TastyTalkWithAmy: Coffee Kahlua Cupcakes (Easy)

I love coffee and chocolate together and add Kahlua(coffee liqueur) and whoa what a taste explosion! The idea of a filling with a coffee liqueur tempted me even more to want to try and make these wonderful, sinful, cupcakes! They were not difficult to bake and make at all. I bought a clear picnic-style, ketchup bottle and I used that to squirt the filling into the middles once cooled. I never made a cupcake with a filling before and for my first try I would have to say I did petty good! This recipe requires 1 1/4 cups total of strong, brewed, cooled coffee so when you are getting ready to make it, drip your coffee first and let it sit until it reaches room temperature. Also you will need only 1- 8 oz stick of cream cheese and 1 stick of unsalted butter, softened. Makes 24 cupcakes. Refrigerate cupcakes due to cream cheese used in frosting and filling.

Recipe credit: Dee Swoboda

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa, unsweetened
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup strong brewed coffee (cooled)
3 lg eggs
1-8 oz sour cream 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Cupcake Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pans with paper liners and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add oil, coffee, and eggs. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Mix in the sour cream and vanilla. Spoon the batter evenly into prepared muffin cups(approximately 2 heaping tablespoons worth in each), filling each 2/3 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, for 18 to 20 minutes. Let them cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove from the pans and cool completely on wire racks.

Cream Filling:

3 oz cream cheese(softened)
1/4 cup coffee liqueur
1-8 oz chocolate cool whip (thawed) (I could not find Chocolate Cool Whip but I found a new item by Cool Whip called Cool Whip Frosting in chocolate flavor, 10.6oz) (picture below)

Filling Directions:

Take 3 ounces of the package cream cheese, softened, 1/4 cup coffee-flavored liqueur, 1 cup(8 oz) container frozen chocolate flavored whipped topping, thawed. In a small bowl, whip the cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Slowly add the liqueur and fold in the whipped topping. Spoon coffee cream filling into a squeeze bottle with a long narrow tip. Place in refrigerator to chill until needed for filling. Once cupcakes have completely cooled insert tip into center of cupcake and squirt approximately 1 tablespoon worth of filling in each.

Coffee Buttercream Frosting:

5 oz cream cheese(softened)
1/2 cup(1 stick) unsalted butter (softened)
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 c strong brewed coffee (cooled for frosting)
chocolate covered coffee beans for garnish or Baker's semi-sweet chocolate shavings (optional)

Frosting Directions:

In a medium bowl, take 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, 5 oz cream cheese, softened, and beat at medium speed until creamy. Add 1 tsp vanilla, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, and gradually add the 2 cups of powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Gradually add the 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee and then beat until frosting has a sheen to it. You may want to place the frosting in the refrigerator to chill to make it a little stiffer for spreading on top of the cupcakes, about30 minutes to an hour. I found mine to be a bit too soft for spreading if used immediately after beating. Once cooled enough for spreading and cupcakes are cooled enough for filling, do the entire process. First fill the cupcakes with filling, then top with frosting and if you like garnish with a chocolate covered coffee bean or chocolate shavings.

Whisking the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.

Next added the oil, eggs, and coffee. I also then mixed in the sour cream and vanilla.

It filled up all 24 cupcake papers quite nicely. I used approximately 2 heaping tablespoons worth in each.

Cream filling ingredients. I found this Kraft brand Cool Whip Frosting in the freezer section and bought it since I could not find actual chocolate Cool Whip that day. I know it is made, maybe it was out? Oh well, I think this stuff is awesome! Get it!

As you can see this cream filling still has some chunks or lumps of cream cheese in it, just beat it a little bit longer until it smooths out.

When I first was reading this recipe and it said to use a plastic bottle with a long, narrow tip for inserting the filling into the cupcakes I automatically thought about the plastic bottles used for ketchup at picnics. This worked perfectly and the mouth, when the lid is removed, is large enough to use a teaspoon for spooning all the filling inside and then you just bang it on the counter top for the contents to settle to the bottom as you fill it up.

Cream filling, the entire mixing bowl fit in this bottle. It is ready to go in the fridge and chill. You want it cold so that when you squirt it into the middles it stays somewhat formed in the center.

Cooling cupcakes on wire rack.

Time to fill the cooled cupcakes.

I would say there is no right way or wrong way to fill the cupcakes. Yes you cannot really see what a tablespoon amount looks like when you squirt it from the bottle because the cupcake is not see-thru. I had some where the filling came up and out a little bit but once you spread the frosting over it, which is the same color, you can't even notice you used too much.

I would say I filled about half just right and by just right I mean that they did not come back up erupting like a chocolate volcano.

I thought I had chocolate covered coffee beans hiding in my freezer but they were gone so instead I used Baker's semi-sweet chocolate and shaved it with a potato peeler. I only needed one entire square of chocolate for all 24 cupcakes. As I shaved the chocolate I would top it on each cupcake. It added a nice touch to finish them off.