Mocha Cupcakes

Having made one of the three coffee flavoured recipes already this weekend, I though I might as well hit two birds with one stone and get another out of the way. I decided to make the Mocha cupcakes as a treat for my husband, My Dad and father-in-law for Father's Day, as they are all coffee and cake lovers.

This recipe sticks to the traditional ingredients that make an actual mocha, so instead of cocoa it is hot chocolate powder and instead of brewed coffee it is instant espresso powder. These get mixed with the hot mixed and then cooled, before getting added to the other ingredients.

I made a mistake right at the beginning of this recipe and thought it said to buy ground espresso not instant, so when it was added to the milk with the hot chocolate it didn't actually dissolve. You could still smell the coffee flavour and the grounds were so fine that, after consulting my sister-in-law, we decided it would still work and left it as it was. It does mean I have an almost full bag of espresso powder for a coffee machine and no use for it, plus I need to go and buy the correct instant stuff for the last remaining coffee recipe in the cook book, the Espresso Cupcakes.

After realising my mistake and agreeing that it should still be fine, I made up the sponge using the standard cupcake ingredients and method we all know and love by now. The mocha milk mixture gets the eggs whisked into it and then is added to the dry ingredients until all smooth. This is spooned into the muffin cases. I made 16 cupcakes from this recipe, which seems to be the standard amount for me now, using about a tablespoon and a half of batter for each case. Cook for about 22 minutes, seems my oven isn't bang on the scheduled time with these recipes any more and out onto the oven top to cool.

The cupcakes were left to chill out for a few hours whilst I went about my daily routine with my baby daughter and only got time to make the frosting once she was down for an afternoon nap. The frosting is made the same as the hot chocolate cupcakes one, with hot choc powder, sugar, milk and butter. I don't think I whisked it was much as I usually do, with being in a rush to finish before the little one woke, and it seemed to come out slightly..not sure on the right word..I guess sticky. When trying to ice the sponge, I spoon an equal amount onto each cupcake until it is all used from the bowl and then go round them all and over the tops properly. The icing went onto the cupcakes okay but when it came to spreading it it just lifted off the sponge and stuck to the palette knife. Took me a little more time than usual to get them all looking nice and smooth, then I dusted with a little bit of the hot chocolate powder and decorated each cupcake with two Galaxy counters. I hunted around the supermarkets but couldn't find any heart-shaped chocolate and our local Thorntons store had just closed down so the Galaxy counters seemed the next best thing. Didn't want to leave the tops plain, since they were for a special occasion.

My Dad was thrilled that I had made cakes for Father's Day and thought they were his only present lol. He doesn't usually have cakes until after tea/dinner but asked of he could tuck into one straight away, which of course I agreed to. He made so 'mmm' noises until could finish his cupcake and tell me they were amazing. My step-mother then decided she needed to test one out and thoroughly agreed with my Dad. Hubby was the next person to try one and said they were lovely, although not as nice as the coffee and chocolate loaf. And lastly my father-in-law tried one after his roast on Sunday. He tries to eat healthy but if cupcakes are there the temptation is too strong to resist. He has the one and when I went round the next morning to drop my daughter off with her grandma, she gave me the time with the remaining cupcakes in and said my father-in-law wants me to take them away as they are too nice! I tried one myself after my husband said the coffee wasn't a strong taste and I was disappointed with the cupcakes as you couldn't taste the coffee at all really. I guess this is down the me using the wrong type of espresso coffee and it not actually dissolving in the milk. I am going to make these again later in the year for my Dad and hubby, using the right coffee, and will let you know how they turn out.

Having issues in uploading the photos for this and the Choc and coffee loaf blog. Will try again later and hopefully it will have resolved itself.