Toffee Mocha Cupcakes

Chocolate, toffee, and espresso combine to make one awesome cupcake. These Toffee Mocha Cupcakes remind me of one of my favorite drinks at Starbucks of the same name, a Toffee Mocha. Mmmmm… I made these amazing cupcakes for my friend Laura’s thirty one gifts party that she was throwing. As I was trying to think of what I could make to take to the party, I remembered seeing these cupcakes in my Taste of Home Fall Baking Magazine and have been waiting for a reason to make them. I mean come on, you can’t go wrong with toffee and chocolate!

Toffee Mocha Cupcakes

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Cupcakes:

• 2 tablespoons espresso powder
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup butter-flavored shortening
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk chocolate toffee bits

Espresso Buttercream Frosting:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake cups with liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Dissolve espresso granules in boiling water; cool.
3. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with espresso mixture and mix well. Fold in toffee bits.
4. Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake in preheated oven for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Move the pan to a cooling rack, and let cool for 10 minutes before removing the cupcakes from the pan and letting them finish cooling on the cooling rack.
5. To make the frosting: mix the espresso powder into the vanilla until dissolved; set aside.
6. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping once to scrape the sides of the bowl. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the powdered sugar a little at a time, waiting until it is mostly incorporated before adding more. Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, scrape the sides of the bowl and increase the speed to medium-high and whip until fluffy, about a minute or two. Add the espresso and vanilla mixture and continue to mix at medium-high until it is completely incorporated, scraping the sides as necessary.
7. Frost cupcakes; sprinkle with chocolate chips and toffee bits.

Source: Toffee Mocha Cupcakes from Taste of Home Fall Baking 2010 and Espresso Buttercream Frosting from Brown Eyed Baker