Coffee Toffee Cupcakes

By southerngrace

Ingredients

• Coffee cupcakes:
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup freshly brewed coffee or espresso
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1-1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Whipped cream filling:
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 cup toffee bits, such as Heath
• Caramel buttercream:
• 1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 pound (4 cups) powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup dulce de leche
• 1/2 cup toffee bits, to garnish

Details

Servings 24

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two standard 12-cup muffin pans; line with paper cupcake liners.
To make the cupcakes, in a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; sift or whisk together to mix. Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, stir the brewed coffee, instant espresso powder, coffee liqueur, and vanilla extract together. Set aside.
In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about three minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Add eggs one at a time, beating until thoroughly mixed.
With the mixer on low speed, add about one third of the flour mixture, mix just until the flour is almost completely blended.
Scrape the bowl down, and add the sour cream, blending just until mixed.
Scrape the bowl down again and alternate with about one third of the flour mixture, all of the coffee mixture, and ending with the last one third of the flour, and mixing just until blended.
Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners. Fill about 2/3 full, using about 1/4 cup of batter per cup.
Bake 22 minutes, rotating pan halfway through, or until the cakes are just firm and spring back when gently pressed, and a toothpick, wooden skewer, or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool slightly in cupcake pan on a wire cooling rack, and turn out of pan when cool enough to handle.
Cool cupcakes completely on the wire cooling rack before frosting.
To make the filling, simply whip the cream and sugar until stiff, then blend in the toffee bits.
To make the frosting, with an electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Reduce speed to medium. Add the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed; after every two additions, raise speed to high and beat 10 seconds to aerate frosting, then return to medium-high.
Add vanilla and dulce de leche, and beat until frosting is smooth.
To fill the cupcakes, carve out a cone-shaped hole and squirt the toffee whipped cream inside.
Apply frosting generously to the cupcakes and sprinkle with toffee bits.