A cupcake lightly infused with pumpkin spice latte spices and topped with a light coffee buttercream. This cake is the ultimate cosy bake as the seasons change and the weather starts to get colder and the days shorter.
This base of this cake is a lightly pumpkin spiced bake. Made with fresh spices mixed through the buttercream. I use a pre made pumpkin spice latte mix. This is made up with a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg and creates the perfect spiced cake. The base of this cake is also slightly different as I use a mixture of both regular white caster sugar and dark brown soft sugar in equal quantities. This adds a slight caramel hint to the base and helps to add to the autumnal feel of the cake.
To start with, make a simple batch of cupcakes, the only difference is that you use two types of sugar. I used the all-in-one method here to make things even quicker and easier. Throw all of the cake ingredients, minus the spice mix, into a bowl and mix with an electric mixer until you have a nice smooth batter. Lastly, add the pumpkin spice mix and give a separate mix.
Pumpkin Spiced Latte
Place the cake batter into your pre prepared cupcake tins. You want to fill about two thirds of the way full, this will allow the cupcakes to rise and will give you the perfect height for when you decorate the cakes. I always give the tin a light bang on a hard surface to help distribute the batter before placing in the oven. This bake will be slightly darker due to the dark brown sugar and the pumpkin spice mix. Once the cakes are cooked allow them to cool in the tin for roughly 5 minutes, then remove from the tin and allow them to cool completely before decorating.
The frosting is a lightly coffee flavoured buttercream. For this, I really wanted a light coffee flavour for the icing. So many coffee frosting recipes ask you to use instant coffee, but I wanted a richer, more intense and authentic coffee flavour, and I didn’t want to add too much liquid to the buttercream which would ruin the consistency. I improvised a little bit here. I wanted a really quick, accessible recipe that could be made by anybody. Which is why I chose to use Camps coffee extract. It worked so well, it was quick to make, tasted delicious and was definitely a lot easier then attempting to make the perfect instant coffee consistency for the buttercream. Keeping flavour consistency and the correct texture for the icing.
Pumpkin Spiced Latte
This is made slightly differently to a normal buttercream recipe. It uses slightly less icing sugar than a regular buttercream frosting. This is to ensure that the final product isn’t too sweet. Start off by creaming the unsalted butter and Camp extract until smooth before adding the icing sugar in two separate batches. I always stir it lightly with a spoon after adding icing sugar to avoid an icing sugar explosion! Adding the extract with the butter helps to keep the flavour intense and ensures the consistency is right for piping.
Once everything is ready and cool you can start to decorate the cakes. Start by topping the cake with the coffee buttercream frosting. This icing is thick enough to be piped if desired.
Ingredients
- CAKE:
- 2 oz / 55 g Self - Raising Flour
- 1 oz / 30 g Dark Brown Soft Brown Sugar
- 1 oz / 30 g Caster Sugar
- 2 oz / 55 g Butter
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon Milk
- 1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons Pumpkin Spice Mix
- COFFEE BUTTERCREAM:
- 3 oz / 85 g Unsalted Butter
- 5 oz / 140 g Icing Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Milk
- 2 teaspoons / 10 ml Camp Chicory & Coffee Essence
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160*c Fan Oven/180*c/350*f/Gas Mark 4.
- Line a baking tray with cupcake cases and set aside
- Place the self raising flour, margarine, eggs, milk and both sugars into an electric mixer, and beat together until light and fluffy.
- Add the pumpkin spice and mix until fully incorporated.
- Spoon in the mixture into your prepared cases, making sure that the mixture is evenly distributed.
- Cook for 16 - 20 minutes checking regularly, or until light and fluffy. You can tell it's ready when it springs back when lightly pressed. You could also insert a skewer into the middle of the cake and if it comes out clean, then the cake is ready.
- Once ready, remove from the oven.
- Allow it to sit in the pan for roughly 5 minutes before turning out onto a wired baking tray and allowing it to cool completely.
- Whilst the cake is cooling, make the buttercream frosting icing.
- Add the butter and Camp Chicory & Coffee Essence to a mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, blend until creamy.
- Add half of the sieved icing sugar to the bowl and using a spoon, gently stir together until just combined (this helps to prevent an icing sugar explosion!), before mixing with the electric mixer.
- Add the remaining icing sugar and milk and follow the steps above, do not be afraid to overmix, you want this to be nice and smooth.
- This icing is thick enough to be piped if desired. Decorate as you wish and enjoy!
Notes
This cake is slightly denser than an average bake. I always recommend eating this as close to baking as possible. However, any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for roughly 2-3 days.
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