This post is sponsored in conjunction with #BrunchWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the #Brunchweek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.
Jeffrey officially started his new job this month! I was a ball of nerves waiting for him to get home to see how things went on his first day. The first morning was a rough start. He left very early just in case, and it was good that he did because there was a MAJOR accident that completely shut down both lanes of traffic. Where we live in Norfolk, Virginia, in order to get to his place of work, you need to go through a bridge/tunnel, and the only alternate route is over an hour out of the way. He made it just in time, but yeah… glad he left so early!
Since it was his first day, I wanted to make him some kind of nice dessert to celebrate! So I put on my thinking cap…
At our house, we work the coffee machine hard.
One of our awesome friends pot us a brand new coffee pot for our wedding last August. Oh man, you guys. It is shiny and red and has an auto-brew feature and everything. We LOVE it!
Jeffrey loves mochas when we stop at Starbucks, so I thought that some chocolate coffee cupcakes would be a great way to celebrate his new job… and to celebrate #BrunchWeek, which officially starts TODAY!
If you haven’t entered yet, make sure to head over to our #BrunchWeek giveaway post for information on how to win a delicious prize pack from our lovely sponsors.
(And if you scroll down, you’ll find more #BrunchWeek recipes being posted today in addition to these tasty cupcakes!)
Coffee brings out the chocolaty flavor of cupcakes, so even if you aren’t a fan of drinking a morning cup, you really need to give these bad boys a try.
Despite using coffee as the main liquid in these cupcakes (and I brew mine STRONG), you don’t really notice the taste in the cake itself. They just taste extra chocolaty. Even the frosting has a very subtle coffee flavor. If you don’t prefer coffee, just switch out the frosting to a plain chocolate, vanilla, or other flavor you do like.
The maple drizzled over top really takes these cupcakes to another layer. Don’t skip the drizzle!
If you’re looking for a brunch time dessert, these cupcakes are the perfect choice. The jolt of coffee will help you wake up, and it pairs perfectly with eggs, bacon, waffles, and anything else on your brunch plate.
For this recipe, I used LorAnn Princess Cake & Cookie Bakery Emulsion, which I received free for #BrunchWeek. If you do not have this, you can substitute with vanilla. The Princess emulsion has a nutty and slightly citrus aftertaste, so it is that little something special in your baked goods. Emulsions are awesome for anything you are not baking, since the flavor is suspended in water instead of alcohol. LorAnn has an entire line of emulsions to use in your baked goods, so check them out here.
I also used Dixie Crystal sugar for this recipe. They sent us an entire case of white sugar to use for #BrunchWeek! This company has been around since 1917 and has consistent high-quality baking supplies, in my experiences. Using high-quality baking ingredients in your recipes is so super important to the final result. You can grab some sugar coupons from the Dixie Crystal website to try their products in your own recipes.
Here’s the printable recipe for this yummy cupcakes… and yes, Jeffrey loved them, and in case you were wondering, his first few days at work have gone really well!
Chocolate Coffee Maple Cupcakes
Super rich and chocolaty cupcakes with a punch of coffee and maple flavor.
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- 1 cup sugar (I used Dixie Crystals)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup brewed coffee
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
- 1/2 Tablespoon LorAnn Princess Baking Emulsion (or vanilla)
- 6 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Frosting:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup)
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon LorAnn Princess Baking Emulsion (or vanilla)
- 1/4 cup brewed coffee
- 3-4 Tablespoons maple syrup
- sprinkles (if desired)
Instructions
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Mix together dry cake ingredients in one bowl and wet cake ingredients in a second bowl.
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Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Batter will be fairly thin and a bit lump. It does not have to be perfectly smooth.
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Line a cupcake tin and fill 2/3 full with batter.
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Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to rest in the warm tin for 3-5 minutes, and then remove to cool completely on a baking rack.
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While cupcakes are cooling mix up the frosting by beating together all frosting ingredients. Wait until cupcakes are completely cool before decorating with the frosting. Drizzle heavily with maple syrup and decorate with sprinkles (if desired).
The cake part of this recipe was inspired by this chocolate cake posted on Simply Recipes.
Take a look at what the #BrunchWeek Bloggers are creating today!
BrunchWeek Beverages:
Cà Phê Trứng (Vietnamese Egg Coffee) from Tara’s Multicultural Table.
Cold Brew with Hazelnut Simple Syrup from The Barbee Housewife.
Hazelnut Milk Punch from Culinary Adventures with Camilla.
Irish Coffee from My Catholic Kitchen.
Strawberry Frosé from Love and Confections.
BrunchWeek Appetizers:
Everything Bagel Dip from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen.
Bacon, Asparagus and Spinach Frittata from Eat Move Make.
Cauliflower Waffles from Caroline’s Cooking.
Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole from Karen’s Kitchen Stories.
Deviled Eggs with Capers, Cucumber and Red Onion from Family Around the Table.
Farmers Casserole from A Day in the Life on the Farm.
Ham & Artichoke Strata from The Chef Next Door.
Bacon and Cheese Twists from Big Bear’s Wife.
Caramel Apple Dutch Baby from The Bitter Side of Sweet.
Carrot Cake Muffins from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures.
Chocolate Chip Pecan Cinnamon Rolls from Pass the Sushi.
Danish Twists with Cream Cheese Filling from That Skinny Chick Can Bake.
French Toast Muffin Bites from Daily Dish Recipes
Make Ahead Mocha Granola from Wholistic Woman.
Snickerdoodle Pancakes from Mildly Meandering.
Toasted Coconut Granola from Cooking With Carlee.
Antipasto Pizza from Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
Asparagus & Crab Cake Benedict from The Crumby Kitchen
Breakfast Pizza from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks.
Corned Beef Hash Benedict from Sweet Beginnings.
Mini Breakfast Pot Pies from Forking Up.
I Dream of Hawaii Smoothie Bowl from Brunch-n-Bites.
Prosciutto Wrapped Pineapple Spears from Kudos Kitchen by Renee.
Refrigerator Pickled Asparagus from Shockingly Delicious.
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Coffeecake from It Bakes Me Happy.
Chocolate Coffee Maple Cupcakes from The PinterTest Kitchen.
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These sound amazing Allison.
Thanks!