Special Mocha Cupcakes Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. , Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and cocoa. Stir in the coffee, butter and vanilla until smooth. Frost cupcakes. Garnish with coffee beans and candies if desired.

Steps:

• In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, mix the eggs, coffee, oil, vinegar and vanilla.
• Add to dry ingerdients; mix well.
• Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full.
• Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool.
• For frosting, in a small microwave-safe bowl, melt chips; stir until smooth.
• Add butter; beat until blended.
• Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar and coffee.
• Pipe frosting onto cupcakes.
• Top with sprinkles; gently press down.

Steps:

• For the ganache: Put the chips in a medium bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan just until it bubbles around the sides. Immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate, give the bowl a good shake and let stand 10 minutes, shaking the bowl occasionally. Then whisk until the mixture is homogenous, 20 to 30 seconds. Chill about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping down the sides, until the mixture is almost spreadable. Give it another brief whisk, and let stand at room temperature until it's at frosting consistency.
• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line standard muffin pans with 20 cupcake liners. In a small bowl, stir the chocolate chips into the hot espresso until melted; cool in the refrigerator to room temperature.
• Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a bowl. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the eggs, granulated sugar, applesauce, oil and vanilla at medium-high speed for about 2 minutes. Beat in the cooled chocolate mixture until the mixture is homogenous. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated, scraping the sides as necessary. It's ok if the batter is slightly lumpy. Using a 1/4-cup ice cream scoop, fill each cupcake liner with batter.
• Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer the pans to cooling racks and cool for about 10 minutes, and then transfer the cupcakes to the racks to cool completely before filling and frosting.
• While the cupcakes cool, make the filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cream and confectioners' sugar to firm peaks. On low speed, whisk in the espresso. Use immediately, or hold in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
• To assemble: Use an apple corer or melon baller to remove the center from each cupcake, about three-quarters of the way into the cupcake. Use a pastry bag to pipe some of the espresso cream filling into the centers. Pipe a large rosette of dark chocolate ganache on top of each cupcake.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the water, mayonnaise and vanilla. Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa and baking soda; add to the mayonnaise mixture and beat until well mixed. , Fill greased or paper-lined muffins cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. , For frosting, combine the, confectioners' sugar, cocoa, coffee granules and salt in a large bowl. Stir in cream. Place mixer beaters in bowl; cover and chill for 30 minutes. Beat frosting until stiff peaks form. Frost the cupcakes. Refrigerate leftovers.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the eggs, coffee, oil, vinegar and vanilla until well blended. In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into coffee mixture until blended. Do not over mix (this will cause tough cupcakes).
• Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full.(note: for cupcakes to all be the same size; use a 1/4-1/3 measuring cup to fill your cups). Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the cupcakes are a rather light gold, and mildly fluffed. Cool for about 10 minutes outside of the pan (to avoid residule cooking) before frosting *as below* .
• For frosting, in a microwave or over a saucepan, melt chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar and coffee at a high rate until smooth and holding (also, if the frosting seems a tad runny; add a sprinkle more confectioners sugar/ coocoa powder). Pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Top with chopped chocolate bits.
• Refridgerate for 6-7 days to keep fresh.