These toffee nut latte cupcakes are inspired by the Starbucks drink. A coffee flavored cupcake topped with caramel frosting & toffee pieces.
Have you ever had a toffee nut latte at Starbucks? I first had it while studying abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was on the holiday menu and I could not get enough. We’d sit in a Starbucks for hours working on papers and ordering multiple fancy drinks. These toffee nut latte cupcakes are my attempt to recreate that drink, but in cupcake form.
The result? A coffee flavored cupcake topped with a caramel (more like a dulche de leche-style) frosting and toffee pieces.
Can’t get enough coffee? Try this coffee jello recipe made with condensed milk. It’s delightful.
Why You’ll Love These Cupcakes
Creamy, nutty caramel frosting. This buttercream frosting is infused with a caramel syrup. You can use any type of caramel you’d like (store bought or homemade). I made a homemade caramel of sorts with a simple, one ingredient method. I’ll explain more later in the post about how to make it, but it gives the frosting a nice nutty, caramel flavor.
Popping with coffee flavor. Using a couple of teaspoons of instant coffee gives these cupcakes a nice coffee flavor without being over powering.
Key Ingredients
Instant Coffee: Instate coffee provides a much more intense coffee flavor to these cupcakes than just using brewed coffee—which is why it’s great for baking! Dissolve it in boiling water and let cool a bit before using.
Buttermilk: Using buttermilk in baking give the cupcake a very moist and light texture. You can make your own with any type of milk (including non-dairy) and vinegar or lemon juice. Plus, combined with baking soda, this gives the bake a nice rise.
Sweetened condensed milk: Provides a dulce-de-leche flavor to the caramel sauce with blends great with the coffee flavors. See below for how to make caramel from only a can of sweetened condensed milk.
How to Make These Toffee Nut Latte Cupcakes
To make the cupcakes:
This recipe is adjusted from this Pioneer Woman Coffee Toffee Crunch Cake. I really liked her method of adding coffee to the cake and so why mess with something delicious? If you’re looking for a full three-tired cake recipe, check out her site. My version adds a caramel flavor to the dessert to make it a bit more like the Starbucks drink.
Combine the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Next, mix together the boiling water and instant coffee in a small bowl. Be sure all the coffee has dissolved. Then, melt the butter in a saucepan and once melted, add the coffee to the butter. Let it simmer for 10-15 seconds and then remove from the heat.
In another medium bowl, combine the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. If you don’t have buttermilk, no worries, simply add a splash of lemon juice or vinegar to your milk (or non-dairy milk). Gradually add the coffee mixture to the wet ingredients, whisking constantly. You don’t want to accidentally cook any of the egg with the hot mixture.
Once combined, add to the dry ingredients and bake.
To make the frosting:
Did you know you could make a caramel sauce with just one ingredient? I sure didn’t. I was super skeptical when I saw this method, but it does work.
Small caveat here: it tastes more like dulce de leche vs a rich caramel sauce (which works great for this recipe, but may not be right for every recipe that calls for caramel).
Dump the entire can of sweetened condensed milk into a casserole dish (or other oven safe dish). Place in a 13×9 baking dish and fill 2/3rds full of water. This will prevent the milk from boiling or curdling as the water can only get to a certain temperature.
(Want another great frosting option that uses sweetened condensed milk? Try this Russian Buttercream Recipe.)
Cover with foil and bake at 425 for 60-90 minutes. It takes a WHILE for this to start browning, but it will. You need patience and it will turn into a delicious caramel color brown and taste like caramel (or dulce de leche 😉 ). The darker the color, the less like sweetened condensed milk it will taste.
Add about 1/4 cup of the cooled caramel sauce to the buttercream. Feel free to adjust for your taste. Sprinkle with crushed Heath bars (or make your own if you’re feeling super fancy) and enjoy!
Looking for more fun dessert ideas? Check out some of my faves:
Toffee Nut Latte Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcake
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 stick butter
- 2 tbsp instant coffee
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1/4 cup buttermilk or milk with vinegar
- 1 egg
- 1/3 tbsp vanilla
For the Frosting
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 1/4 cup caramel sauce*
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (or to taste)
- 1 large Heath bar
For the caramel sauce
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
For the cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 and line a cupcake tin with liners.
- Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl (flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt).
- Combine the boiling water and instant coffee in a small bowl. In a sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the coffee mixture to the butter and let boil for about 10 seconds.
- In a medium bowl, combine the buttermilk (or milk + vinegar), eggs, and vanilla. Slowly add the butter and coffee mixture to the medium bowl while continually whisking.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Pour into cupcake tins and bake for 20-25 minutes,
For the caramel sauce
- Pour the can of sweetened condensed milk into a casserole or oven safe dish. Place into another dish and fill with water about 2/3 of the way full. Bake at 425 for 60-90 minutes until it turns into a golden brown, caramel color and tastes of caramel (vs. condensed milk)
For the frosting
- Whip the softened butter until light and fluffy. Add the caramel sauce (about 1/4 cup or to taste) and powdered sugar. Continue to whip until light and fluffy (about 5-8 minutes total)
1 Comment
Sounds delicious! I will try a gf version!