Amaretto Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream

This is not one of my long drawn out walk through tutorials about how to bake something.  It is however a recipe that I whipped up (literally) for cupcakes with two of my favorite ingredients, amaretto and espresso.  I won't bore you with the how or why of it, just get down to the nitty gritty and deliciousness of it.  Here's the recipe...

Amaretto Cupcakes

by Sunny Duran

makes 24 cupcakes

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup milk

5 egg whites

1 cup unsalted butter softened

1/4 cup Amaretto*

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

*You may substitute the Amaretto with 1tsp of almond extract and increase the milk to 1 cup.

A few hours before baking leave the milk, butter and eggwhites out on the 

counter to get to room temperature.

 -Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

  Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a seperate bowl and set aside. 

  In a small bowl combine the Amaretto and milk and set aside. 

 -In a large bowl combine the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on 

  medium speed until the mixture looks light yellow and is nice and fluffy, about

  5 to 10 minutes.

 - Next add the egg whites and mix on medium speed until combined. 

 -Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients with the mixer on low speed, until just 

  incorporated then add half of the milk/ Amaretto mixture and continue to 

  mix.  Continue to alternate wet and dry until you have added the last of the 

  dry ingredients.  Stop mixing and use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl 

  and fold the mixture a few times to make sure all of the ingredients are fully 

  incorporated.  

 -Fill the cupcake liners to about 3/4 full, using a spoon or large ice cream 

  scoop.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until cupcake bonces back when touched or 

  a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.   Once the cupcakes are 

  done allow them to cool for about 10 to 15 minutes then remove them from 

  the pan and allow them to finish cooling on a wire rack for about an hour.  

  Frost with Espresso buttercream or Chocolate buttercream frosting.  

Espresso Buttercream 

by Sunny Duran

1 cup unsalted butter softened

1/2 cup Crisco

1 lb (1 box) powdered sugar sifted

1 tsp vanilla

3 Tbsp Espresso*

2 Tbsp Whipping Cream**

This makes enough to frost one 9 inch layer cake, a 13x9  cake or  16-24 

cupcakes depending on how generous you are with the frosting.

*Substitute one tsp of instant Espresso mixed with 3 Tbsp of warm water.

**Whipping cream can be substituted for heavy cream.  

 

 -In a large bowl on medium high speed cream together the butter and crisco 

until light in color and fluffy, about  5 to 10 minutes.  Stop the mixer and scrape 

down the sides of the bowl.  Add half of the sifted powdered sugar and mix 

on low until incorporated.  Then mix on medium for about 30 seconds.

-Next add the vanilla, and the second half of the powdered sugar and mix 

on low.  Frosting will be difficult to mix and look very clumpy, this is when you

add the espresso and mix well.  Then add the whipping cream and mix on 

medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes until frosting is smooth, creamy and fluffy 

looking.  Enjoy!   

Download the Amaretto Cupcake recipe card here

Download the Espresso Buttercream recipe card here.

 

All rights to this recipe are reserved by Sunny Duran, if you would like to use this please give me credit or at least let me know.  Thanks

~Sunny~