Gingerbread Latte Cupcakes with Coffee Buttercream

By Love and Confections

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Cabot unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 cup Dixie Crystals Light Brown Sugar, firmly packed
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon LorAnn Oils Coffee Emulsion
• 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1/2 cup strong coffee, warm
• 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon ground ginger,
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Coffee Buttercream

• 1/2 cup Cabot unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons LorAnn Coffee Flavor
• 2-3 cups Dixie Crystals Confectioners Powdered Sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
• Sweets & Treats Sprinkles
• Mini gingerbread cut-out cookies

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350F. Line tin with cupcake baking papers and set aside.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine butter and sugars, and cream 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and add in egg, vanilla and coffee flavoring. Mix to combine. Slowly add brewed coffee while mixer is on low. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.
3. In medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Using a small measuring scoop, add dry ingredients in while mixer is on low. Scrape down sides and mix gently with spatula if needed.
4. Using a scoop or disher, divide batter between 14 cupcake liners, roughly 2/3 full in each. Bake 16-20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.
5. Cool in tins for 5-10 minutes, then place on wire rack to cool completely.
6. Coffee Buttercream Instructions: In large bowl with hand blender, or bowl of mixer with whisk attachment, mix butter and shortening together until completely combined. Add in salt, vanilla, and coffee flavoring and mix on low until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl. Once incorporated, whip on medium low and add in heavy cream, starting with 1 tablespoon and adding more after incorporating powdered sugar. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary. Add in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Once combined, whip on medium to medium-high until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. If you live in a humid climate, or frosting does not hold shape, add sifted powdered sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach desired piping consistency. If necessary, add additional heavy cream for looser piping consistency. Place frosting into a large piping bag fitted with a 1M piping tip. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Top with sprinkles and mini gingerbread cut-out cookie.
7. Refrigerate if not using immediately.

Yield: 14 cupcakes