooth, which takes about 3–5 minutes using an electric hand whisk. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well for a couple of minutes after each addition. If the mixture looks slightly split after adding the eggs, don't worry — this won't affect the finished result.

Combining the flours and the coffee milk

Mix both flours together in a separate bowl. Stir the vanilla extract and espresso powder into the milk in a measuring jug and mix until smooth. Add one-third of the flours to the creamed mixture and fold in until combined. Pour in one-third of the milk mixture and fold in. Repeat these steps until all the flour and milk have been added.

Filling the cases and baking

Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake cases, filling each to about two-thirds full. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes (large) or 15 minutes (mini), until risen slightly and golden in colour. Insert a skewer into the centre of a cake to check — it should come out completely clean.

Cooling and decorating

Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for about 10 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack. Once completely cool, decorate with coffee buttercream (see page 32) and finish with whole or crushed walnuts or chocolate-coated coffee beans.