Caramel Macchiato Cupcakes

I have been wanting to try making cupcakes using coffee creamers and I love the ways these turned out.  For these cupcakes I chose Coffee Mates- Caramel Macchiato Cupcakes.  I am one of those people that love anything that has caramel in it so when I spotted this creamer my mind immediately went to thoughts of caramel, coffee, and creamy vanilla. 

I’ll admit up front that I am one of those coffee drinkers that use half & half.  I’m talking about half coffee and half creamer.  My coffee is about the color of the frosting on these cupcakes.  I know all of you “real” coffee drinkers are probably cringing at the thought of sugary sweetness in your coffee and I will not debate the merits of having that much sugar early in the morning. 

I make my cupcakes using a cake mix simply because I am usually in a rush so if you like making your cakes from scratch, by all means do it that way.  In my opinion, there is no right or wrong way to make a cupcake.  I always add something to the mix such as cocoa, sour cream, creamers, malts, or puddings just to give it that extra goodness.

Use your favorite cake mix and substitue creamer for the water. For example, I used Duncan Hines cake mix for this recipe which called for 1 cup water, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, and three large eggs. I substituted 1 cup of creamer for the 1 cup of water. This makes a denser cupcake so if you want a lighter cupcake, just add 1/2 water and 1/2 creamer.   

If you use Duncan Hines cake mix, your recipe will look like this:  

You Will Need:

1 Cup of Creamer or (1/2 cup creamer & 1/2 cup water for a lighter cake)
1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
3 Large Eggs
　
PREHEAT oven to 350°F for metal or glass pans, 325°F for dark or coated pans*. GREASE sides and bottom of each pan with shortening or oil spray. FLOUR lightly. (Use baking cups for cupcakes).

  Mix: BLEND cake mix, coffee creamer, oil, and eggs in a large bowl at low speed until moistened (about 30 seconds). BEAT at medium speed for 2 minutes. POUR batter in pans and bake immediately.

Bake: BAKE following directions on box. Cake is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. COOL in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

Makes: 24 Cupcakes

FROSTING:

1 Cup Vegetable Shortening
1/2 cup Caramel Macchiato Coffee Creamer 
1/3 cup Caramel Topping
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
4 cups Powdered Sugar

Mix shortening, creamer, caramel topping, vanilla  with an electric mixer on low speed. Alternately add powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. You may need to add more powdered sugar or creamer to achieve correct consistency. 

Drizzle with more caramel topping if desired.