Coffee & Chocolate.  Somehow those two words just go perfectly together, like pb & j or chips & salsa.  My coffee drink of the moment is an iced coffee with 2 pumps mocha with a splash of soy.  The richness of chocolate & the smooth flavor of brewed coffee is definitely one of my weaknesses.  So, when a friend asked if I could bake a dozen chocolate cupcakes with espresso buttercream, I happily obliged.  Of course, I have my own chocolate cupcake & espresso buttercream recipe, but I wanted to kick it up a few.  I stumbled across this gorgeous baking & photography blog called,   Call Me Cupcake!   She had made  perfect espresso chocolate cupcakes & they looked so tasty!  I decided to give it a shot & try something new.  Since the author of the blog is from Sweden, I had to convert the measurements a bit.  You can find her original recipe here & down below is how I made them!  I did tweak a few things & decided to use both my buttercream recipe & hers because it was a little to rich with just her espresso chocolate buttercream.  These cupcakes tasted so good!  I made a bigger batch, that way my mother-in-law & I could sample ;)  Happy baking!  

espresso dark chocolate cupcakes

3/4 cup butter

1/2 tsp vanila

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup dark cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup strong hot coffee

2/3 cup buttermilk

-preheat your oven to 350 degrees F

-line 12 cupcake liners in your cupcake pan, set aside

-melt the butter & add the vanilla; let it cool

-sift the flour, dark cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder & sugar in a large bowl

-in a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg & buttermilk together.

-add the hot coffee to the butter & vanilla

-then add all the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients & mix until batter is smooth

-fill the liners about 2/3 of the way full

-bake for about 14-16 minutes, or until your tester comes out clean

-cool in pan on a cooling rack

(You want to make sure the cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting them)

espresso chocolate frosting

3/4 cup dark chocolate (70%)

1 1/3 cup softened butter

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

2/3 cup dark cocoa powder, sifted

2 TB espresso

1/2 tsp vanilla

-melt dark chocolate in microwave or double broiler, set aside to cool

-using a stand mixer (or hand-held electric), whisk the butter until white & fluffy

-gradually add the powdered sugar & cocoa powder & mix until smooth

-add melted chocolate & whisk until incorporated

-finally, add the espresso & vanilla & whisk until frosting is light & fluffy

my espresso buttercream

3/4 cup softened butter

2 1/2-3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

3 TB espresso

1 tsp vanilla

(may add a little buttermilk, if consistency is to thick)

-whisk the butter until white & fluffy

-slowly add the powdered sugar, whisk until all incorporated

-add the espresso & vanilla & whisk until light & fluffy

Finally, frost the cupcakes & enjoy!