Five Food Finds about Cappuccino:

• In 1945 Achille Gaggia invented the modern espresso machine which further popularized the cappuccino.

• The Mid 1990s – Cappuccino was made more widely available to North Americans as upscale coffee houses sprang up.

• Late 1990′s to Early 2000′s – Cappuccinos became popular in the United States concurrent with the boom in the American coffee industry.

• The start of 21st Century – A modified short-cut version of the cappuccino started being served at fast-food chains.

• While steaming the milk you must pay close attention to attain the correct ratio of foam, thus making the cappuccino one of the most difficult espresso-based beverages to make properly.

French Vanilla Cappuccino Cupcakes

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YIELD:  Makes 24 cupcakes
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INGREDIENTS

Cake:
1 Box Duncan Hines White Cake Mix
3.9 oz. Package Jell-O Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix
4 Egg Whites
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Milk
1 tbsp Coffee Extract
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp Sea Salt

Frosting:
1 cup 2 sticks Unsalted Butter (room temp)
4-5 cups Confectioners' Sugar
1 cup French Vanilla Cappuccino Powder
2 tsp Coffee Extract
4-5 tbsp Heavy Cream
1/8 cup Instant Espresso Grounds

DIRECTIONS

Cupcake:
1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Line cupcake pan.

3. Combine all ingredients in a stand mixer and beat until combined.

4. Fill cupcake liners 1/2 - 2/3 full.

5. Reduce heat to 375 F.

6. Bake for 15-18 minutes until toothpick comes clean.

7. Remove from oven and transfer cupcakes to cooling racks to finish cooling.

Frosting:
1. Cream butter in a stand mixer or use a hand held mixer.

2. Add confectioners' sugar a 1/2 cup at a time until combined.

3. Add in french vanilla cappuccino powder and coffee extract.

4. Add in heavy cream a tbsp at a time until you reach desired consistency.

5. Transfer to a piping bag or decorator tool and frost cooled cupcakes.

6. Sprinkle the top of the frosting with a little instant espresso powder.

Recipe Notes

Some readers have experienced sinking cupcakes while others, like myself have had great success. I will be retesting this recipe soon, but I recommend baking the cupcakes according to package instructions and adding in the coffee extract until then for best results.