Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes
Total Time: 1 Hour
30 Minutes
Servings: 24
These extra indulgent chocolate and coffee cupcakes are doubly delicious as they have a hidden creamy coffee filling!
All You Need Is ...
- 1 box Betty Crocker™ Tempting Chocolate Cake Mix
- 125ml vegetable oil
- 230ml water
- 3 medium free range eggs
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso coffee powder
For the filling and decoration
- 2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder
- 2 teaspoons boiling water
- 200g mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
- 20g icing sugar, sifted
- 1 1/2 tubs Betty Crocker™ Classic Coffee Icing
- 24 chocolate coated coffee beans
- 1 teaspoons grated dark chocolate
Betty's Easy Steps
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C for fan assisted ovens)/Gas Mark 4. Line 2 x 12-hole muffin trays with paper cupcake cases.
- Stir the cake mix, oil, water and eggs together gently in a bowl. Add the espresso coffee powder, then whisk (by hand or with an electric mixer) for 2-3 minutes, until smooth and creamy.
- Divide the mixture equally between the paper cases and bake for 18-22 minutes until risen and springy to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool in the muffin trays for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely; about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the filling. Dissolve the espresso coffee powder in the boiling water in a small heatproof bowl. Leave to cool. Place the mascarpone cheese in a bowl and beat until smooth, then gradually beat in the cooled liquid coffee and icing sugar.
- Spoon the filling into a large disposable piping bag fitted with a plain 1cm nozzle. Carefully insert the tip of the nozzle into the centre of 1 cupcake, a little way down. Gently squeeze the piping bag, pulling upward until the cupcake swells slightly and the filling comes to the top (see tip). Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.
- To decorate, spoon the coffee icing into a large disposable piping bag fitted with a plain 1cm nozzle. Pipe blobs on top of each cupcake (making sure to cover the centre hole where the mascarpone filling was piped in).
- Top each cupcake with a chocolate coated coffee bean and sprinkle with a little grated chocolate. Serve immediately. Store any leftover cupcakes in the fridge for up to three days.
Betty's Tips
- Take care not to pipe too much filling into the cupcakes or they will split – about a teaspoon of filling will be plenty.
- For a more chocolately flavour, replace the coffee icing with Betty Crocker™ Tempting Chocolate Icing instead.
