Mocha Mocha, Yum Yum!

Mocha Speculoos Cupcakes

Yes, this is for real! Try making these today and share photos on our Facebook page!

Yield: 20-24 cupcakes

Ingredients

Mocha Cupcakes:

• 1 box chocolate cake mix
• 3 Tbsp instant coffee
• 1/4 C. hot water
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 C. oil
• 3/4 C. buttermilk
• 1/2 C. sour cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Speculoos Buttercream:

• 1/2 C. butter, softened
• 1/2 C. Speculoos
• 1 Tbsp. milk
• 3-4 C. powdered sugar
• Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.
2. Sift cake mix into a small bowl and set aside.
3. Mix instant coffee and hot water and stir until dissolved. (You can do this in a mug)
4. In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil, buttermilk, sour cream and vanilla extract.
5. Stir in cake mix until smooth.
6. Add coffee-water mixture and stir again.
7. Fill liners 3/4 full and bake for 16-20 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.

Buttercream:

1. Beat butter and speculoos until smooth. 
2. Add milk and powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. 
3. If it becomes too thick, stream in more milk.
4. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and top with chocolate covered espresso beans.

Yum Alert! SpeculUa Cupcake

This yummy cupcake combines Speculoos, chocolate AND Kahlua; we should call it the Trifecta rather than SpeculUa Cupcake.  Here is how you can wow your guests with this delicious treat:

YIELD: Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE

• 1 cup (4.5 ounces) all purpose flour
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (7.3 ounces) sugar
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and warm
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoon instant coffee granules (recommended: Starbucks Via)
• 1/2 cup Kahlua

SPECULOOS FROSTING

• 5 large egg whites
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 sticks unsalted butter, diced and softened
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup of Speculoos spread

CHOCOLATE POURING SAUCE

• 2/3 cups dark chocolate
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
• 4-5 tablespoons water, warm

Directions:

PREPARATION

1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

TO MAKE CUPCAKE

1. Add flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly to combine. 
2. Add in the butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for one minute. 
3. Add the instant coffee granules and half of the Kahlua into the mixture and beat for 20 seconds. 
4. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add remaining Kahlua. 
5. Beat for 20-30 seconds until the batter is smooth. The batter will be thin enough to pour. Divide it evenly among the lined cups. 
6. Bake 18-22 minutes just until a toothpick inserted into a few of the cupcakes comes out clean. 
7. Set the pan on a rack to cool. 
8. Frost the cupcakes when they are completely cool.
9. TIP: For light tender cupcakes, spoon flour and cocoa lightly into measuring cups (instead of dipping the cups into the flour or cocoa) and then sweep the measures level without tapping or shaking them.

TO MAKE CHOCOLATE POURING SAUCE

1. Place chocolate and heavy cream in a bowl over simmering water. 
2. Let chocolate and cream sit for 2-3 minutes to melt without stirring. 
3. Then slowly stir mixture to combine. 
4. Add powdered sugar and mix to combine. 
5. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition until pouring consistency is reached. 
6. Remove 5 tablespoons and place reserve in a separate bowl. 
7. Set aside all chocolate pouring sauce to cool until warm.

TO MAKE FROSTING

1. Combine egg whites and sugar in a bowl placed over simmering water. 
2. Bring mixture to 160 degrees F while whisking constantly.
3. Transfer mixture to stand mixer bowl, fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on medium high speed (speed 8 on a KitchenAid stand mixer)until mixture cools and doubles in volume and forms stiff peaks; about 10-12 minutes.
4. Add butter in one piece at a time, mixing to incorporate after each addition. The mixture may appear clumpy and almost curdled looking-this is normal. Keep mixing and it will become even and smooth again. 
5. Add salt and vanilla and mix to combine. 
6. Add in Speculoos and mix until well combined. 
7. Add reserved chocolate pouring sauce into frosting. 
8. Using a spatula gently fold it into the frosting, DO NOT over mix so that chocolate streaks remain.

ASSEMBLY

1. Cut Skor or Heath bars into shard shapes; set aside. 
2. Finely chop any left over crumbs.
3. Fill pastry bag with a round tip. 
4. Hold pastry bag at 90 degrees above the cupcake and starting from the perimeter pipe inward and upward.
5. Using a spoon drizzle chocolate on top of frosting. 
6. Sprinkle Skor crumbs on chocolate. 
7. Insert Skor shards into top of frosting.

Speculoos spread can be found buy shopping online here.

Speculoos Brownie Cake

Yield: Makes one 9in brownie cake

Ingredients:

•        4 oz. (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter; more for the pan
•            4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
•             1-1/2 cups sugar
•        Scant 1/4 tsp. salt
•            2 tsp. vanilla extract
•        2 large eggs, at room temperature
•            4-1/2 oz. (1 cup) flour
•        2 Tbs. natural cocoa (not Dutch-processed)

SPECULOOS BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup Speculoos spread
•  1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1-2 tablespoon heavy cream

FINISHING ELEMENTS

• 3 oz. chocolate, melted
• 5 tablespoons chocolate sprinkles

Directions:

PREPARATION

Position an oven rack on the middle rung. Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 9 inch cake pan, line the pan bottom with parchment (or waxed paper), and then butter the parchment.

TO MAKE BROWNIE

1.      Place butter and chocolate in a bowl and set it over simmering water, stir until melted. Set aside melted mixture slightly cooled. Add in the sugar, salt, vanilla and stir until blended. Add in the eggs, one at a time, stirring each time until blended. Add the flour and cocoa; beat until incorporated and the mixture is smooth, about 30 to 60 seconds. Scrape batter into prepared cake pan and bake until the top is uniformly colored with no indentation and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out almost clean, with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, 35 to 45 minutes.

2.      Set the pan on a rack until cool. Run a knife around the inside edge of the pan and then invert the pan onto a flat surface and peel off the parchment. Flip the baked brownie back onto the rack to cool completely.

TO MAKE Speculoos FROSTING

Add butter, Speculoos and powdered sugar in a bowl and beat on medium low until creamy. Add heavy cream and beat until light and fluffy. Add additional heavy cream or powdered sugar as needed to reach desired consistency.

ASSEMBLY

Spread Speculoos frosting on top and smooth out surface with an offset spatula. Place small dots of chocolate sauce on top, about a 1/2 inch apart. Use the back of a spoon and press and turn slightly to create the finished look. Rim the edge of the Speculoos frosting with chocolate sprinkles

Not sure where to get Speculoos?  Order online today, click here!

Coffee Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Cupcakes with Kahlua Speculoos Frosting

Recipe by: wallflourgirl

Ingredients

For the chocolate cupcake

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup instant coffee granules
• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons hot water
• 2 tablespoons Kahlua
•  

For the coffee cheesecake filling:

• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 tablespoon instant coffee granules
• 1/2 tablespoon Kahlua
• 1/4 cup white sugar
•  

For the Kahlua Speculoos Frosting:

• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup Biscoff spread or cookie butter
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Kahlua
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Extra Biscoff spread or cookie butter, melted, for drizzling

Instructions

For the chocolate cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 18 cupcake tins with cupcake liners.
2. In a large bowl, combine buttermilk, oil, and sugar.
3. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix in until smooth.
4. Stir in dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt) until just combined.
5. Dissolve coffee granules in hot water. Add Kahlua. Add coffee mixture to chocolate mixture and stir in until just incorporated.
6. Fill each cupcake liner 1/3 of the way, then place a dollop of coffee cheesecake filling in the center (see instructions below). Pour more batter on top of filling so each liner is 2/3 full.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out fairly clean with moist crumbs clinging to it.

For the coffee cheesecake filling:

8. In a medium bowl, beat all ingredients together until smooth.

For the Kahlua Speculoos Frosting:

9. Cream all ingredients together until smooth. Use to frost chocolate cupcakes once they have completely cooled. Drizzle with extra Speculoos spread.