Hazelnut Coffee Cupcakes

Raise your hand if you need a cup of coffee to jump start your mornings.   Do you wake up to the smell of coffee brewing?  Or maybe you stop at a coffee shop on the way to work.    Now imagine the smell and taste of hazelnut coffee in a cupcake.  Ok, now imagine some vanilla creamer in that coffee in the form of vanilla mascarpone cheese frosting for a perfect morning treat.  This recipe is courtesy of the Cupcake Project.

Hazelnut Coffee Cupcake Recipe

Yield: 12 cupcakes

• 1 cup hazelnuts
•  2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee (use 2 teaspoons if you prefer stronger coffee)
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup whole milk

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Cupcake Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Spread hazelnuts onto a cookie sheet.
3. Bake for ten minutes.
4. Once the hazelnuts are cool enough to touch, roll around in your hands or in a towel to remove the dark brown skins.  Some of the skins will stick on the nuts and that’s OK.
5. Food process the hazelnuts with vegetable oil until they form a thick paste.
6. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, instant coffee, and butter until fully combined.
7. Mix in hazelnut paste.
8. Mix in eggs, one at a time.
9. Mix in milk.
10. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full.
11. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Frosting Directions:

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whip butter until light and fluffy.
2. Mix in mascarpone and vanilla.
3. Mix in powdered sugar a little bit at a time.
4. Spread or pipe on cooled cupcakes.
5. Optionally top with finely chopped toasted hazelnuts.
6. Refrigerate until ready to serve.