All this baking over the last few years has turned me into a cake mix snob. I can’t help it.  The last time I had a chocolate cupcake from a mix, it just didn’t taste like anything. Duncan Hines might give you a moist deluxe texture, but if you really stop to think about it, what you’re eating barely has any chocolate flavour. These cupcakes are the opposite of that.

I know the cupcake’s moment is kind of over, but I still get really excited about them. Deb from Smitten Kitchen posted a link to this site on Twitter a couple of weeks ago, and I’ve been obsessing over it ever since. I sent the link to Kristine to select her faves so I could make some to bring over to the crew at her house – she picked #1, #2, and #20 (we will work our way through the others as the summer progresses!). 

In a rare turn of events, I had buttermilk in the fridge, but not regular milk, when making these. This NEVER happens. Unfortunately, while it’s easy to make your own buttermilk from regular milk by adding lemon juice, you can’t reverse this process. So I added buttermilk, and I think this contributed to the overall richness of the cupcakes.

The cupcakes are moist and deluxe (ha!) but more importantly, it chocolate flavour is very intense. I think the espresso powder goes a long way to enhance the chocolate, but there isn’t an overwhelming coffee flavour.  There are also chocolate chips stirred into the cupcake batter, which if you think is overkill, you could definitely leave out.  The chocolate cream cheese icing is thick and tangy and also very rich.  You definitely need to chase these with a cold glass of milk.

Espresso Fudge Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

Source: Ming Makes Cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

1 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder (the darker the better)

2 tsp espresso powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

3/4 cup milk (or buttermilk!)

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Icing

4 oz cream cheese (1/2 block)

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 cups icing sugar

3 tsp cocoa powder

splash of milk or cream

Directions

Cupcakes

  1. Mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.
  2. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.
  3. Mix in vanilla and egg.
  4. Add milk and flour mixture alternately, beginning and ending with flour, until just mixed.
  5. Fold in chocolate chips.
  6. Pour into cupcake tins lined with cupcake liners.
  7. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out almost clean.

Icing

  1. Mix cream cheese and vanilla at medium speed until creamy.
  2. Gradually mix in icing sugar, cocoa powder and milk.
  3. Spread on cooled cupcakes, top with chocolate chips or coffee beans, and pour a tall, cold glass of milk.

Makes 12