MOCHA CUPCAKES WITH CARAMEL FROSTING AND TOASTED PECANS

These cupcakes were made in early April, when I was having computer problems. Luckily, the photos were in my camera, and not on my hard drive, so they didn't get wiped out when we reformatted. But some of my notes were misplaced, and I can't find the frosting recipe, which was so over-the-top good. If my memory serves me, I believe I beat some Smucker's Special Recipe Butterscotch-Caramel Topping into some cream cheese frosting. It made a loose frosting but with the toasted pecans on top, it was divine. The cupcakes weren't bad either.

Mocha Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting and Toasted Pecans

Source: Judy's Kitchen adaptation from unknown original source

Rating: 9 out of 10

INGREDIENTS: 1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3 large eggs

1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 cups low-protein flour, such as White Lily, or cake flour, lightly spooned and swept

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1-1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup Hershey's Special Dark unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup Hershey's unsweetened natural cocoa powder

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

1/3 cup hot water

2 tsp. instant coffee granules

Heat oven to 350F. Line 24 muffin wells with paper cups. In large mixing bowl, beat butter with sugars at medium speed till creamy and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, till yellow disappears. Beat in vanilla. In medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoas and salt. Add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. In small cup, combine instant coffee and hot water; stir into cake batter. Divided batter evenly into cupcake liners. Bake 16-20 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted in center returns with just a few crumbs. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to finish coooling. Frost as desired. Yield: 24 cupcakes

NOTE: I made a 3-cup bundt cake, baked for 23 minutes; 12 standard cupcakes, baked for 18 minutes; and 12 mini cupcakes, baked for 15 minutes.