"Caramel Macchiato" cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes, but lots more icing!

The cupcakes-- loosely adapted from this recipe, which also looks delicious, but is less likely to happen in Hungary! :)

• 1 cup (4.5 ounces) all purpose flour
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (7.3 ounces) sugar
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and warm
• 2 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon vanilla (or almond) extract
  
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee
  
• 1/2 cup hot coffee
• 3/4 cup chopped chocolate (as small as possible-- roughly the size of mini choc chips)

Preheat oven to 350.

Add flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly to combine. Add the butter, eggs, and extract and beat on medium speed for one minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the instant coffee and the hot coffee. Mix for 20-30 seconds until the batter is smooth. Fold in chopped chocolate. Divide the batter evenly among the lined cups. Bake 18-22 minutes just until a toothpick inserted into a few of the cupcakes comes out clean. Set the pan on a rack to cool. Frost the cupcakes when they are completely cool. Store and serve at room temperature.

For the icing, which is loosely adapted from this recipe:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 cups softened butter, cubed (the butter should be cool, definitely not room-temperature)

1 tsp pure vanilla

1/3 cup caramel sauce

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, mix sugar and flour, then add milk and cream.

Cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil and has thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Mine was about the consistency of sweetened condensed milk.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer, and beat with the paddle attachment until cool (about 10 minutes). Reduce speed to low, and add butter and vanilla.

Mix until thoroughly incorporated, the increase speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. Add caramel (I used dulce de leche, but I'm sure you can homemake caramel sauce and it would be delicious! The dulce de leche was thick, so I'd say you need to have a thicker caramel sauce...).

Continue mixing until combined. Taste the frosting at this point. Because I used dulce de leche, mine was really sweet, so I added a little instant coffee powder and a pinch of salt to balance a little of the sweetness.

If the frosting is too soft, chill in the refrigerator until it can be beat to proper consistency.