Who doesn’t like cupcakes? Those little, soft, spongy, and sugary cakes can lift your mood instantly. And while cupcakes come in a wide range of flavors, the coffee cake cupcakes are one of the most sumptuous and delectable. It is also relatively easier to make and master than other types of cupcakes.
You can start by using the simple coffee cake cupcakes recipe, then experiment with adding new flavors to them as you go. However, it is one of those cakes that taste the best if you keep it simple.
Here are some tips to help you make the perfect coffee cake cupcakes.
- Use the Best Ingredients
You need to gather the best ingredients while making any cupcake, but in this case, an excellent variety of coffee powder and coffee extract is what you need to start with. If you want to make the best cupcakes, then do not for the instant coffee pouches to make your cakes. Look around and shop for coffee variants that are known for their aroma.
It would be even better to buy coffee beans and ground them afresh before adding them to the cupcake mix. This is especially useful if you are trying to make the cupcakes over a period, and ground coffee might lose its aroma. It is best to store the coffee beans instead.
- Do not Use Lots of Coffee
You should use the ground coffee and the coffee extract only sparingly. Do not add a lot of it, as the smell of too much coffee can make it taste pungent. Measure out the coffee powder according to the number of cupcakes you intend to make.
Ideally, you should add no more than a quarter teaspoon of ground coffee and two drops of concentrated coffee extract for each cupcake. If you want even more coffee, you can add the rest of the ground coffee to the icing instead.
- Butter or Oil?
Depending on the coffee cake cupcakes recipe you are using, you should determine whether your cupcakes would be oil-based or butter-based. In the case of both, try to use a medium without any flavor or color. If you are using butter, make sure it is unsalted and used at room temperature.
If you are using oil, it should be regular refined oil and not olive oil or sesame oil, which might have a flavor of its own. This might clash with the flavor of the coffee and will not make your cupcakes taste as good.
- Sift Thoroughly
While mixing the dry ingredients, do not just mix the flour and the coffee. Rather, sift them together for even better and uniform mixing. This will prevent blind spots in the batter. Moreover, while folding the dry and the wet ingredients, you should incorporate as much air as possible to make the cupcake batter lighter and fluffier. This will result in softer cupcakes.
- Oven Temperatures
While you may bake your regular cupcakes at a particular temperature, or you set the oven for a particular time, while making the coffee cupcakes, set the temperature about two degrees lower or take the cupcakes out of the oven about ten minutes or so earlier.
This is because the nature of the coffee granules might harden the cakes a bit more if allowed to bake for long or over high temperatures. If you are using single tins for the cupcakes, then you can take out one and see if the cake is made. Allow them to cool before applying the icing.
- Substitute Carefully
While substituting any ingredient in the recipe, do exercise extreme caution. Baking is an art, but you should aim for scientific precision to measure out ingredients. Hence, if you think of substituting any of them, make sure to experiment with a small amount at first rather than making a whole batch before.
For example, you could try using honey or molasses instead of sugar and see how you like the taste. Similarly, if you are substituting regular milk for soy or almond milk due to allergies or other reasons, check how the coffee tastes with the other dairy substitutes before making a large batch.
Once you have mastered the perfect recipe for making coffee cake cupcakes, stick to it. It is the perfect accompaniment to a tea or coffee party, a brunch dessert, or the perfect midnight snack. Having a stack of them in your fridge is also the best way to entertain sudden guests. With these tips, you will be making the best batches of coffee-flavored cupcakes in no time.