This Ain’t Yo’ Mama’s Coffee Cake!

So, as the old saying goes…. If you don’t succeed – try , try, try again! Well, I did not get the Cupcake Hero award last month for “mint”. Not to say, that once I win… I will stop entering. This has been so much fun… I’m LOVIN’ IT!So, this month’s ingredient is coffee. Whenever I think of coffee, my mind instantly races to an ice cold Starbucks Frappucino – mhhhhhhhmmmm YUMMY! Sugary sweet, creamy, ice cold caffeinated goodness! So, when the Cupcake Hero ingredient for this month was announced of course I was going to make Frappucino cupcakes. I am a bit concerned as the guest judge is Jao (Laurie’s Husband – Laurie runs the Cupcake Hero). Laurie wrote that her husband is a no frills kinda guy. Likes his cupcakes plain and simple. Well, this could be a problem. But the way that the flavors and textures all work together for this cupcake, it is purely magical. As my dad would say, it is a total “Tongasim”! So, I am keeping my fingers crossed on this one! Either way, I am very proud of my little creation here.This challenge was a labor of love. I did not get it right the first time… or the 2^nd for that fact. But, I came through and it is in my mind PERFECT! Like its predecessor the Frappucino, this cupcake is best when served cold.

This recipe makes 42 cupcakes.

A Beautiful Simple White Cupcake

• 3 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 ¼ cups sugar
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole milk
• ½ cup sour cream
• 8 large egg whites

Preheat oven to 325ºF Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat butter and 2 cups of sugar till pale in color; about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down sides and add vanilla and sour cream and mix on low. Add flour mixture in 3 parts alternating with milk, beat until just combined. In a separate bowl fitted with a whisk attachment beat egg whites on low till foamy then gradually add sugar. Beat on high speed until stiff high peaks form; about 4 minutes. Fold egg whites into batter mixture. Bake approximatley15 minutes or until skewer comes out clean.

Mocha filling

• 1 pint of heavy whipping cream
• 4 oz of milk chocolate (I use Ghirardelli)
• 1 tablespoon really good vanilla
• 1 ½ cup freshly brewed espresso
• ½ cup cornstarch

Add cornstarch to shipping cream and mix well (very well… make sure that the all the cornstarch has dissolved prior to heating the cream). The cornstarch is necessary because of the amount of espresso being added. In a heavy sauce pan over medium high heat pour in whipping cream, chocolate, espresso, and vanilla. Stirring constantly until chocolate has dissolved, do not allow your mixture to boil. Transfer a medium size bowl, cover, and place into refrigerator for a few hours. Place water and ice into a large bowl and set your medium size bowl with your mixture into it so that it can get ice cold. Let it sit for about an hour. I do this instead of putting into the fridge because my family life is NUTS… and if I put it into the freezer I am likely to forget about it and it will freeze rock hard and be ruined. If you are using your kitchen aid mixer rinse your bowl whisk with water and place into freezer for at least a half of an hour. Pour mixture into bowl and whip at high speed for about 10 minutes. * Note: You must wait until your cupcakes are completely cool before piping your filling into them.

Frappucino Butter cream Frosting

• 8oz of softened mascarpone
• 4oz of softened cream cheese
• 1 ½ cups of Crisco
• 5 tablespoons meringue powder
• Dash of salt
• 1 oz unsweetened bakers chocolate
• ½ cup of freshly brewed espresso
• 2lbs. powdered sugar

With your paddle cream together mascarpone, cream cheese, and Crisco till smooth. In your microwave melt chocolate at 50% heat in 30 second intervals stirring in between until chocolate is smooth and shiny. Add chocolate, meringue powder, and salt to bowl and continue creaming for 2-3 minutes. Add powdered sugar in 3 batches alternating with espresso. Go easy on the espresso as you do not want to add too much and cause a watery icing. Just add enough to reach your desired consistency. Then beat on high for 3-4 minutes, this gets the meringue powder working and makes your butter cream fluffy. Refrigerate for an hour or so. This gives the espresso time to really come alive and for the cheeses to set.

When you frost your cupcake with the Frappucino Butter cream use a 1M tip to create a hollow center and do not close the top. It should look like this.
Fill it with yummy creamy goodness!

Whipped Cream Frosting Filler (I don’t know what else to call it)

• 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
• 12 ounce can of evaporated milk
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

In a large bowl sprinkle gelatin and add a few tablespoons of water and let sit until gelatin soaks up water. On the stove top on medium high heat mix together evaporated milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. DO NOT BOIL!!! Just heat the mixture enough to get the sugar to completely dissolve. Add mixture to gelatin and stir well. Cover bowl and refrigerate for a couple of hours. Place water and ice into a large bowl and set your medium size bowl with your mixture into it so that it can get ice cold. Let it sit for about an hour. If you are using your kitchen aid mixer rinse your bowl & whisk with water and place into freezer for at least a half of an hour. Pour mixture into bowl and whip at high speed for about 10 minutes. You can not over whip this stuff, the more the better.Place whipped mixture into a piping bag and fill in the fill in the hollow center.Dust with coco powder and place a few chocolate covered espresso beans on top. OF COURSE, I make my own chocolate covered espresso beans! It is so easy; I bet you can do it too! Melt your favorite chocolate. Mine is Ghirardelli, drop some espresso beans into it and then roll them into coco powder. Repeat this process 2-3 times. See, so simple.. and EVERYONE will be so impressed!