Do you like chocolate?  Do you like coffee?  Well, if you do, then you can’t go pass this cupcake! This cupcake is moist and chocolaty and with a rich coffee frosting, you can even have it for breakfast!

Cupcakes

(adapted it from Food Network magazine)

  • 1 ¼ cup self raising flour
  • 1 cups caster sugar
  • 120g unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • 2-3 tablespoon of cocoa powder
  • 120g unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Method

  1. Place sugar and 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Pour into a large bowl. Add the chocolate and butter and let sit, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture has cooled slightly. Stir in the vanilla.
  2. Sift together flour and cocoa powder in a bowl.
  3. Beat the eggs into the chocolate with a mixer, then stir in the dry ingredients.
  4. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans (~1/4 cup batter per cupcake) and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool completely.

Coffee Frosting
(From Martha Stewart:Cupcakes)

  • 120 g (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature
  • 160 g (1 1/2 cups) icing sugar, sifted
  • 15 ml (1 tablespoon) instant coffee
  • 10 ml (2 teaspoons) pure vanilla extract

  1. Beat butter and instant coffee at medium speed about 2 minutes.
  2. Reduce speed and add the icing sugar 60 g (1/2 cup) at a time.
  3. Beating well after each addition.
  4. Add vanilla, beat well.
  5. If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 10 days in a airtight container. Before using, bring to room temperature.

NOTES:

  1. I used 55% dark chocolate in the cupcake mixture, it wasn’t as chocolaty as I wanted so I added in 3-4 tablespoon of cocoa powder and it came out much more chocolaty! If you are already using unsweetness chocolate in the cupcake, you might not need to add extra cocoa powder in.
  2. My instant coffee for the frosting was fairly strong, I probably used about 2-3 tablespoon of instant coffee powder. I think a strong coffee frosting goes really well with a rich chocolate cupcake!