Whipped Coffee

If you’re on any form of social media, chances are you’ve seen this making the rounds. Whipped coffee is the luscious little treat you didn’t know you needed to get you through these coming weeks at home without your Starbucks fix. It’s like you took an Sbux foam drink and flipped it- so there’s milk/cream on the bottom and the coffee is the foam on top. It. Is. Heaven. I highly recommend using a hand or stand mixer if you have one, or you’ll be getting a damn good arm workout. 💪🏻

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsps instant coffee granules
• 2 tbsps sugar
• 2 tbsps hot water
• Milk and/or coffee creamer to taste

Directions:

1. Combine instant coffee, sugar, and hot water in a small bowl. It’ll look like mud. Do not be discouraged.
2. Using a whisk or whisk attachment, beat ingredients together until light and fluffy and peaks form.
3. In a glass of your choosing, add ice and your creamer/milk. (I use a splash of vanilla creamer and then milk.) Spoon your coffee mixture on top. Look how pretty!
4. Now enjoy! You can drink it like this (like one of the Starbucks foam drinks) or mix everything together. Equally delicious.

Wasn’t that easy?! So simple to customize with syrups and add-ins to your heart’s desire. Tell me what you think!

*I don’t know where this originated and a friend shared the recipe with me, so I don’t have a source to link here.*

Mocha Brownie Cupcakes

Let me preface this by saying these are not your average cupcake. The first time I made these, I had just started out in my baking adventures and thought I’d massively screwed these up. The cupcake’s texture itself is not what you’d expect from a cupcake; it’s more like it’s namesake… denser, richer… In short, more like a brownie. The rich chocolate gets a boost from some espresso powder and even more of a coffee punch from some coffee liqueur, then the delightful cake gets topped with a fluffy, coffee-infused buttercream. Definitely not for those who don’t like that coffee-chocolate flavor combo, but I wouldn’t bother spending time with someone like that. 😜 

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

• 11 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
• 1½ cups flour
• 2 tsp espresso powder
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• ½ cup coffee liqueur

For the frosting:

• 16 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1 tbsp instant coffee granules
• 2 tsp hot coffee
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until completely melted and smooth, stirring between.  

 Set aside and allow to cool slightly. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, espresso powder, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the eggs and sugar and beat on medium speed until light. Stir in the chocolate mixture and the coffee liqueur until well combined.  

  

Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until combined and no dry streaks remain. Fill each liner about 2/3 full with batter. . Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few crumbs. Allow to cool in the pans about 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

 To make the frosting, beat the butter in your stand mixer bowl on medium-high speed until smooth.  Mix in the confectioners’ sugar on low speed just until incorporated, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until smooth and light. Mix in the coffee granules, hot coffee and vanilla extract until completely incorporated.  

  Pipe onto the cooled cupcakes and enjoy! 

  
*The only place I’ve found espresso powder locally has been Sur La Table. This is what it looks like in case you’re out hunting for it!  It adds a nice richness to chocolate desserts without necessarily making it taste like coffee. Happy baking! 😀

 

Recipe adapted slightly from Annie’s Eats.

Pumpkin Spice Syrup

I have a serious addiction to all things Starbucks, and the ever-popular pumpkin spice latte is no exception. However, keeping a pre-work coffee habit just isn’t budget friendly, especially with a new car payment! Luckily this syrup along with some steamed milk makes home-brewed taste just like (if not better than!) the ubiquitous chain’s beverages.

Ingredients:
1½ cups water
1½ cups sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cloves
3 tbsp pumpkin puree

Directions:
Combine water and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally, cooking until sugar is completely dissolved.

Whisk in spices and pumpkin purée to the saucepan…

And cook for about 5 minutes. Your kitchen will smell like fall… Delicious, amazing fall. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Strain into container of your choosing. I was ghetto-fab and put some cheesecloth in a funnel for this step… Whatever works, right?

Store in refrigerator. Add 1-2 tablespoons to your morning cuppa for an awesome pumpkiny start to your day!

*To make an at-home PSL: add 1-2 tablespoons syrup to 2 oz hot coffee or espresso. Add 6 oz steamed milk and stir. Top with whipped cream and caramel sauce if you have it on hand. Double quantities for a larger cup!

Recipe from Annie’s Eats.