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Hi everyone! It’s Liz from Love Grows Wild, and I’m so excited to be back at The Recipe Critic! I love sharing great meal ideas with you, but let’s face it, dessert is WAY more fun! So let’s dive right into these sinfully sweet and deliciously decadent Cappuccino and Chocolate Cupcakes!
Coffee and chocolate have to be two of my favorite things in the entire world. So a cupcake that combines the intoxicating aroma of cappuccino with the rich sweetness of chocolate is bound to be a winner in my book! These yummy mini cakes not only taste and smell amazing, but look so beautiful too! The golden caramel color of the cake along with the glossy, white frosting on top makes them almost too pretty to eat! …Almost! {wink}
For the cake itself, I use one of my favorite baking shortcuts: boxed cake mix. I always keep some in the pantry for those days I don’t feel like dragging out all my baking ingredients, and you honestly can never tell the difference! To transform the cupcakes into a cappuccino-chocolate treat, I simply added instant coffee dissolved in a bit of water and chocolate chunks! Such an easy way to jazz up a box mix and really make it special! Just look at that gorgeous coffee-color batter…
I absolutely love the frosting recipe for these cupcakes… It is fluffy white, super glossy, and stands up beautifully on the cakes! It takes a few steps, but I promise it’s worth it!
To decorate the cupcakes, I simply grated some extra semi-sweet chocolate on top, which I think makes them look just lovely. Adding some chocolate-covered coffee beans would also be perfect for this cupcake flavor!
I’ve enjoyed some fantastic fruit-inspired desserts all Summer long, but heading into Fall I’m definitely ready for some decadent chocolate! And this recipe totally hits the spot!
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Cappuccino & Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 (13.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix (plus ingredients to make the batter)
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
- 2 teaspoons hot water
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
- 5 large egg whites
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Prepare the yellow cake mix as directed on the package.
- In a small bowl, combine the instant coffee and 2 teaspoons of hot water. Stir until the coffee is fully dissolved. Add it to the cake batter along with the 4 ounces of chopped chocolate. Stir to combine.
- Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Set a large bowl over (not in) a pot of barely simmering water. Add sugar, egg whites, and cream of tartar to the bowl and whisk constantly until the mixture is frothy and the sugar is dissolved, about 4 minutes.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and transfer to a stand mixer. Beat on medium until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes. Increase the speed to high and beat until the whites form medium-stiff, glossy peaks, about 3 minutes.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag or large Ziplock bag with the tip cut off. Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle finely grated chocolate on top.
Notes
If you don't drink coffee, pero makes a great substitute!
Nutrition
Calories: 89kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 1gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 0.4mgSodium: 13mgPotassium: 77mgFiber: 1gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 4IUCalcium: 6mgIron: 0.5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
Coffee+chocolate,I absolutely love these cupcakes:) I’ve featured this recipe on my blog, hoping that you don’t mind, but if you do, please contact me and I’ll remove it. All the best.
This sounds amazing. But I wonder what it would taste like if you used a box chocolate cake instead? Has anyone tried that?
Hi Christen! I’m sure using a chocolate cake would be incredible as well! The yellow cake mix just makes that gorgeous coffee-color batter when you add the instant coffee!
Liz, you are speaking to me with these cupcakes! They look amazing! Once again, your photography is awesome here.
Hi Madalena! Thanks so much! These were beauties to photography 🙂 I still use the standard 35mm lens that came with my Canon Rebel, but the 50mm is on my Christmas list!