Donut-Stuffed Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream

I love donuts (or doughnuts or however you prefer to spell it).

I mean, I really do. I know they’re terrible for you so I limit my intake (who really eats donuts all the time anyway?), but once I get started, it’s hard to make myself stop before I get sick.

I’ve been sitting on the idea of donut-stuffed cupcakes for what feels like forever now. I made myself wait to make them because I heard a little rumor that National Donut Day is the first Friday in June.

OK, two thoughts went through my head when I heard this: 1) Oh my goodness I’m so excited there’s a donut day…but wait a minute! WHY am I just now hearing about this?! (cue feelings of deprivation- I missed out on 30 National Donut Days?!), and 2) Sa-weet! I can finally make those donut cupcakes!

Is it sad that I get excited about finding the perfect cupcake recipe for upcoming events?

This is my life. Don’t judge.

So remember how I said in my last post that the cupcake batter makes a good base for other cupcakes and that I’d used it already but that I’d tell you about it later? Well, it’s later. Instead of chocolate chips, add donuts. (Seems like a better deal to me.)

And by the way, the espresso buttercream is a must for these because it’s just a rule that you have to have coffee with donuts.

Donut-Stuffed Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream
makes 24 cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 whole eggs, room temperature
2 egg yolks, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
24 mini donuts and/or donut holes, flavors of your choice (I used a combination of chocolate-covered and powdered mini donuts, as well as sour cream donut holes- the glazed kind)

Frosting Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder (instant espresso)

Directions:
To make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two cupcake tins with cupcake liners and set aside. In a medium bowl, sift both flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the whole eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again, and add the yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce the speed to low and alternate adding the flour and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat in the vanilla.
Put a tiny amount of batter on the bottom of each cupcake liner (just enough to cover the bottom) and plop a donut right on top of the batter. Cover the donut with more batter, making sure it goes down the sides and covers the top of the donut/donut hole. (This is a tricky process because you don’t want to fill the liners too full, or they will overflow in the oven. Just try your best!) Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes, rotating halfway through baking. Test with a toothpick before removing (obviously, make sure you put the toothpick through the cupcake part and not through the donut!).
Let cool in the pans for a few minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

To make the frosting: Stir the espresso powder into the vanilla until totally dissolved. Set aside.
Using the whisk attachment of a standard mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping once to scrape the sides of the bowl. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition until mostly incorporated. Once all the powdered sugar has been added, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and again increase the speed to medium-high, whipping until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the espresso-vanilla mixture and continue to beat on medium-high until completely incorporated, scraping the bowl as needed. (If the frosting is too thick, add milk a tablespoon at a time until you’re happy with the consistency. If it’s too thin, add powdered sugar a little at a time.) Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

These Donut-Stuffed Cupcakes are part of this complete breakfast! (Remember those commercials?)

*Note: I got this idea from Bake It In A Cake. You should really check out her website if you’re like me and you’re into things that are baked into other things.