Sunday, August 14, 2011

Spiced Dark Chocolate Cupcakes


My sister is coming to visit this week and I have so much flour and sugar from when I was baking every week that I decided to make some desserts that she would enjoy - and so my ingredients would not go to waste. I have not had sugar in so long that when I tasted one of these it almost sent me into a diabetic coma! Amazing how different foods taste when your body gets unaccustomed to them. But they were so good that I have been struggling not to sneak another one. She better get here fast or I might be in trouble.

I have been looking for an excuse to make the base of this recipe again, after using it for the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes a short time ago. These cupcakes resemble a chocolate snickerdoodle. Try it with either frosting. Although I am not a coffee drinker, I consider coffee to be an essential ingredient for my chocolate cakes. So I prefer the frosting with a hint of coffee in there as well.

Spiced Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

1 3/4 c AP flour
2 c sugar
3/4 c Hershey’s cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp of Cinnamon
1 c buttermilk
1/2 c canola oil
2 lg eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla flavoring
1 c hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line three muffin tins with liner paper.

Sift the dry ingredients together, including the sugar. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs and the remaining wet ingredients, with the exception of the coffee. Using a mixer at low speed, combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, incorporating the dry ingredients ½ cup at a time. Slowly incorporate the hot coffee, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl.

Pour batter into muffin tins and bake for 15-18 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan for 15 minutes. Transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Cinnamon Coffee Frosting

1/2 c butter, room temperature
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Dash of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp instant coffee
3 c confectioners sugar
2 tbsp soy or 2% milk

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium-high until smooth. Add the spices, coffee and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Alternately beat in sugar and milk until the frosting is fluffy.

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

2 sticks of butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 c confectioners sugar

Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Combine the sugar and cinnamon. Add sugar  mixture to the butter mixture. Beat on high for 3-5 minutes, until it reaches desired consistency.


All photographs are actual pictures of the recipe listed, prepared by Sweet Treats 'n Good Eats, and cannot be used without the owner’s consent.

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