Pumpkin Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes. Part Starbucks PSL cake and part chocolate espresso cake. These cupcakes got it all, even a swirl of espresso buttercream!
As the temperatures start decline I want that familiar Fall feeling of a warm hug in the form of something good to eat. It’s just so hard to decide though, do I go with chocolate, pumpkin or coffee? What if I didn’t have to choose, what if all those comforting flavors were in one cupcake? The Pumpkin Chocolate Espresso Cupcake to be exact. Imagine if you will sitting on the couch, turning on your favorite Hallmark movie or home DIY show, wrapped in your favorite comfy blanket and biting into a cupcake that tastes like pumpkin, chocolate and espresso. And because every cupcake needs buttercream, the creamy swirl of espresso buttercream with each bite. I have to say that makes this Pumpkin Chocolate Espresso Cupcake a winner!!
HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO CUPCAKES:
- I know I’m a broken record but all ingredients need to be at room temperature. This will make sure that all the layers bake up nice and evenly.
- The pumpkin batter will be both it’s own batter as well as the base for the chocolate espresso batter.
- Pumpkin is superb at adding moisture to any baked good. For this recipe you will need 1 1/2 cups of pumpkin which can be found in one standard size can of pumpkin puree.
- It’s important that the chocolate espresso mixture be cooled to room temp.
- You will start with adding the pumpkin batter to the cupcake cup. I found a cookie scoop worked really well for both batters.
- Then make a well in the center of the pumpkin batter with the back of a spoon but if you don’t have one a spoon will work just fine.
- Now you will add the chocolate batter into the well of the pumpkin batter.
- When you are done filling the cupcake liners they should be 2/3 of the way full.
- Bake as instructed.
- Believe it or not this is not an overly sweet cupcake so we need buttercream! More about that next.
HOW TO MAKE ESPRESSO BUTTERCREAM:
- Broken record time… ingredients should be room temp 😉 .
- Start by creaming the butter until light and fluffy.
- Put mixer on low and add in the confectioners sugar one spoonful at a time. Mix well in-between each addition so powdered sugar doesn’t shoot out of the mixer.
- Make sure to alternate the powdered sugar with the milk so the buttercream mixes to the proper consistency.
- Espresso powder time! Go ahead and add in the espresso powder, vanilla and salt. Mix until all combined and creamy.
- Line up your cupcakes and pipe each one with espresso buttercream.
- If using sprinkles put them on one cupcake at a time while buttercream is still soft or they won’t stick. I used purple non-perils.
It needs to be repeated… Pumpkin Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes. Part Starbucks PSL cake and part chocolate espresso cake. These cupcakes got it all, even a swirl of espresso buttercream!
Enjoy!
Stacey
Below are links to the tools I used. (Please note that the below are Amazon affiliate links which means if you purchase from these links I get a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for supporting The Sugar Coated Cottage!)
PIN IT FOR LATER! You’ll be glad you did 😉
Pumpkin Chocolate Expresso Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 tbsp espresso powder
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cup pumpkin
- 2 large eggs room temp
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- BUTTERCREAM
- 1 cup butter (unsalted) room temp
- 2 lbs confectioners sugar
- 1/2 cup milk room temp
- 1 1/2 tbsp espresso powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Line 16 cupcake cups with liners.
- Using a double boiler melt the chocolate and espresso powder together. Stir consistanly. Remove from heat and let cool.
- In large bowl whisk together the flour, sugars, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Make a well in the center of flour mixture.
- In medium bowl whisk together the pumkin, eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients.
- Stir until just combined.
- Spoon 1 1/2 cups batter into a seperate bowl and stir in the cooled chocolate expresso mixture.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop pumkin batter into each cupcake liner. Using back of spoon make a well in the pumpkin batter.
- Place a scoop of chocolate mixture into the cupcake liner into the well of the pumpkin batter. Each cupcake should be filled 2/3 of the ways with batter. Swirl the two batters together with a toothpick.
- Bake 20-25 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let cool completely.
- BUTTERCREAM:
- In bowl of mixer cream the butter until light and creamy.
- Add in the confectioners sugar one spoonful at a time, alternate with milk as needed. Add in the espresso powder, vanilla and salt.
- Mix until well combined.
- ASSEMBLY:
- Arrange cupcakes so they are ready for buttercream. Pipe buttercream on top of each cupcake. If adding the sprinkles to the edges do so one cupcake at a time so the buttercream is still soft or they will not stick.
Leave a Reply