I♥cuppycakes!

Cupcake Hero #9: [Baker's Choice]

I need to preface my entry by saying that I am crazy. I wouldn’t say “need-a-straitjacket” crazy but maybe “flew-over-the-cuckoo-nest” crazy. I am sure my friends are not surprised by this revelation, right?

Who else would waste spend hours (yes, plural) trying to come up with a creative catchy non-cheesy name for their cupcake?

Sadly… Me.

When I read that Laurie and staff had announced September’s Cupcake Hero ingredient as baker’s choice, I knew right away I would be choosing liquor as one of my ingredients. Lately I’ve been a little obsessed with liquor. I promise I am not going to an AA meeting anytime soon but baking with liquor is so fun! I have quite the collection on my wet bar – midori, vodka, rum, grand marnier, kahlua, chambord, wine…

After I closed my eyes and played eeny-meeny, I picked kahlua as my inspiration. My cupcake started coming together slowly but surely – Kahlua+coffee+cocoa. The only thing missing was a name. Let’s be real here. A name can make or break things. Are you really gonna eat something called “Chunky Puke Cupcakes” or “Bowel Movement Cupcakes”? No, I didn’t think so…

I guess my husband saw me staring at the bottle of kahlua and asked me what was on my mind. He always knows I am deep in thought when he sees me bite my upper lip, scrunch my forehead together and furrow my brow. I have a feeling its not a pretty picture. LOL.

T: You ok hun? You are concentrating way too hard on that bottle of Kahlua.
CB: Huh… what? *embarrassed laugh* No I am fine. I just can’t figure out what to name my newest cupcake.
T: Well… whats in it?
CB: Its a play on the commuter breakfast – coffee and donuts.
T: What were you thinking of calling it?
CB: Not sure. I was thinking it would be funny to play it off as a policeman’s favorite cupcake or something like that. But it sounds kinda cheesy. What do you think?
T: You’re the creative one. Hmmm… What about a Cop Cake? You know. Like “cup” cake but “cop”. Get it? Cop. Huh? Huh?
{uncomfortable silence}
CB: Omg. You are such a dork. [laughing hysterically]

Finally I settled for straight forward. I still gave my hubs his props though. Which cupcake name do you like better? If more readers like T’s suggestion, I’ll change it. I have to admit. The more I say it, the more it grows on me… I guess I am pretty dorky too. Like husband like wife.

Shot of Coffee & Donut Cupcakes
or
Cop Cakes

No spoon needed!
(Recipe adapted from Laura Rebecca’s Kitchen | photos from me!)

Makes 12 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

For donut cupcake
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt (I used Yoplait Light Vanilla)
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
4 tbsp oil
1 tsp vanilla

For donut topping
1/4 cup (4 tbsp) butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar (I used 1/8 cup granulated sugar+1/8 cup brown sugar)
1 tsp cinnamon

For kahlua mocha buttercream
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa (I used Hersheys)
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tsp instant coffee granules (I used Folgers Classic Roast)
1 tsp Kahlua

INSTRUCTIONS

To make cupcakes—
Preheat oven to 400-degrees F. Line a standard muffin pan with paper cups.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, yogurt, sugar, oil, and vanilla. Add flour mixture and mix with light strokes until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Do not overmix; batter will not be smooth.

Divide batter among the muffin cups and bake until a toothpick inserted in one or two of the muffins come out clean, 12-15 minutes.

Look at my dome action! That 1 tbsp baking powder really did its job.

While the muffins are baking, melt butter and place in a bowl just large enough to hold a muffin. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small, shallow bowl. As soon as the muffins are done, dip them one at a time in the melted butter and then roll in the sugar mixture. Set on a rack to cool.

To make buttercream—
Beat butter, powdered sugar and cocoa at medium speed until fluffy.

Microwave whipping cream until warm (do not boil), about 15-20 secs. Stir together warm cream and coffee granules until dissolved; cool. Slowly add coffee-cream mixture in 1 tsp increments and liqueur to butter mixture, beating until smooth.

[NOTES: I didn't use all of the coffee-cream mixture. I just added until I got the consistency I wanted, about 4-5 tsp. What did you do with the rest of the coffee? you ask? Hubs drank it!]

ENJOY!

Husband rating: A+
He said the “donut” reminded him of monkey bread but not as sweet. Since he’s a Starbucks mocha freak, he was in love with that frosting. He had more than one shot. HAHA

Wifey rating: A+
I liked the donut but I LOVED it with the frosting. I am not a coffee person but I could have eaten all the frosting myself. It was SO goooooood.