Biscoff and Kahlua Crunch Cupcakes

It’s summer and I’m sure the most of you are thinking chocolate is just too damn thick for this heat. Yes, I feel ya, that’s why I made it a chocolate and Biscoff cupcake with booze. The chocolate cupcake has Kahlua in it and the marbled fluff you see is a Biscoff frosting marbled with chocolate ganache. Then of course you know me and my heavy hand, I had to drizzle it with chocolate ganache and step it up another notch with some Skor shards and crumbles for added texture.
Biscoff Cupcakes Bakers Royale Biscoff and Kahlua Crunch Cupcakes
Biscoff & Kahlua Crunch Cupcakes
 
I should tell you, I’ve actually never had Biscoff until this weekend. Biscoff is like the new Nutella, at least it is in the blog world-or so it seems to me. Could I reduce that statement anymore? But it seems like everywhere I look there is a blog featuring a Biscoff dessert recipe.

 
So why am I just hopping on the bus? Well bloggers have a way of influencing us consumers, especially if the blogger is also a good friend of yours. In this case, Julie of this lovely blog, insisted that I give it a try. I relented. I love it. And now I made something with it, or more accurately – a few. Julie and I are doing a Biscoff week, so don’t forget to hop over to her blog to see her crazy good creation and check back with us later in the week for more Biscoff madness.
 
A few notes:
  • Biscoff spread can be found at either Target, World Market or Amazon.
  • The frosting I used is my Swiss Meringue buttercream since it is lighter in texture than American buttercream. For a step-by-step tutorial on how to make Swiss Meringue buttercream click here.
  • For the shards, I used Skor candy bars, but Heath candy bars will work just as well or skip it all together if candy in desserts is not your thing.
  • As always, I highly recommend Scharffen Berger’s Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder. It’s the best on the market and will make a huge difference in your baking results in terms of flavor.

Biscoff and Kahlua Crunch Cupcake

Makes 12 cupcakes | Preparation: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cupcake (adapted from Alice Medrich)

  • 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) SCHARFFEN BERGER Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and warm
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoon instant coffee (recommended: Starbucks Via)
  • 1/2 cup Kahlua

Biscoff Frosting

  • 5 large egg whites
  • 11/2 cup sugar
  • 4 sticks unsalted butter, diced and softened
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1/4 cup of Biscoff spread

Chocolate pouring sauce

  • 2/3 cups dark chocolate
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 4 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
  • 4-5 tablespoons water, warm
Instructions:
 
To make cupcake
  1. Add flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly to combine. Add in the butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for one minute. Add half of the Kahlua into the mixture and beat for 20 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add remaining Kahlua. Beat for 20-30 seconds until the batter is smooth. The batter will be thin enough to pour. Divide it 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.

TIP: For light tender cupcakes, spoon flour and cocoa lightly into measuring cups (instead of dipping the cups into the flour or cocoa) and then sweep the measures level without tapping or shaking them.

To make chocolate pouring sauce

  1. Place chocolate and heavy cream in a bowl over simmering water. Let chocolate and cream sit for 2-3 minutes to melt without stirring. Then slowly stir mixture to combine. Add powdered sugar and mix to combine. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition until pouring consistency is reached. Remove 5 tablespoons and place reserve in a separate bowl. Set aside all chocolate pouring sauce to cool until warm.

To make frosting

  1. Combine egg whites and sugar in a bowl placed over simmering water. Bring mixture to 160 degrees F while whisking constantly.
  2. Transfer mixture to stand mixer bowl, fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on medium high speed (speed 8 on a KitchenAid stand mixer)until mixture cools and doubles in volume and forms stiff peaks; about 10-12 minutes.
  3. Add butter in one piece at a time, mixing to incorporate after each addition. The mixture may appear clumpy and almost curdled looking-this is normal. Keep mixing and it will become even and smooth again. Add salt and vanilla and mix to combine. Add in Biscoff and mix until well combined. Add reserved chocolate pouring sauce into frosting. Using a spatula gently fold it into the frosting, DO NOT over mix so that chocolate streaks remain.

Assembly

  1. Cut Skor or Heath bars into shard shapes; set aside. Finely chop any left over crumbs.
  2. Fill pastry bag with a round tip. Hold pastry bag at 90 degrees above the cupcake and starting from the perimeter pipe inward and upward.
  3. Using a spoon drizzle chocolate on top of frosting. Sprinkle Skor crumbs on chocolate. Insert Skor shards into top of frosting.
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67 thoughts on “Biscoff and Kahlua Crunch Cupcakes”

  1. “skip it all together if candy in desserts is not your thing” <– they're nuts :)

    Glad you got on board and you got on board with a bang! These look fabulous. I have a jar of Nutella, PB, and biscoff/cookie butter on hand at all times. They're each amazing in their own ways.

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  8. Hi Naomi! Another great recipe of yours! I’m almost at the end of my reading of your blog… I was wondering if you received my comment (I copied it below) and could help me out. I need to make these!!!
    Have a good day!

    Gaijina

    gaijina
    Your comment is awaiting moderation.
    July 4, 2012 at 8:51 am

    Hi Naomi,
    it’s the first time I leave you a comment but I have been reading you the last 7 days… I’m anal too and if I start something, I gotta start from the beginning through the end. I found your blog I don’t even remember how but I fell in love so I started reading from the first post till here. It’s just stunning. Your food, the photos, the description of the flavour and the texture, the minute details about the procedure just match with everything I love… I love food and baking, but I’m more of an ‘executor’ rather than a ‘creator’… I can reproduce everything I want but I’m lacking in experimentation, most of the times, either because I’m afraid of wasting food with some failures or because whenever I have time for baking I really want to make sure I will be rewarded with some edible food after. And I suck at the photo part. I have no idea what I’m doing and I have no tools to make it much better. And I’m a very impatient person so I can’t wait for the morning light to shoot photos. I really want to improve that. Of course this is why I admire you so much, you can do what I can’t do. And you are a mother and I’m not! I would like to sit in one of your kitchen corners and just observe how you manage the baking, the photos shooting, the blogging, the Skype chatting, the houseworks, the motherhood and wifehood, and all this when you are not working!
    All right I don’t want to make you blush neither sound like a weirdo, just I really really really like your blog that is so nice to read, and your creations are amazingly beautiful, so… GREAT JOB!!!

    I want to try this one soon but here I can’t find applesauce or corn syrup, and honey here is really not good, so I was wondering… What if I use maple syrup instead and… er…. oil? …or buttermilk/milk to replace applesauce? I know you didn’t try it and I will by myself, just want to know if, according to your experience, it’s really a stupid idea and you already know it won’t work or it might…

    Thanks so much for your help, have a nice 2nd half of the week! And Happy 4th of July!!!

    Ps. I’ve just realized that it didn’t show up where I left my previous comment… it’s in the Cinnamon Roll Cookies!
    http://www.bakersroyale.com/cookies/cinnamon-roll-cookies/

  13. Too hot for chocolate? Blasphemy! Anyway, I’ve been buying my biscoff at Publix. Just wanted to throw that out!

  14. I know this word has been used a lot in the comments but these are absolutely stunning. I’ve spent 5 minutes just scrolling up and down between the two pictures. They’re so pretty. They’re just perfect… I don’t know what else to say. The flavors sound great together, but I can’t get over the pictures.

  16. Seriously your treats just keep getting more and more beautiful! If you aren’t careful they might become to pretty to eat!!

  17. WOW. That cupcake picture is the best I’ve ever seen, on ANY blog. I love the dark and light marbling through the icing, just fantastic. I don’t know how these taste, but if they taste as good as they look you’ve just taken cupcakes up a notch in my book!

  24. UHhh, that is ART… I think you need a book deal right now! The flavors I’m imagining are intense! I gotta go out to World Market and get some Biscoff, quick!

  26. Hi! I have a question. In the frosting do you mean a cup and a half
    Of sugar? ( 11/2). Where do you purchase your unsweetened cocoa?
    Thanks and beautiful cupcakes!

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  36. Oh yeah! I’ve been seeing Biscoff around food blogland. I’ve not seen it here in Canada (Toronto) yet, but will keep an eye out. As a matter of fact, Target is coming to Toronto, so maybe I can pick up some there! LOL! Your cupcakes look divine. Divine!

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  38. In Europe it’s called Speculoos spread – I only discovered it a couple of months ago too and it’s insane. So seriously good.

    Your cupcakes look amazing, as always. Will definitely be trying :-)

  39. I don’t even know the words to say right now. These look… Just, well… Unbelievable. I haven’t heard much about Biscoff until this post and I’m becoming more curious about it. Does it have a similar ingredient list to Nutella?

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  47. Hi Chelsea,

    I’m sorry to say, I’m not sure if you can make it vegan. I’ve never baked vegan style.

  49. Hi Gaby,

    I don’t have a way to follow email, as of right now, but I will once the site redesign is completed.

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