Mocha Cupcakes - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 tbsp instant coffee granules
8 tbsp (1 stick) butter, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 None eggs
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup self-rising flour
2/3 cup ground almonds
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, melted
3/4 cup buttermilk
None None Coffee beans, to decorate
None None FOR THE COFFEE BUTTERCREAM
1 tbsp instant coffee granules
12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350\u00b0F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Mix coffee granules and 1/4 cup hot water in a small bowl until dissolved.
Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Sift cocoa powder and flour into a medium bowl. Fold 1/2 the flour mixture into the batter. Fold in the ground almonds and melted chocolate. Fold in the buttermilk, remaining flour mixture and coffee mixture. Divide among muffin cups.
Bake for 20 mins, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 mins. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.
For the buttercream, mix coffee granules and 2 tsp hot water in a small bowl until dissolved. Beat butter in a medium bowl with electric mixer until as pale as possible. Gradually beat in 1/2 the powdered sugar, then all the coffee mixture, then the remaining powdered sugar. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a plain tip. Pipe buttercream onto cooled cupcakes. Decorate with coffee beans.