The Devil's Cupcakes

The original recipe for these cupcakes came to my in-box as "Coffee Kahlua Cupcakes". Little did I know that it was stolen from Paula Dean before it got to me...  Paula calls her version "Chocolate Cupcakes with Coffee Cream Filling".
My spin finishes with some dusted on cocoa and tuxedo chocolate covered expresso beans. 

These cupcakes are devilishly good

Prep Time:  25 Minutes

Cook Time:  40 minutes

Servings:  24-30 cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled

3 large eggs

1 (8-ounce) container sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Coffee Cream Filling:

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup coffee flavored liquor

1 (8-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Coffee Buttercream Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup strong brewed coffee

Combine the dry cupcake ingredients before adding the oil, coffee, and eggs

Method (Cupcakes):

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line muffin pans with paper liners and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Add oil, coffee, and eggs.  Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.  Mix in the sour cream and vanilla.
• Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.  Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, for 16-18 minutes.  Let them cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minute.  Remove from the pans and cool completely on wire racks.
• While cupcakes are cooling, prepare the Coffee Cream Filling (see below).  Pipe about a tablespoon of the filling into the center of each cupcake.  A simple plastic straw taped to a piping tip makes easy work of this.
• Spread the Coffee Buttercream Frosting evenly over the cupcakes and dust the cakes with unsweetened cocoa and garnish with chocolate covered expresso beans.

A quick clip showing filling the cupcakes

Method (Coffee Cream Filling):

• In a small bowl, whip the cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.  Add the cocoa powder and whip to incorporate.  Slowly add the liquor and fold in the whipped topping.  Cover and chill.

Method (Coffee Buttercream Frosting):

• In a medium bowl, beat the butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth, then beat in the coffee.

Recipe Links:

Here's the Coffee Kahlua Cupcakes version from the Just a Pinch Recipes website.

Here's the original Paula Dean version.