Italian Coffee Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery

Recipe for Homemade Party Cakes with Rich Espresso Frosting

© Rebecca Ford

Oct 14, 2009

Italians love to have a slug of espresso coffee to keep them going during the day. Here, espresso powder is used to give a real kick to classic coffee cupcakes. The recipe, which appears here with permission, comes from a tempting new baking book, Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery by Martha Swift and Lisa Thomas (Kyle Cathie, £14.99) with photography by Yuki Sugiura.

The cupcakes make a delicious homemade Christmas gift or, in mini size, an after-dinner treat. They're topped with a delicious coffee buttercream frosting, and crushed walnuts or chocolate-covered espresso beans, for a sophisticated Italian finish.

Italian Coffee Cupcakes - Recipe

Ingredients - Makes 12 regular or 36 mini cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

• 110g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 110g demerara sugar
• 120g light soft brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, free-range or organic
• 125g self-raising flour, sifted
• 120g plain flour , sifted
• 1/4 teaspoon good-quality vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
• 125ml semi-skimmed milk, at room temperature

For the coffee buttercream icing:

• 150g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon semi-skimmed milk, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso power, dissolved in a small amount of hot water
• 350g icing sugar, sifted

To decorate

Walnuts or chocolate-covered espresso beans

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan)/180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tray or three 12-hole mini muffin trays with the appropriate size cupcake cases.
2. In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugars until the mixture is pale and smooth, which should take 3–5 minutes using an electric hand mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing for a few minutes after each addition. Do not worry if the mixture splits a bit after adding the eggs – this will not affect the outcome.
3. Combine the flours in a separate bowl. Mix the vanilla extract and espresso powder with the milk in a jug and stir to combine. Add one-third of the flours to the creamed mixture and beat well. Pour in one-third of the milk and beat again. Repeat these steps until all the flour and milk have been added.
4. Carefully spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases, filling them to about two-thirds full. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes (regular size) or 15 minutes (mini size) until slightly raised and golden brown. To check they are cooked, insert a skewer in the centre of one of the cakes – it should come out clean.
5. Remove from the oven and leave the cakes in their tins for about 10 minutes before carefully placing on a wire rack to cool.

To make the coffee buttercream icing:

1. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter, milk, espresso mixture and half the icing sugar until smooth - this can take several minutes with an electric hand mixer.
2. Gradually add the remainder of the icing sugar to produce a buttercream of a creamy and smooth consistency.
3. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, ice with coffee buttercream and decorate with either whole or crushed walnuts or chocolate-covered espresso beans.

Now try these Homemade Blueberry and Polenta Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery

Cupcake from the Primrose Bakery

Print Article

View All Articles

How to subscribe to feeds