Shelly's Recipe

COFFEE CAKE CUPCAKES

Category: Coffee Cake

Cake Batter:
8 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 tsp orange zest
4 eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cake flour
1 1/2 cups self rising flour

For the Filling:
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
3 tbsp dark brown sugar
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in orange zest and beat for another 30 seconds. Add eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl after each addition. Whisk together milk, sour cream and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Set aside.

Sift together the flour, cake flour and self rising flour in a medium bowl and set aside.

Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the mixer bowl and mix on low speed and mix until incorporated. Add 1/2 of the milk mixture and mix until incorporated. Repeat with another 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the milk and finally the flour mixture again. Mix until all is fully incorporated. But do not over mix.

In a small bowl, mix together the pecans, sugars and cinnamon. Set aside.

Prepare muffin tins with butter and flour, or use liners. (This is a thick batter and I find it best to pipe it in. Pipe in 1/4 of the way up.) Add a generous tsp of filling. Pipe in the batter just to cover up the filling. Add another tsp of filling. And again pipe batter on top of filling. Bake at 350 for 22-25 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and let continue to cool on a wire rack. Frost when completely cool.

Cinnamon Buttercream
4 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp heavy cream
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Beat all ingredients using a mixer. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated and frosting is smooth.