Drunk on Caffeine
The best from Italy and Scotland combined.
Coffee and whisky - the perfect combination coming together to create a decadent smoky dark cupcake. I recommend using a good Single Malt (smoky Islay like Bowmore or Port Charlotte works best). Anyone baking these cupcakes should have a liking for Scottish alcohol.
Ingredients
Dough
- 50gButter
- 120gSugar
- 4Egg Yolks
- 120gFlour
- 2 tspBaking Powder
- 100mlEspresso
- 1 tspVanilla
Buttercream
- 4Egg Whites
- 115gSugar
- 170gSoftened Butter
- 1 tbspSingle Malt Whisky
Ganache
- 100gChocolate
- 35mlCream
Steps:
Ganache
- Break chocolate into small pieces.
- Bring cream to a boil. Pour it over the chocolate, covering it completely.
- Let it sit for about 5 minutes.
- Stir the cream and chocolate until all the chocolate is melted, and a smooth, homogeneous mixture is formed.
- Add ground chili flakes to your taste for desired spiciness.
- Cover the ganache with plastic wrap (placing the plastic directly onto the ganache to prevent a skin from forming) and let it sit at room temperature for at least 4 hours to set.
- Afterward, the mixture is pipable.
Dough
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (374°F).
- Beat butter and sugar until the mixture becomes noticeably lighter.
- Add egg yolks and mix until a homogeneous, foamy mixture forms.
- Mix flour and baking powder together.
- Combine coffee and vanilla.
- Alternately add dry ingredients and milk to the batter until a smooth mixture forms.
- Line a cupcake tray with paper liners.
- Distribute batter into 12 liners, tap the tray on the table to bring air bubbles to the surface.
- Bake for 10 - 15 minutes in the upper half of the oven.
- Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the dough comes out clean without crumbs sticking to it.
- Allow to cool.
Buttercream
- Mix egg whites and sugar.
- Stir in a water bath until the sugar is dissolved, and the mixture is slightly warmer than room temperature.
- Whisk egg whites to form stiff peaks.
- Gradually add softened butter in chunks and mix. The temperature of the butter is crucial for successful buttercream.
- After about 5 minutes, a silky buttercream should form.
- Add whisky, color as desired.