Another Birthday...

Ari is cheering for his Grandpa's birthday today!  It's been a busy few weeks with all the birthdays and this is just one more in the string of family special days that call for baking.

Besides his love for baseball, which has trickled down to Ari, vanilla, non-fat, Lattes are his drink of choice since moving to the Seattle area;)  I thought long and hard how I could replicate that in a cupcake and while driving to the art store to order some mats, it came to me.

I "pumped up" the taste in my vanilla cupcake by adding a soaking of vanilla syrup and then, I made a whipped coffee buttercream.  Since I don't drink coffee (yes, I know I live in Seattle, LOL) I can only go by my husband's reaction..."Best Cupcake I've Ever Had!"

Vanilla Latte Cupcakes

Drunken Irish Cupcakes
Prepared them as directed.  Take them out of the oven and while warm, I poked some holes in the top with a long skewer. then I squirted some Torani Vanilla Syrup on them.  (Torani Vanilla Syrup can be found in the coffee aisle of your grocery store.)  For convenience, I poured the syrup in a plastic squirt bottle.

Let them cool completely.  Start the buttercream.

Coffee Buttercream:

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
5 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. espresso powder
1 tsp. coffee flavor

In the KitchenAid, using the whisk attachment, whip the butter until fluffy, add three cups of confectioners' sugar and the extract, espresso powder, and coffee flavor and beat to combine.  In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream, using a hand-held mixer, until stiff.  "Be careful," like my mother  would say, "don't beat it until you have butter!"

Fold  into the confectioners' sugar/butter mixture.  Add the remaining 2 cups of confectioners' sugar and whisk until combined.  Fill a piping bag with the buttercream and frost the cupcakes.  Top the cupcakes with a chocolate covered coffee bean.  Enjoy!