Vanilla cupcakes with coffee buttercream.

These are perhaps the scrummiest cupcakes I have ever made. I found a new recipe for the vanilla base. It's from the Hummingbird Bakery and it uses less sugar and less butter than usual and you also mix it a different way.

For the cupcakes:

• 120 g plain flour
• 140 g caster sugar
• 11⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• 40g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 120 ml whole milk
• 1 egg
• 1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract

To make

Preheat the oven to 170°C. I put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter into the kitchen aid and beat on slow speed until I got a sandy consistency and everything is combined. Gradually pour in half the milk and beat until the milk is just incorporated.

Whisk the egg, vanilla extract and remaining milk together in a separate bowl for a few seconds, then pour into the flour mixture and continue beating until just incorporated (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Continue mixing for a couple more minutes until the mixture is smooth. Do not overmix.

Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until light golden and the sponge bounces back when touched.

A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

The recipe states that this makes 12. I was using normal sized cups - the bog standard ones you can buy in any supermarket and it only made 8. So be warned!

But man, do they taste good!

So, the cakes are done. Next, the coffee buttercream. I've not made coffee buttercream before so after a wide search I though this sounded good - and it's amazing!

Icing ingredients

1 1/2 Tablespoons instant coffee granules
1 1/2 Tablespoons water
1 1/2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
320g unsalted butter, softened
3 cups icing sugar

Combine water, coffee granules, and vanilla extract in a small bowl; stir to dissolve coffee.  Set aside.

 Beat butter in bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute.  Reduce mixer speed to low.  Add icing sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating for a few seconds between each addition.  Increase mixer speed to medium and beat for about 3 minutes.

 Add the coffee mixture; beat on low speed to combine.  Scrape down sides and bottom of the bowl.  Increase mixer speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 4 minutes.  Frosts 18 cupcakes.


This really is amazing buttercream. The secret is in the amount of time it's whipped - it really makes all the difference.