Monday, October 17, 2011

Chocolate Kahlua Cupcake...and a New Crush

It's official. I'm in love! Blog love that is (Don't worry honey, I still love you too!). Annie's Eats, seriously, how did it take me so long to find you? I even had recommendations from a very reliable source. But don't worry, I've been making up for lost time. I have drooled over mouth watering photos and poured over recipe after recipe after recipe! What really caught my eye while browsing her site were the cupcakes. Each one looked better than the last. I finally decided that I just had to make the Chocolate Kahlua cupcakes. Booze, chocolate, coffee, a winning combination.


This frosting. I'm not sure how to describe to you how good it is. Amazing. Lip smacking good. Lick every last speck of frosting out of the bowl good. Enjoyed with a cold glass of Kahlua and Cream, this was the perfect way to end an evening.

Notes from the chef (me): After I started baking, I realized I didn't have enough sugar to complete the recipe as written. I ended up having right under a cup of sugar. I continued through the recipe as written and tasted the batter at the end to see how sweet it tasted. I ended up adding about a tablespoon of honey to the batter. I was very pleased with the results and didn't miss the extra sugar. However, the recipe below is as written from the source.

Ever decide last minute that you want to bake and don't have time to let your butter come to room temperature? With the butter still in its wrapper, place it in a shallow bowl of warm, not hot, water. Check after about 5 minutes and flip butter so the other side is submerged. In about 10 minutes total you'll have softened butter!

Original recipe said this would yield 20-24 cupcakes, but I only got 17 from mine.



Chocolate Kahlua Cupcake

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp. instant espresso powder
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ cups sugar
  • 1½ tsp. baking soda
  • ¾ tsp. baking powder
  • ¾ tsp. salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¾ cup warm water
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • Kahlua liqueur (enough to brush on cupcakes)
For the frosting:
  • 12 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 7-8 tbsp. Kahlua liqueur
  • 2 tbsp. heavy cream
Preparation:
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line cupcake pan with liners.
  •  In the bowl of stand mixer, combine the cocoa powder, espresso powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt; whisk well to blend.
  • Add the eggs, warm water, buttermilk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix on medium-high speed until smooth, 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake until the tops spring back when pressed lightly, about 18-20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking.
  • Let cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Poke a few holes in the top of each cupcake with the tines of a fork and brush with Kahlua while still warm. Allow to cool completely.
  • To make the frosting, beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  • Mix in the confectioners’ sugar until incorporated.
  • Add in the Kahlua and beat on medium speed until well blended.
  • Add in the heavy cream and beat on medium-high speed for about 4 minutes, until light and fluffy.
  • Frost cooled cupcakes as desired, garnish with shaved chocolate, if you're feeling fancy.

2 comments:

  1. So delicious!! I haven't had Kailua in years! Annie's eats is such a yummy site!!!

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  2. Hi there, thank you so much for the delicious recipe for cupcakes. I will have to try them for myself. I have recently found your blog and am now following you, and will visit often. Please stop by my blog and perhaps you would like to follow me also. Have a wonderful day. Hugs, Chris

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