I know I have said before that I am not a great coffee lover, but for some reason I really love all coffee cakes. These beautifully moist cupcakes, with their light and airy frosting, look wonderful and are a real treat.
makes: 14 muffin-sized cupcakes
preparation: 30 minutes
baking: 25 minutes
cooling: 35 minutes
freeze: You can freeze the cakes before icing them
for the cupcake mixture
75g (2¾oz) pecan nuts
175g (6oz) dairy-free spread
175g (6oz) soft light brown sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
175g (6oz) wheat- and gluten-free self-raising flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
1½ tsp gluten-free baking powder
1½ tbsp instant coffee mixed with 2 tbsp boiling water
Chocolate coffee beans, for decoration
for the coffee frosting
2 tsp coffee essence or strong filter coffee
1 x Dairy-free Cream or Seven-minute Frosting
for the coffee syrup
½ tbsp instant coffee
25g (1oz) demerara sugar
equipment
12- and 6-hole muffin tins
* Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4. Line the tins with muffin cases.
* Toast all your pecan nuts by spreading them out on a baking sheet and placing in the oven for 7 to 8 minutes. Once toasted and cooled, finely chop and put to one side.
* In a mixing bowl and using a hand-held mixer on a high setting, cream the dairy-free spread and soft light brown sugar together for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
* Gradually add the beaten eggs on a medium speed setting, mixing well between each addition. Don’t worry if the mixture curdles slightly; just turn the mixer setting up to high for a couple of seconds and the mixture will become smooth again.
* Fold in the sifted flour, xanthan gum and baking powder using a large metal spoon so you don’t knock the air out. Add the coffee and pecan nuts, carefully folding in until the mixture is nice and smooth.
* Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin cases. Use a heaped ice-cream scoop full of mixture to ensure an equal amount in each case. Level the mixture with the back of a teaspoon.
* Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until well risen and springy to the touch.
* Whilst the cakes are baking, make the coffee frosting by mixing the coffee essence into the cream or frosting.
* To make the syrup, place the coffee and sugar into a heatproof jug and pour in 25ml (1fl oz) boiling water, stirring briskly until the coffee and sugar have dissolved. This should take only a minute or so.
* Remove the cupcakes from the oven and leave in the tins. Prick them all over with a metal skewer or fork and spoon 2 teaspoons of coffee syrup over each cupcake. Leave the cupcakes for 5 minutes to soak up the syrup, then turn out onto a metal cooling rack.
* Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, pipe on the coffee frosting and decorate with chocolate coffee beans, if desired.
* Unfrosted cupcakes will keep for five days if stored in an airtight container (do not keep in the fridge). Frosted cupcakes should be eaten the same day.