Caramel Macchiato Cupcakes

I think I've mentioned before that I used to be a barista for a long time. The longest of those times was spent slinging coffee behind the green apron as a Starbucks slave. I have a few favourites in my beverage repertoire, but lately the one I crave the most is the caramel macchiato. In case you guys have been living under a large boulder and don't know what that is...it's a Starbucks-sweetened take on the traditional espresso macchiato, a drink made from marking ("macchiato" means "marked" in Italian) a shot of espresso with foam. Nothing else. Naturally, Starbucks ruined that classic and created a fantastic addiction instead. Hmm. They're kind of like Disney, aren't they?

I'm still getting used to this piping thing. The Baking For Breast Cancer Awareness cupcakes were the first ones onto which I'd ever successfully piped frosting, and since, I've been trying it any chance I get. I got a little carried away on that cupcake in the middle there, though...and the one below it:


Caramel Macchiatos are made by first putting a pump or two of vanilla syrup into the cup, then filling it with steamed milk. A huge dollop of foam tops the milk, and a shot or two of espresso is poured through the foam. It's all then drizzled with caramel sauce and willingly consumed.

These cupcakes are made with an espresso-vanilla cake (I used Chockylit's coffee cake recipe, linked below), then filled with an espresso cream (essentially just an espresso-flavoured buttercream) and topped with a sweet vanilla meringue frosting. Then, drizzled with caramel. These are so crazy-sweet that I almost couldn't finish one...I did, natch, but that's besides the point. lol.

Espresso-Vanilla Cupcakes
(Copied from Chockylit's blog)

3/4 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon dark roast coffee grounds
1/4 cup strong brewed, dark roast coffee
3 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds.
• Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and coffee grounds in a bowl.
• Measure out coffee and milk together.
• Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.
• Add about one third the coffee/milk mixture and beat until combined.
• Repeat above, alternating flour and coffee and ending with the flour mixture.
• Scoop into cupcake papers about two-thirds to three-quarters full.
• Bake for 22-25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

Espresso Cream Filling
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
about 4-5 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons strong espresso

• Cream butter.
• Add in half of the powdered sugar, and combine until smooth.
• Mix in the vanilla and espresso.
• Add the rest of the powdered sugar, until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
• Fill cupcakes using the "cone" method (cut out a cone in the middle of the cake, fill the center, lop off pointy part of the cone, then replace the top).

I'll post the frosting later...I have a few pictures of it that I want to put up, and I want to alter the recipe a little so it's not so sickeningly sweet. But these are really good, and they honestly do taste really similar to the caramel macchiato that I've been craving! I just found a $5 giftcard to Starbucks in my purse the other day, so I'm totally getting one of those drinks the next time I'm near a Starbucks! I used to drink the steamed apple cider, but lately, I've been wanting the caramel macchiato. I don't know why, either. I love apple cider! Oh well...winter will be here soon, and I'll move on to the peppermint mochas, or peppermint hot chocolates. Those just seem like Christmas-y drinks. :)