White Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes – take two
This month’s Cupcake Hero theme is Coffee in honor of host Laurie’s husband Jaos and his upcoming birthday (Happy Birthday Jaos!) I heard that one of their favorite treats at Starbucks is a white chocolate mocha. I already took one shot at a white chocolate mocha cupcake. I wasn’t happy with the white-chocolate-mochaness of it, so here’s my second try.
These cupcakes definitely taste like a white chocolate mocha. The cake is similar to an angel food cake with espresso powder in the batter. They have a subtle coffee flavor. I added some espresso over the top of the cupcakes to keep them moist and intensify the coffee flavor.
The white chocolate mousse didn’t bring enough white chocolate flavor to the table, so I also added a small layer of melted white chocolate. After quite a few different tries, this combination hit the white-chocolate-mocha flavor I was searching for. Hubby and I both couldn’t stop eating them!
Coffee Cupcakes – makes 30 – from Crazy about Cupcakes
12 large egg whites, cold
3 Tbsp espresso, at room temperature
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp ground espresso beans
1/2 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 325. Insert liners into a medium cupcake pan.
In a large bowl combine the egg whites, espresso, lemon juice, cream of tartar, vanilla, and almond extract. With an electric mixer on high speed, beat until mixture is foamy with tiny bubbles, 2-3 minutes. Gradually add 3/4 cup of the sugar until the foam is creamy white. Do not overbeat.
In a separate bowl combin 3/4 cup sugar, flour, ground espresso beans, and salt.
Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Gently mix with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until completely integrated.
Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan. 
White Chocolate Mousse – from FoodNetwork.com
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
5 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup egg whites (from about 4 eggs)
2 tablespoons sugar
In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat just until it boils.
Immediately turn off the heat. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Strain into another bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, remove the mixture from the refrigerator and, using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a hand mixer, whip it into fluffy, soft peaks. Return to the refrigerator.
In a clean dry bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form, then add the sugar and continue whipping until glossy and stiff, about 30 seconds more. Fold into the white chocolate mixture.
To assemble cupcakes:
Poke holes into the cupcakes with a fork or toothpick. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of room temperature espresso on top of each cupcake.
Melt 8 ounces of white chocolate in a double boiler. Spread about 1 teaspoon of white chocolate on top of the cupcakes.
Using a small cookie scoop or a piping bag, scoop the mousse on top of the white chocolate.
Garnish with white chocolate curls and sprinkle with cinnamon.
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
Those are adorable! I love the idea of lemon meringue cupcakes.
They are adorable!! Great job and I am glad you had success with the recipe.
Congrats on a successful challenge!
OMG, are they cute! Like little porcupines. So glad it turned out for you. Fab job!
I really liked your idea of making the cupcakes. No cutting up and great single sized servings. They look just great.
Makes me wonder– why didn’t I think of that?
Hey~ I made lemon maringue cuppies too! I am so sold on making pies this way in the future- very fun. Love the spikies- great job.
Your LMP looks great! I love the cuppies
LMP cuppys rule! ::high five:: love all the pictures of your process… great job!
I really like the little pies everyone is making..now I want to redo mine.blessings,
marye
http://bakingdelights.com
Oh so cute! I had considered trying my second attempt in a cupcake tin… until I waited until the last minute, that is! 🙂
Congrats! These look fabulously divine!
Ah ha, another fellow Boston baker! Your tarts are beautiful! Love the peaks on the meringue!
Those are so perfect!
PS: I have those red measuring bowls. I love them! 😀
so SMART to have all of your ingredients out FIRST. I really should know this by now.
Ooooh, I love your cupcake-pies. How’d you make the meringue spikey?
And what did the husband think of the final product?
your little ones are adorable. Great job on your challenge!!
your lemon meringue cupcakes are so cute! job well done! 🙂
They’re so cute!! Great job!! :O)
i had that crust shrinkage problem too. it’s a bummer.
———-
kate
http://www.thecleanplateclub.net
Dolores – I just spread the meringue around and then using a spatula, pressed it into the meringue and pulled it out and voila! Spikes!
Your little cupcakes are adorable! That was a great idea!
Your little tarts lok just lovely. well done!
a challenge executed incrediblely well!
They look just perfect!!
Nice job!
Too cute! Love the cupcakes. I want one!
My crust did the same thing! Your cupcakes look great though!
~Carrie from bakersbakery.wordpress.com
Your “pie-cups” look perfect. Great job!
Jane of VeganBits.com
Very cute! Did you turn away and silently mock your husband “my mom makes a great…”, no of course you wouldn’t have, I must be projecting 🙂
You did a wonderful job on your lemon meringue tarts!
Natalie @ Gluten A Go Go
~ We’re lactose intolerant at our house too.
Nice cupcakes! And if it makes you feel any better, I’ve been a DB’er for a year and friends and family, all non-bloggers, always know what I’m making. They kinda have to since I always tape the recipe up on the kitchen cupboards!
Yayy! I love reading success posts like this! They look great and that’s a good idea to bake them in muffin tins. Well done!
I love your little lemon meringues!
Awesome! I love how differently everyone’s turned out, but these little cuties are so adorable 🙂 Great job!!
So cute! I’m sure everyone enjoyed you addition to the spread!
I love cupcake idea. One big pie seems so messy, these seem neat and tidy. Congrats on another successful challenge!
The shrinking crust always affects my mini cupcake pies too. The trick is to make them overhang the cups enough so that they shrink down to just the right size. Your little pies are darling!
It’s awesome for me to have a website, which is helpful in
favor of my know-how. thanks admin