Fall is here. That means it’s time for cozy layers, warm drinks, good books and serious baking. Since chocolate and coffee go hand-in-hand (especially this time of year), I wanted to create a boozy, caffeinated, chocolaty frosting that you can spread on just about any of your favorite fall-inspired treats. Coffee liqueur like that of Portland’s New Deal Distillery is thick, syrupy and loaded with flavor, perfect for adding to frosting without liquefying it. For an even stronger coffee flavor, instant coffee crystals add flavor, texture and a decorative finish. I like to spread this frosting across the top of chocolate cupcakes infused with‚you guessed it—even more of New Deal’s coffee liqueur. Adding a few ounces of this liqueur to your favorite chocolate cake recipe (or boxed mix) adds a subtle touch of coffee flavor, without disrupting the proportions of the other ingredients in your cake.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Makes: 2 cups of frosting
Ingredients:
2 sticks of butter at room temperature
1 package instant coffee crystals
1 tablespoon New Deal Distillery Coffee Liqueur
2 ½ cups powdered sugar
⅛ cup cocoa powder
Directions:
In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
Slowly add sugar, mixing on low speed. Once all the sugar has been mixed into the butter, add the Coffee Liqueur, cocoa powder and coffee crystals. Beat all ingredients together on medium speed for 2 minutes, or until frosting is fluffy.
You can use immediately or store in the fridge for use the next day. The coffee crystals will give the frosting a speckled look which is decorative in itself, but I like to take it a step further and sprinkle even more coffee crystals over the top of the frosting after its been spread.
