Vanilla Latte Cupcakes
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Cupcakes inspired by a coffeehouse favorite - Vanilla Lattes! This French Vanilla cupcake is infused with a coffee syrup and topped with whipped cream. A garnish of homemade caramel sauce and a chocolate covered espresso bean make this cupcake something special. Enjoy! Recipe source: LS Original. Whipped Cream from Baked Bree, Caramel Sauce from Annie's Eats
Serves: 24 cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 and ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • ¾ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 and ¼ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Seeds from 1 vanilla bean, optional (I added this.)
Coffee Syrup:
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup brewed, black coffee
Stabilized Whipped Cream:
  • 2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
  • 2 Tablespoons water
  • 2 cups whipping cream
  • ⅔ cup confectioners' sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
Caramel Sauce Ingredients:
  • 1 stick (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
Instructions
Cupcakes:
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare two cupcake tins with paper liners and set aside.
  2. Beat together eggs and sugar until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
  3. Add flour, milk, oil, baking powder, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds and beat for another minute.
  4. Pour batter into lined cupcake tins, filling each tin ⅔ full.
  5. Bake for 20 minutes, and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Coffee Syrup:
  1. While the cupcakes are baking, combine sugar and brewed coffee in a small saucepan.
  2. Over medium heat, bring mixture to a low boil, and stir until sugar completely dissolves.
  3. Set aside. to cool slightly.
  4. Once cupcakes have cooled for 10-15 minutes, generously brush each cupcake with the syrup, using a pastry brush. Apply 1 coat for a light coffee flavor, 3 coats for a mild coffee flavor, and 5 coats for a strong coffee flavor.
  5. Prepare whipped cream.
Stabilized Whipped Cream:
  1. In a small bowl, combine water and gelatin, and stir to moisten all of the gelatin.
  2. Allow to sit for 2 minutes, then microwave for 30 seconds to 'melt' the gelatin. Set aside.
  3. Pour cold cream into the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
  4. Beat on medium until the cream thickens and soft peaks form.
  5. Add vanilla, gelatin and sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form.
  6. Spoon whipped cream into a piping bag, and frost as desired.
Caramel Sauce:
  1. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Add the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar begins to foam a bit.
  3. It will look and smell like it’s on the verge of burning.
  4. Remove from the heat and add the heavy cream.
  5. Stir until the sauce is smooth, returning to heat if necessary to smooth it out, then mix in the vanilla and salt.
  6. Let cool. This can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
  7. Garnish cupcakes with caramel sauce and a chocolate covered espresso bean.
  8. Enjoy!
Recipe by Lemon Sugar at http://lemon-sugar.com/vanilla-latte-cupcakes/