Coffee and Almond Cupcakes

My first foray into baking was at a friend’s place back in 2013. We came up with the impromptu idea of baking a chocolate cake and a lemon tart albeit with mixed results. A little glimpse of our efforts :-D.

 

Ever since that day I have wanted to bake but was never really brave enough to test my baking skills.

It was only after Hubsy agreed to allow me to test the results of my baking experiments on him that I started investing time and effort into learning the basics of baking.

Armed with cookbooks and newly acquired baking gadgets I made some Coffee and Almond Cupcakes. These turned out to be winners. A subtle coffee flavour with almond textures, these cupcakes are perfect with your afternoon tea. 

 

INGREDIENTS( 6 cupcakes):

FOR THE CUPCAKES

• 90 gms unsalted butter

• 90 gms brown sugar/granulated sugar

• 80 grams self raising flour

• 1 egg

• 1 tablespoon Nescafe instant coffee granules

• 25 ml warm milk

• 3 tablespoon cold milk

• ¼ teaspoon baking powder

• 50 grams ground almonds

FOR THE BUTTER CREAM FROSTING

• 60 grams of unsalted butter

• 120 grams of icing sugar, sieved

• ½ tablespoon of coffee granules dissolved in 1 tablespoon of boiling water

 

METHOD:

1. Starting with the cupcake mixture , in a bowl, cream the butter and sugar first and then add the egg and whisk it using an electric hand whisk for around 5 minutes till you get a smooth creamy paste.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°.
3. Dissolve instant coffee granules in the warm milk and add it to the bowl .
4. Now add the baking powder and flour to the mixture. To get a fluffy and spongy cake it is important to not overmix the mixture.
5. With a spatula fold the flour nicely into the mixture. Add the cold milk as well at this stage.
6. Now transfer the mix into cupcake moulds.  I used silicone cupcake moulds so brushed some oil on the inside of all the moulds.
7. Bake the cupcakes at 180° for 20 minutes or till a toothpick comes out clean from the centre of the cupcake.
8. Now for the frosting- in an electric mixer, mix all the ingredients for buttercream frosting given above. Beat it for 5 minutes continuously until fluffy . Now transfer it to a piping bag and decorate your cupcakes as you wish.
9. These cupcakes can be served with or without the frosting.