Alana
It has been almost exactly two months (aka TOO LONG) since I last baked anything. Unfortunately my program isn’t very conducive to having a life outside of getting that darn nursing degree. On the plus side, I do get to credit today’s cupcake adventure to my seminar group, because we decided that the last day of class should be a potluck! Guess what I’m bringing…
Look at all that goodnesssss
Originally I wanted these cupcakes to be peppermint mocha, but I realized after making them that it would take a lot more than one cup of coffee to make them mocha instead of chocolate… oops.
I seriously just put 4 “read more” things here while trying to make this indented thing. I think, also, that I need to work on my articulateness.
My whole “inspiration” behind attempting to make peppermint mocha cupcakes (if you can even call it that [hence quotations]) are the peppermint mochas at Starbucks (they have the coffee monopoly in my building). They are delicious. Go have one. Now. A cupcake would also be acceptable.
Oh look, cupcakes!
Just an FYI, my disclaimer for this ridiculous, and rather disjointed but hopefully entertaining post, is that I found wine named after cupcakes. I drank a lot of it.
*Photo taken BEFORE drinking more than half the bottle* Should I just start a “my drunk kitchen”-esq blog? I swear half the things I post contain booze anyways… Also this picture sucks because I took it on my phone.
Anyways…
I got this recipe from Sweetapolita (I am seriously counting down the days until her book comes out). The cake recipe I used is actually from a different post on her blog, but I’m not sure which one…
Happy baking!
Chocolate (not Mocha) Cake:
- 1 ¾ cup (220 g) all purpose four
- 2 cups (200 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (65 g) cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup of coffee (I added a tsp of instant coffee to make it stronger)
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare cupcake pans with baking cups.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add all the dry ingredients and mix briefly so everything is evenly distributed.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and mix (I just turned on the mixer and let it mix things as I added all the ingredients). Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times.
- Pour the batter into the cake papers and place in the oven for 18 minutes. Cup cakes are done when a toothpick comes out clean.
Peppermint Frosting
- 4.5 sticks (2 ¼ cups) unsalted butter
- 4 ½ cups (720 g) sifted confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2/4 tsp peppermint extract
- Pinch of salt
- Baking colours of your choice 🙂 (I used 1 drop of AmeriColor electric blue and 1 drop of leaf green)
- Whip butter for 8 minutes on medium speed in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (the butter should be very light and fluffy).
- Add all of the liquid ingredients + salt and blend for a coupe seconds on low.
- Add the icing sugar in thirds, mixing enough between each additions so that the sugar doesn’t puff up. Once all the sugar is added and no longer puffing, mix on low until the icing is in one big blob. At this stage add in your colours 🙂
- Mix on medium speed for 6 minutes.
Chateau Gateau 