I know it’s still aways until Saint Patrick’s Day, but I just love all the green everywhere during the month of March and thought I’d get started a little early with these cupcakes. I am obsessed with the vibrant green shade of these sprinkles, and really liked how moss-like they ended up in appearance once I covered the cupcake tops with them. I’ve been battling some clovers that have taken root in one of my rose’s pots for over a year now, and was able to put some of them to use as little decorative toppers for the cakes.
Take that, weeds! |
I usedthis chocolate cake recipe from Ina Gartenas the base for the cupcakes and frosting, altering it just a tad. One of the things I changed was using chicory coffee rather than straight coffee, because I just like the flavor of chicory coffee better; but feel free to use regular-old coffee if you’d like. The cupcakes came out so moist and light, and the frosting was wonderfully fluffy. But I think my favorite part of these cupcakes was the texture contrast between the slight crunch of the sprinkles and the soft and spongey cake.
And luckily, I will get to share some of these sprinkles with one of you, as the kind people at King Arthur Flour have decided to do a little Saint Patrick’s Day cupcake giveaway! The giveaway will include:
- King Arthur Flour Small Sugar Shamrocks
- King Arthur Flour Shamrock Cupcake Liners
- Voucher for a Free Bag of King Arthur Flour, redeemable at your local grocery store
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Chicory Coffee Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Amaretto Buttercream
Ingredients
Chicory Coffee Chocolate Cupcakes
- 2 Eggs room temperature
- 2 Cups Sugar
- 1 and 3/4 Cup Unbleached All-Purpose King Arthur Flour
- 1 Cup Buttermilk
- 3/4 Cups Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Teaspoon Coffee Extract
- 1 Cup Freshly Brewed Chicory Coffee warm but not hot
- Shamrock Cupcake Liners
- King Arthur Flour Small Sugar Shamrocks
Chocolate Amaretto Buttercream
- 2 Egg Yolks room temperature
- 1 and 1/3 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter room temperature
- 6 Ounces Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
- 2 Teaspoons Amaretto Liquor
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease the top of a cupcake pan (in case the cupcake tops come over the sides when rising, they won't get stuck to the pan), then line the pan with cupcake liners. Set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt until completely combined. Set aside.
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In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the buttermilk, olive oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and coffee extract at a low speed until well-blended. Slowly add the dry ingredient mixture to the mixing bowl, continuing to beat at a low speed and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the cup of chicory coffee and continue mixing until it is just combined. Distribute the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them up about 2/3rds of the way (they will rise when baking). Place the pan in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool.
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While the cupcakes are baking, you can start making the frosting. Melt down the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water until it has just completely melted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to a very slightly warm temperature. (Now, it is very important that the egg yolks and butter are at room temperature when you start making the frosting. If they are cold, then when you add the melted chocolate the chocolate will begin to solidify and you will end up with hard chunks of chocolate in your frosting rather than a nice and smooth buttercream). Beat the butter with the paddle attachment at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and amaretto liquor and beat the mixture for 3 minutes more. Bring the speed to low and slowly add the powdered sugar. Once the powdered sugar has been incorporated, bring the speed up to medium and beat until smooth and fluffy. Bring the speed back down to low and add the melted chocolate and continue beating until the chocolate is just incorporated and the frosting is smooth, taking care not to over beat the mixture and scraping down the bowl as necessary.
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When the frosting is done, immediately begin frosting the cupcakes. Then place the decorative sprinkles in a small bowl and, holding the frosted cupcake upside down, gently roll the exposed frosted top in the sprinkles. Hold it upright again to display your thoroughly sprinkled cupcake. Repeat and enjoy!
I love wheaten bread! It's a whole wheat soda bread and so delicious. I ate it all the time when I lived in Banbridge, N. Ireland. I recently found a recipe that is very similar…happy days!
I could eat my weight in corned beef!! Seriously…
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Those look so pretty and very tempting. I love making nice treats for the priesthood leaders at our church. For years, I always tried to make special foods for my late husband whose parents were from County Limerick Ireland. By the way, the traditional Irish food to be served on the 17th of March was NOT corned beef and cabbage. It has always been HAM and cabbage. In the early difficult times in Ireland, the Irish never saw even one little piece of any kind of beef (it was all shipped to England). He would certainly be quick to tell you about how his father, grandparents, aunts and uncles suffered from the horrid abuse by the "Black and Tans" (the British troops). He taught me to make codfish cakes like his mother used to make. Thanks for much for sharing this.
Beverly FitzGerald
Lynden, Washington
email: conservativeham@comcast.net
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My favorite St. Patrick's Day is traditional corned beef and cabbage! And an Irish Car Bomb is always fun!
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I love making Chocolate Guinness Pudding for St. Patrick's Day. It's delicious and presents beautifully in a glass with a little Guinness spiked whipped cream on top!
I love these! The real clovers add a cute touch. I found a can of chicory coffee that is at least 18 months old in the recesses of our kitchen last weekend…oops. St. Patrick's Day is so much fun! Kevin is super Irish, so we always make corned beef the way his mom always has, with mashed potatoes and pickled red cabbage. And there's lots of soda bread in our house all month. Last year we wanted to corn our own beef, but we couldn't find the brisket we needed to do it. We're going on a brisket hunt this weekend. Wish us luck!
I like making jello shamrocks!
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Every year on St. Patrick's Day, my family and I always have Reuben Sandwiches…love them… and I make soda bread for my mom and me.
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I am a complete sucker for irish soda bread…my absolute favorite.
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My favorite Irish treat is Brown Bread. Beautiful photos!
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My favorite St. Patrick's Day tradition is all too American! My family loves chocolate cupcakes with mint buttercream frosting!
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I am a corned beef and cabbage with some boiled potatoes kind of girl.
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I'm and e-mail subscriber. I love making my Irish grandmother's "Poor Man's Cake" recipe – no eggs, milk or butter.
For St. Patrick's Day I love Guinness chocolate cupcakes with Irish Cream frosting.
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Ever since I started eating meat again several years ago, I've wanted to enjoy corned beef & cabbage on St. Paddy's Day, but I've never actually managed to do that. (: Last year I made Bailey's ice cream with whiskey caramels swirls, and it was unreal!
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I love LOVE love me some corned beef and cabbage on st. patty's day š
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These are some festive cupcakes for St. Patrick's Day! I live this giveaway prize pack. š I recently made some Mint Macarons filled with Dark Chocolate Mint ganache. That WAS my favorite….but I gotta give these cupcakes a try, they could be my new favorites. š
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I love Irish Stew and of course Irish Coffee!
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Chocolate cupcakes with mint buttercream!
i love irish soda bread.
Whole wheat Irish soda bread studded with currants.
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My favorite St. Paddy's-related food or drink item is green beer (obviously) !!!!!
-Zosia
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Love corned beef! And green Beer! š
Corned beef and cabagge is my favorite dish š
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I love Corned Beef and Cabbage, can't get enough of it! Love your cupcakes! Also love Irish coffee and soda bred.
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I live in a college town so its Jiggs and green beer, usually for breakfast!
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I love Black & Tans!
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Ooh, those cupcakes are seriously dreamy, and by dreamy, I mean moist and chocolate-y. And it was really resourceful of you to grab for your rose pot for occasion-appropriate "props." Perfect cupcake toppers!
GREAT giveaway, eva! to answer your question, i like anything that involves irish cream, yet i only seem to use it during march! š
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These cupcakes are freaking adorable – they are perfectly decorated! I love me some chicory coffee – there's a place near us that has it for brunch on the weekends and it is so delicious I just have to get two iced cups of it. My favorite St. Patty's treat is obviously beer – beer is my weakness and that's a day where I'm not the only one! š
My favorite St. Patty's day food is the shamrock-shaped sugar cookies with green frosting that I made with my friends the last couple years.
I love Irish coffee!
This is weird, but I love anything with spinach. š
My favorite St.Patty's day food would be corn beef and cabage because my mom and I had the tradition of eatting it EVERY year! Special memories with my mom always make the food taste better! My favorite drink would be Guinness beer because I'm 19 and since Guinness is the typical and tradtional beer for the day of green(blue) I can't wait to drink like the Irish in a few years! (:
My favorite St.Patty's day food would be corn beef and cabage because my mom and I had the tradition of eatting it EVERY year! Special memories with my mom always make the food taste better! My favorite drink would be Guinness beer because I'm 19 and since Guinness is the typical and tradtional beer for the day of green(blue) I can't wait to drink like the Irish in a few years! (:
I like Irish coffee on St. Patricks Day and every other day of the week too.
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Creme de Menthe brownies with coffee that has Irish cream in it.
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I would totally follow you on Instagram if I had a smart phone, but alas. So I guess my fave St Patrick's Day food would be…anything green! Or amazing delicious mashed potatoes š
I like Irish Soda Bread
Corned beef and cabbage!
These cupcakes look delicious! I'm going to make them for sure. My favorite Irish recipe is Irish Soda Bread!
Well we live for corned beef dinner. I try to make it more than once during the year bc we can't get enough.
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I love a good coddle, oh and any Guinness infused chocolate cake!
Corned beef, cabbage and Bailey's fudge brownies for dessert
I love to make Colcannon for St. Patty's Day. Tried it with kale last year, but it was a little too "rough," so I'm going back to good ol' cabbage this time.
Also, I just "liked" Adventures in Cooking on FB, and subscribed via e-mail. Thanks, looks like some awesome recipes!
Soda Bread, hands down favorite. Just subscribed!
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We like corned beef and cabbage.
My favorite St. Patrick's Day food is green pancakes! While not traditional by any means, my Mom made this for my sisters and I every year and it brings back such good memories š
I don't know that I have a favorite ST. Patrick's Day food! But those cupcakes are inspiring me to start one. They look wonderfully YUM!
I love those giant shamrock shaped cookies that are frosted. LOVE them! Some years it becomes a problem lol
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Hi Eva, (great name my daughter has the same š
I already follow you on twitter, pinterest and now on facebook. I truly love your work, this blog post is fantastic. Maybe I love it so, because we celebrate St. Patricks Day and my husband's birthday-they are the same, with passion. Two years ago we traveled to Ireland to celebrate his 40th on St. Patty's and wrote about it on our family's travel blog(http://weymuller.wordpress.com/2011/03/30/galway-st-patricks-day-and-e-as-40th-birthday)
Favorite food by my daughter Eva= Potato leek soup!
cheers.
following you on Facebook! Yum š
Making sugar cookies with shamrock cutters with the kids!
I use the leftovers of corned beef dinner to make hash. That's my favorite…and my sons' favorite.
I like corned beef! So delicious, but not something my family eats so hooray for St Patty's Day coming around and all the store sales of it.
My favorite is Colcannon – and I'm likin' you on FB!
I love breaking out my Great Grandmother's Irish Soda Bread recipe every year and trying to unscramble her directions to make something edible! Sometimes it works- sometimes it doesn't.
Does green beer count?!
I love Irish soda bread with currents and caraway seeds.
Pauline Gudas
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This looks like a very interesting site. I will "like" you on facebook. Thanks!
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Good old Irish Coffee & Green Beer would be my drinks of choice for St. Pat's Day! š
I love making a chocolate stout cake with a coffee chocolate icing!
that sounds delish! would you be willing to share the recipe?
I'm drinking an Irish Cream Latte from Dunkin Donuts right now. Great prep for St. Patty's Day. Oh, and shamrock shakes from McDonalds are the best!
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When I was a little girl my mother served everything green for St. Patty's Day dinner. Along with spinach, green bean, broccoli, there was green mashed potatoes! When I think of it now, I smile remembering my mother's playfulness.
Peppermint and matcha dark chocolate!
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Love making my Lenten hot cross buns and Irish Soda Break with KAF!!
Oh! And don't forget to set up your Crock Pot for corned beef & cabbage!
Irish soda bread!
Fav food is definitely Irish Soda Bread (traditional, not american)
I love corned beef & cabbage!
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I like green beer…not sure that I have a recipe:)
Michelle Tucker
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Green sugar cookies or corned beef!
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irsh soda bread
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