Description

Classic chocolate cupcakes topped with espresso infused American buttercream and salted caramel sauce

Ingredients

Scale

For the Chocolate Cupcakes

1 3/4 C All Purpose Flour
2 C Granulated Sugar
3/4 C Dark Cocoa Powder
2 tsp Baking Soda
3/4 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 C Buttermilk, at room temperature
1/2 C Vegetable Oil
3 Lg Eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 C HOT Coffee

For the Espresso Buttercream

1 1/2 C (3 Sticks) Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Salt
6 C Powdered Sugar
2 TBSP Instant Espresso Powder
1/2 C Heavy Cream, at room temperature
1/2 C Salted Caramel Sauce (optional)

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Instructions

For Chocolate Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 and line two cupcake pans with cupcake liners.
In a large mixing bowl (or stand mixer with paddle attachment) combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix.
In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.
While whisking, slowly pour in the buttermilk mixture. Mix to combine.
Continue to whisk while slowly streaming in the HOT coffee.
Then, use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl and make sure everything is evenly combined.
Use a large measuring cup with a pour spout to fill the cupcake liners half full. DO NOT overfill.
Bake at 350 18-20 min. Let cool completely.

For Espresso Buttercream

Warm the cream in the microwave for a few seconds until warm, NOT hot. Stir in the espresso powder until dissolved. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter for 10 minutes. Scrape the bowl down half way through.
Add vanilla and salt. Mix to combine.
Add powdered sugar in 2 additions (3 C at a time) and mix on medium for 3 minutes after each addition.
Add espresso infused cream 2 TBSP at a time until you reach your desired consistency. For a fluffy, but pipe-able buttercream, I added 6 TBSP of espresso cream total.
Fit a piping bag with your favorite tip and fill with buttercream.
Swirl buttercream onto each cupcake. Top with salted caramel.

Notes

*If you dont have buttermilk, you can make your own with 1C minus 1 TBSP regular milk + 1 TBSP white vinegar.

*Piping bags are totally optional, you can just dollop on some frosting on each cupcake and swirl it around with a butter knife or offset spatula. I talk through a technique on this on my Chocolate Nutella Cupcake post, that’ll make them look just as pretty without a piping bag.