I am not much of a coffee drinker, but I definitely do enjoy coffee from time to time. Of course, I am the kind of coffee drinker that true coffee drinkers roll their eyes at – I just love the sugary, girly coffee concoctions from Starbucks. Frappuccinos, mochas, lattes, etc. – oooh yeah, yummm. These cupcakes consist of a mocha cupcake base topped with a white chocolate whipped cream and garnished with dark chocolate swirls to look like rising steam. I was so happy with the way they turned out! I drew the inspiration for these cupcakes from many sources, many of which I cannot remember anymore. A big part of my motivation was my incredible love for this white chocolate whipped cream…I am constantly trying to think of more ways to use it. The cupcakes were moist, light and just barely sweet. The whipped cream was just the right counterbalance and reminded me a lot of the whipped cream I always order on my indulgent coffee drinks :)
My main issue with these cupcakes is that while they tasted fantastic, I don’t think the coffee flavor came through quite as well as I would have liked. One possible reason is that I did not use brewed coffee as the recipe recommends, but simply espresso I mixed at home from espresso powder and boiling water (I don’t have a coffee maker or know how to use one, after all!) If you are not a big fan of coffee flavor then these are perfect as is, but next time I will add an extra scoop of espresso powder to be sure that flavor really comes through. I would also love to try drizzling these with a raspberry sauce since my Starbucks warm drink of choice is a white chocolate mocha with a shot of raspberry. I fully intended to try the syrup this time around, but I just didn’t have the time or energy! Maybe next time.
White Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes
Yield: 24 cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
5 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups cake flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sour cream
5 tbsp. cocoa powder
2 1/2 tsp. baking soda
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups hot coffee
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. brown sugar
For the whipped cream:
6 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
For decorating:
4 oz. chocolate (I used bittersweet), finely chopped
chocolate sprinkles
Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate. Let cool slightly. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the sour cream, cocoa powder and baking soda. Mix to form a paste and then slowly whisk in the coffee. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Slowly add the egg and vanilla mixture and beat until combined. Add the melted chocolate and beat well. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the liquid mixture, beating just until all ingredients are incorporated.
Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the white chocolate whipped cream, place the chopped white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Melt, stirring occasionally. When the chocolate is almost melted, bring 1/2 cup of the cream to a boil. Once the chocolate is fully melted, transfer the bowl to a counter, pour in the hot cream and let it sit for one minute. Then stir gently with a spatula until the chocolate is smooth. Let the chocolate sit until it reaches room temperature – the chocolate can’t be the least bit warm when it is added to the whipped cream.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the remaining 1 cup cream only until it holds the softest peaks. With the mixer on high speed, add the white chocolate all at once and continue to beat just until the mixture holds firm peaks. Transfer the cream to a bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap gently against the surface and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
While the cream is setting, make the chocolate decorations. Spread a piece of wax paper on a flat work surface. Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and microwave in 30 seconds intervals, stirring in between, until completely melted. Allow the chocolate to cool for several minutes (I probably waited 10-15 minutes). Transfer the melted chocolate to a plastic squeeze bottle (a plastic bag with the corner cut off would also work). Carefully squeeze the melted chocolate onto the wax paper in the desired shape. Allow to set completely. Carefully peel off of the wax paper.
Frost the cupcakes with the now set white chocolate whipped cream, top with chocolate sprinkles, and garnish with chocolate decorations. Store in the refrigerator but serve at room temperature for best flavor.
Source: cupcakes adapted from Miss Cupcake Face, whipped cream from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
