Thai Iced Coffee Cupcakes

Let's cut to the chase here. These cupcakes are all about the icing. Well, maybe all is a bit of a harsh statement, but the icing is really the star of the show here. Don't get me wrong, the cake itself is good, but the icing? Out of this world. And this comes from a self-confessed icing shunner.

But let's back up for a bit. Earlier this week I got an idea into my head for condensed milk cupcakes. Don't know how or why it popped into my head (no actually I do, it was while I was busy sneaking some condensed milk straight from the tin - shhhh don't tell), but once it was there, it refused to budge. I daydreamed about it, googled "condensed milk cupcakes" and even tweeted about it. One of my fellow South African bloggers, Jessica (from Tiny Oven Adventures) quickly jumped on the condensed milk bandwagon with her Sticky Condensed Milk & Vanilla Seed Icing Cupcakes. Yeah, I'm a trendsetter that way.

But while I was trendsetting, I still had not come up with any cupcakes of my own. Bad bad blogger. That's when I remembered the Thai Iced Coffee I made (and fell in love with) a few months ago in the heat of summer. Condensed milk was a prime ingredient and it didn't take long for me to put two and two together and end up with these magnificent Thai Iced Coffee Cupcakes. Which did a pretty good job of spoiling me for any other cupcake.

Especially icing-wise. I think it's safe to say that I probably won't be veering too far from this icing recipe in future. It is rich, but not too rich (you can thank the coffee for that), sweet, but not too sweet (that's the handiwork of my cream-cheesy friend), and texture-wise (the source of my usual icing-issues) it is a pleasure odyssey.* 

I'm not ashamed  to admit that I ate an inordinate amount of the icing scooped straight from the bowl. Whether you make the cupcakes, well, that is your choice. But this icing? You are practically obliged to make it. Make it, devour half and send me the other half. Why? Um... because your thighs will thank me later. Yeah, that's the reason...

*Corny phrases are not a usual result of these cupcakes, however results may vary. 

======<() And on a sidenote: The Soccer World Cup starts today - wooooot!   If you're not watching, you're missing out.

Thai Iced Coffee Cupcakes

Adapted from Eat My Cupcake

Makes 12

For the cupcakes:

125g (1/2 cup) butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 1/3 cups cake flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup stong freshly brewed coffee mixed with 2 tbsp condensed milk

For the icing:

240g (8 oz) full-fat cream cheese

100g butter, softened

1 cup icing (confectioner's) sugar

2 tbsp strongly brewed coffee

2 tbsp condensed milk

1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.

2. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well.

3. Sift the dry ingredients together and add bit by bit to the butter/sugar mixture, alternating with the coffee mixture, beating to combine.

4. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners and bake for 16 - 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

5. Remove cupcakes from the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.

6. When the cupcakes have cooled, mix all the icing ingredients in a bowl and beat well until smooth. Fill a icing bag and pipe onto the cupcakes.

Jamaican Coffee Brownies

Calling all chocolate addic lovers. You got a moment to spare? Prepared to completely revolutionise your favourite chocolate indulgence? Yes I'm talking brownies. More specifically: Best. Brownie. Ever.

This is no idle promise. As a confirmed chocolate addic lover myself, I take my task very seriously and as such present you with only the best chocolaty treats that I can lay my hands on. Average chocolate treats need not even bother applying for this job. They will be shown the door. Arms flailing. Screaming about the unfairness of it all. While Mr Jamaican brownie will be smirking from atop his throne, being all "We can't all be awesome mon".

Yes, it's clear that I've lost it. And can you blame me? I have been in a constant state of sugary highness ever since I baked these brownies a few days ago. Yes, there are still a few left. Clearly I have a black belt in self-restraint. Because trust me when I say this - these are nearly impossible to resist. They are intensely, darkly chocolaty (boosted by the added ground coffee) with that inexplicable x-factor from the ground ginger and cinnamon. I might even be tempted to sell my mother for a bite. (Hey mom - I said *might*)

And as for those brownie snobs that claim you can't make a good brownie using only cocoa powder - one whiff of these and I guarantee they will be skulking away. Tail between their legs. With a stolen brownie chunk clutched firmly in both hands. Fact.

Jamaican Coffee Brownies
Adapted from Epicurious
Makes 20

2 cups brown sugar
250g (1 cup) salted butter, roughly chopped
3/4 cup best quality cocoa powder (unsweetened)
3 1/2 tbsp Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans, finely ground
pinch salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups cake flour
3/4 cup pecan nuts, roughly chopped
200g best quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped
6 tbsp freshly brewed Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee

1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Lightly oil a 30 x 20 cm (13 x 9 inch) metal pan.
2. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, reduce heat and place a metal bowl over the pot, being careful that the water does not touch the bowl. Place sugar, butter, cocoa powder and ground coffee in the bowl and allow to melt slowly, stirring to smooth the mixture.
3. Remove bowl from heat, adding salt, ginger and cinnamon. Add eggs one at a time, beating vigorously to a glossy finish.
4. Sift cake flour into the chocolate mixture, stirring to combine, then add nuts and fold through.
5. Spread batter in prepared pan and bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until test stick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan. 
6. Meanwhile, make the ganache topping by mixing the chocolate with the boiling hot coffee. Stir to combine, smoothing out any lumps, then allow to rest for about an hour, or until thickened. Spread over the brownies and allow to set before cutting into 20 squares.

Nutritional info (per brownie): Calories 381.8 , Total fat 27.4 g, Saturated fat 12.4 g, Polyunsaturated fat 1.4 g, Monounsaturated fat 4.6 g, Cholesterol 145.7 mg, Sodium 460.8 mg, Potassium 129.7 mg, Total carbohydrate 29.0 g, Dietary fiber 2.1 g, Sugars 20.1 g, Protein 12.5 g

Good source of: Manganese 19.0 %

St Paddy's Day Cupcakes

Look what I made for St Patrick's Day:

You can find the recipe for the Green Velvet Cupcakes over at The Cupcake Project.