Wake Up Call Cupcakes

These cupcakes come from the Butch Bakery Cookbook.  I knew I had to make these chocolate espresso cakes as soon as I saw them, and topped with the coffee buttercream and chocolate sawdust I was so happy that I did!

Cupcakes:
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup valrhona cocoa
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp bittersweet chocolate chips
1 tbsp espresso powder
1 cup plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tbsp kahlua
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Coffee Buttercream:
1.5 tbsp kahlua
1.5 tbsp valrhona cocoa
1.5 tbsp vanilla extract
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3 3/4 cups icing sugar
3 tbsp egg beaters
pinch of salt

Chocolate Sawdust:
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp valrhona cocoa

Preheat the oven to 350 and line 2 cupcake pans with liners.

In a small pan, bring the water to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in the cocoa, chocolate chips and espresso powder and stir together.  Set aside to cool for 20 minutes.

In a medium bowl, add flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add in the eggs, oil, kahlua and vanilla and add in the melted chocolate and espresso mixture. Mix together until the ingredients are all combined, fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full and bake for 20-22 minutes.

To make the buttercream, combine the espresso powder, kahlua, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt in a small bowl and stir together.

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add in the icing sugar and egg beaters and mix together. Add in the coffee and cocoa mixture and continue beating for for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth.

To make the chocolate sawdust combine the sugarand cocoa powder together in a small bowl.

Once cupcakes are cooled, frost with the coffee buttercream and top with a sprinkle of the chocolate sawdust.



Linked to:  Michelle's Tasty Creations, Two Yellow Birds, Something Swanky, Frugal Follies, Mom On Time Out, A Little Nosh, Momnivores-Dilemma, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Miz Helen's Country Cottage, A Creative Princess, These Peas Taste Funny, What's Cooking, Love?, Happy Hour Projects, Rattlebridge Farm, Six Sisters Stuff, Addicted to Recipes, I Should Be Mopping The Floor, Create With Joy, Bru crew Life, Mom's Crazy Cooking