Coffee Cupcakes, Whipped Cream and Mini Glazed Doughnuts

This coffee cake is not for the faint hearted.  And I quote Ree Drummond,  “It’s not cake you eat with your morning coffee. It’s how you get your morning coffee. And it’s delicious!”.  Serve it with a big dollop of whipped cream and donuts! Chocolate glazed donuts! 

Coffee Cake – Literally

The Pioneer Woman Cooks (Ree Drummond)

2 c A/P Flour

2 c Sugar

1/4 t Salt

2 sticks butter, room temperature

3 T Instant Coffee Crystals, dissolved in 1 cup boiling water

1/2 c Buttermilk

2 L Eggs

1 t Baking Soda

2 t Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two round baking pans (or line muffin tins).  In a large bowl, mix sugar, flour, and salt. Set aside.

Melt 2 sticks of butter in a pot over medium-low heat. While that's melting, add instant coffee to 1 cup boiling water. Set aside.  Once butter has melted, add coffee mixture to the butter in the pot. Let it come to a boil for about ten seconds, then turn off the heat. Set aside for just a minute.

In a separate bowl, add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Mix until well combined.  Pour the butter/coffee mixture into the flour mixture. Stir the mixture together gently. The purpose here isn’t to mix it together perfectly, but to cool down the heat before adding the egg mixture.  Add in the egg mixture and stir gently until well combined. Then pour into pans.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until set for cake or 15-18 minutes for cupcakes.  Allow to cool completely.

Mini Cake Doughnuts (Donettes) 

1 c cake flour, sifted

1/3 c granulated sugar

1 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

1/8 t ground nutmeg (or cinnamon)

1/3 c buttermilk

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 T butter, melted

Non-stick vegetable pan spray

Preheat oven to 425°F. Prepare mini doughnut pan with vegetable pan spray.

In large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Add buttermilk, egg and butter; stir until just combined. Fill each doughnut cup approximately 1/2 full with 1 tablespoon of batter. Spread batter around center post to edges of cup.

Bake 6-7 minutes or until the top of the doughnuts spring back when touched. Cool in pan 3 minutes; remove to cooling grid. Doughnuts are best served fresh. Makes about 12 mini doughnuts.

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Classic Vanilla Doughnut Glaze 

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons milk or water

 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract.

Place the sugar in a medium bowl and slowly stir in the milk and vanilla, a little at a time, to make a smooth, pourable glaze.

Classic Chocolate Doughnut Glaze

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

3 tablespoons milk or water

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and cocoa powder.  Slowly stir in milk and vanilla extract.  Whisk until silky and smooth.  If you need a touch more milk to make this a dippable glaze, add a bit more.  Dip doughnuts in chocolate glaze and let rest to harden slightly.

Whipped Cream Frosting

3 cups of heavy whipping cream

6 tablespoons white granulated sugar              

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pour whipping cream in to stand mixer.  Add sugar and vanilla.  Beat on high for 5 minutes.  Half way through scrape down the sides of the bowl and then continue to whip on high.


Note:  You may want to cover your stand mixer with a towel or large cloth so that the cream doesn't fly out of the bowl for you.  Once the cream turns into whipping cream you can remove the draped towel.

After whipping for 5 minutes, check to see if the whipping cream is firm enough for your project.  I like to scoop some whipping cream on to a spoon and hold it upside down.  It should stay in place and not fall off the spoon.
Keep whipped cream frosting refrigerated when not in use.  If after taking out of the fridge it has softened up, you may have to re-whip it for a few minutes.