Mocha Cupcakes with Almond Mascarpone Whipped Cream

Hello friends and welcome back! I hope your baking adventures have been going well and you’ve been enjoying indulging in some sweet treats! Today, I am sharing with you a little cupcake recipe I put together with some of the leftover mascarpone whipped cream I had!

Mocha Cake Recipe recipe yields 24 cupcakes

1 cup sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. dutch cocoa powder
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground dark roast coffee
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee
1 egg, at room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

In a large bowl with a whisk, sift together the dry ingredients.
Combine the wet ingredients together in a pitcher, and add to the dry ingredients.
Mix together until just combined.
Scale into a lined cupcake pan, filling the cups about half way full.
Bake at 350 for about 12 minutes.

Almond Mascarpone Whipped Cream: yields about 2 cups

1 cup mascarpone
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:

In a kitchen aid with the paddle attachment, paddle the mascarpone, almond and vanilla extract on low for 2 minutes.
Turn the mixer off, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in the powdered sugar.
Mix on low speed until sugar is incorporated, then mix on medium-low (speed 3) for about 5 minutes, turning the mixer off about half way through to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
After the 5 minutes, turn the mixer on low and slowly add in the heavy cream, dripping it in a steady, slow stream down the inside of the bowl.
Mix on low until frosting is smooth and spreadable. *You may want to add 1/2-1 tbsp. of heavy cream if you prefer your frosting a bit loser. Tip: don’t turn the mixer on high at any point when making the frosting. If you turn the mixer on high you will create air bubbles that will linger in the frosting. The air bubbles will create an uneven look and make decorating more difficult.

Chocolate- Coffee Ganache

1 cup dark chocolate
1 tbsp. salted butter
1 tsp. ground dark roast coffee

Directions:

In a double boiler or in the microwave, melt together the chocolate and butter, ensuring not to overheat or get any water into the bowl.
Once chocolate and butter are melted together, stir in the coffee powder.
Pipe on cupcakes while the ganache is warm.

Decorating the Cupcakes. You can frost the cupcakes however you’d like. I liked to pipe on cupcakes, always. There many different tips with different styles and names out there. I used a 129 tip for these cupcakes. Again, i’ll say this over and over, do what makes you comfortable! Experiment, pipe, frost, whatever! Regardless, here is my break down of the decorating.

Make sure the cupcakes are cooled completely before decorating.
Put the almond mascarpone whipped cream into a piping bag. Starting from the center, spiral the frosting to the outer edges, swiping it away from you to make an edge.
Put the slightly cooled down chocolate coffee ganache in a piping bag. Cut a small hole in the tip, and drizzle the ganache over the cupcakes.
Garnish with chocolate shavings.

That’s it! I hope you guys enjoyed this recipe. I, for one, am so excited to celebrate Mother’s Day this upcoming week. I feel like I have so many mama’s in my life right now to celebrate with. I am bringing these to one of my best friends to share the love a little early. She is the new mama to an amazing little girl, Luna, and she’s totally conquering her goals as an aspiring BSN/RN. I’m just so dang proud of her! She deserves cupcakes!

If you are a mom, whether new or seasoned at the job, I salute you. You have the hardest job in the world, and I commend you for absorbing the responsibility of growing and raising powerful and capable humans! Thank you for all you do. Also, I love you Mom. You’re the best woman that I know.

Share this recipe with a friend, make these for your mom, or in remembrance of her. Cheers friends & happy baking!