White Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes – take two

This month’s Cupcake Hero theme is Coffee in honor of host Laurie’s husband Jaos and his upcoming birthday (Happy Birthday Jaos!) I heard that one of their favorite treats at Starbucks is a white chocolate mocha. I already took one shot at a white chocolate mocha cupcake. I wasn’t happy with the white-chocolate-mochaness of it, so here’s my second try.

These cupcakes definitely taste like a white chocolate mocha. The cake is similar to an angel food cake with espresso powder in the batter. They have a subtle coffee flavor. I added some espresso over the top of the cupcakes to keep them moist and intensify the coffee flavor.

The white chocolate mousse didn’t bring enough white chocolate flavor to the table, so I also added a small layer of melted white chocolate. After quite a few different tries, this combination hit the white-chocolate-mocha flavor I was searching for. Hubby and I both couldn’t stop eating them!

Coffee Cupcakes – makes 30 – from Crazy about Cupcakes
12 large egg whites, cold
3 Tbsp espresso, at room temperature
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp ground espresso beans
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325. Insert liners into a medium cupcake pan.

In a large bowl combine the egg whites, espresso, lemon juice, cream of tartar, vanilla, and almond extract. With an electric mixer on high speed, beat until mixture is foamy with tiny bubbles, 2-3 minutes. Gradually add 3/4 cup of the sugar until the foam is creamy white. Do not overbeat.

In a separate bowl combin 3/4 cup sugar, flour, ground espresso beans, and salt.

Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Gently mix with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until completely integrated.

Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan.
White Chocolate Mousse – from FoodNetwork.com
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
5 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup egg whites (from about 4 eggs)
2 tablespoons sugar

In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat just until it boils.

Immediately turn off the heat. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Strain into another bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, remove the mixture from the refrigerator and, using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a hand mixer, whip it into fluffy, soft peaks. Return to the refrigerator.

In a clean dry bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form, then add the sugar and continue whipping until glossy and stiff, about 30 seconds more. Fold into the white chocolate mixture.

To assemble cupcakes:
Poke holes into the cupcakes with a fork or toothpick. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of room temperature espresso on top of each cupcake.

Melt 8 ounces of white chocolate in a double boiler. Spread about 1 teaspoon of white chocolate on top of the cupcakes.

Using a small cookie scoop or a piping bag, scoop the mousse on top of the white chocolate.

Garnish with white chocolate curls and sprinkle with cinnamon.