Iron Cupcake: Coffee

I haven’t participated in Iron Cupcake since November.  & that makes me a very very bad baker.  I half completed December’s challenge & then January’s challenge was wine.  And since I’m only 19 I wasn’t able to purchase alcohol, so I decided to skip that challenge.

I knew that this month I needed to participate but when I found out that this month’s challenge was coffee, I was stumped.  I had no idea what to bake.  I thought for a couple days before I remembered that when I worked at Publix, they came out with a new cake called the Latte Blast.  It was a chocolate cake with mocha cream cheese icing.  It was soo good!  I decided to make my own version for Iron Cupcake.

I have to admit that I used instant coffee in my recipe because #1.  I like it  & #2.  We don’t have a coffee maker.

This is the coffee I used.  vvvv

I adapted my chocolate cake recipe from The Sweeter Side of Amy’s Bread & my cream cheese icing from Cupcakes!.

Also, before I give ya’ll the recipe I’m just going to casually remind you guys that voting starts Sunday, March 1st at 8pm and ends on Friday, March 6 at noon.  You can vote here.  Here are all of the prizes:

DIANAEVANS - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5599270


as well as a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6057281.


PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!


As an added bonus for February, SWEET CUPPIN CAKES BAKERY AND CUPCAKERY SUPPLY will be tossing in a variety of cupcaking supplies, http://www.acupcakery.com/index.html.Last and certainly not least, don?t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson,

http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com; a t-shirt from UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM http://www.upwithcupcakes.com/. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com .

Now, onto the recipes!

[printable version]

Mocha Blast Cupcakes
Chocolate Cake

Adapted from The Sweeter Side of Amy’s Bread

This recipe looks quite involved when you read it from the book, but when you do everything ahead of time it’s no biggie.

4.80 oz semi sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 cups cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

2  teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup sour cream

5 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 cups hot coffee [I used mocha instant coffee]

1 1/2 sticks [1 3/4 cups] butter, slightly softened

1 3/8  cup brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two cupcake pans with liners.

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate then let cool.  In a large bowl sift together the flour and salt.  In another large bowl mix together the sour cream, cocoa powder and baking soda.  Mix it to a paste and then slowly add the coffee.  In a small bowl whisk together the eggs and vanilla.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Slowly add the egg and vanilla mixture.  Add the melted chocolate and beat well.  Add the flour mixture alternating with the liquid mixture.  Mix until combined.

Pour batter into prepared cupcake pans.  Bake for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

[Want to make this into a cake?  Just butter and flour two 9x2 inch pans.  The cakes will bake about 35 minutes, rotate the pans halfway through baking.]

Mocha Cream Cheese Icing

Adapted from Cupcakes!

2 sticks [1 cup] butter, slightly softened

12 oz cream cheese, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

6 cups powdered sugar

4 tablespoons instant mocha coffee

4 tablespoons hot water

In a cup add the instant coffee with the hot water and mix into a paste.

In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and cream cheese.  Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.  Add the vanilla and coffee paste.  Mix until well combined and you’re ready to frost!

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