My next door neighbour owns (& works non-stop) in her business 'The Turret Cafe & Catering' designing & producing wonderfully delicious treats. On one of my visits I spied 'Espresso Martini Milkshake' on the menu - it was really, really good. So much so that I thought why not have those delicious flavours in a cupcake for a decadent treat. 

They are absolutely delicious! 

Poking holes in the cupcakes & filling them with coffee caramel is the OTT (over the top) version.

 

This recipe was designed specifically to be made with Bakers' Magic gluten free flour. The finished baked product will not be the same if you use another gluten free flour and you will need to adjust the recipe, particularly if the flour you're using contains rice flour.  

 

Ingredients

Cake

Dry ingredients 

130 g Bakers' Magic Gluten free flour

20 g Potato starch

1 tsp Baking powder

1/4 tsp Salt

150 g Brown sugar

1 tsp Coffee (instant)

 

Wet ingredients 

110 g Milk (warm)

1 tsp Vinegar

2 eggs

125 g Oil (I use rice bran oil)

2 tsp Vanilla extract

  

Maize starch = Cornflour from maize/corn and potato starch is sometimes labelled as potato flour. For more information go to Maize starch vs Cornflour.

Coffee - If you have an espresso machine don't use the instant coffee in with the dry ingredients. Add espresso to the milk but keep the combined amount 110 g. 

 

Vanilla Buttercream Icing

 250 g Butter (softened)

500 g Icing sugar

2 tsp Vanilla bean paste (or extract)

50 g Water (+ additional 20 g after splitting the icing)

 

Coffee Caramel

240 g Thickened cream

60 g Butter

120 g Raw sugar

45 g Kahlua

15 g Vodka

Espresso coffee to taste

 

Espresso Martini Ganache

175 g Milk chocolate

80 g Thickened cream

30 g Kahlua

~10 g Vodka

1 - 2 tsp Instant coffee or Espresso (decrease the amount of cream) 

 

 

Method

Cake

Turn oven on to 170 C.

Line a 12 hole muffin tin with muffin wraps or large patty pans.

Combine together the dry ingredients. I usually whiz the dry ingredients in a food processor. 

Mix in the vinegar to the warm milk. It should curdle a little. 

Whisk together all the wet ingredients.

Combine the dry ingredients with 1/2 of the wet ingredients. Use a scraper to get rid of any lumps.

Add in the remaining wet ingredients.  

Pour into the wraps/pans to just over half full. 

Transfer to the oven & bake for 18 - 20 mins. The length of time will depend on the size of the cupcakes & your oven. Bring out of the oven & allow to cool before icing them. 

Espresso Martini Ganache

Heat the cream and coffee to approximately 80 C. 

Pour over the chocolate. 

Stir the mix and gently heat until all chocolate is melted. 

Pour in the alcohol. 

Cover mix and set aside to cool. 

Coffee Caramel - if you want poke cupcakes

Combine the cream, butter and sugar in a medium heavy based saucepan. 

Gently heat until sugar has dissolved. 

Increase the heat & boil the mix for approximately 7 - 9 mins. The volume left should be considerably reduced. 

Let the mixture cool before stirring in the alcohol and coffee.  

Icing

Cream together the softened butter & the sifted icing sugar. 

When the mixture is light & fluffy stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue creaming the butter & icing sugar - make it light & fluffier.

Add the vanilla extract & ~15 g (ml) of water.

Continue creaming the mixture.

When the vanilla & water have been fully incorporated, stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the remaining water.

Continue creaming until the water is fully incorporated.

Chocolate icing Transfer approximately 1/4 of the icing to another container. Combine this icing with approximately 3/4 of the chocolate ganache. 

Vanilla icing Mix in the additional water. 

Watch this YouTube icing piping video, another good one to watch is this one. Follow the technique in the video to transfer the different flavoured icing to some glad wrap & then a piping bag. 

Optional - Poke the cupcakes

Poke holes in the cupcakes and pour some of the coffee caramel in. 

The amount you pour in is up to you :). 

Top the cupcakes with the two toned icing. 

Simply enjoy!