Mocha Cupcakes

Why are cupcakes always better when they're made on a whim? I had no intentions of making cupcakes again until next Tuesday, but yesterday I got a strange craving for coffee cupcakes. I wanted to make a small batch, so I chose the recipe for Mocha Cupcakes from Cupcakes by Shelly Kaldunski (which, FYI, is a beautiful book) because it said it only made 12. Well... I got 16 perfect sized cupcakes. Somehow that always happens to me. These cupcakes are so perfectly chocolatey with a hint of coffee. They're moist, tender, and sooo soft. And of course the coffee Swiss meringue buttercream is freaking to die for! I like to put one in the fridge for about 5 minutes before I eat it. The frosting stiffens up a little and becomes a silky texture.

dry ingredients, sugars, coffee/milk mixture, unsalted butter and an egg ready for the oven!
Maybe the magic touch was in my new B&D shirt??

16 cupcakes cooling...

Mocha Cupcake on a tiny dessert pedestal I bought at Tuesday Morning for $7 (It's even more adorable with the glass dome lid on top!) Does anyone else think this looks slightly 'risque?'They're topped with different flavored chocolate covered espresso beans I found at Ross or Marshall's or one of those neat discount stores.

Cupcake recipe from Cupcakes by Shelly Kaldunski.
Frosting recipe courtesy of yours truly! :)

MY NOTES: I used half regular cocoa powder + half Hersheys Special Dark (I think all Special Dark is too chocolatey, all regular cocoa powder is not chocolatey enough). The book said this recipe yields 12 cupcakes. I got 16. Mine were done at 16 minutes.

Mocha Cupcakes
Makes 12-16 (book says 12, I got 16)

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee, at room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper or foil liners.
Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. In a measuring cup, combine the milk and brewed coffee. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk mixture in 2 additions, beating on low speed until just combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about ½ to ¾ full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 16-20 minutes (book says 22-24 minutes, mine were done at 16). Let the cupcakes cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.

Coffee Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Makes enough to frost 16 cupcakes

3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 egg whites
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 tbsp hot water
1 1/2 tsp instant coffee

Put sugar, egg whites and salt into the top of a double boiler over a pan of simmering water. Whisking constantly, cook until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm (about 160 degrees). Pour heated egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat egg white mixture on high speed until it forms stiff (but not dry) peaks. Continue beating until fluffy and cooled, about 7 minutes total. Switch to the paddle attachment. With mixer on medium-low, add butter two tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. Increase speed to medium-high; continue beating until frosting appears thick, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, stir 1 1/2 tsp instant coffee into 1 tbsp hot water until dissolved, then put it in the refrigerator or freezer until it comes down to room temperature. Reduce mixer speed to low and add coffee mixture. Continue beating 1 minute to reduce air bubbles.