In Which I Talk About the Weather

*gasp*

The weather is never an acceptable topic of conversation; it’s best left for those who can think of nothing else to say.  But dear readers, allow me this one exception.  It.  Will.  Not.  Stop.  Raining.  Take the other day, for example.

I drew up a to-do list on the cutest of notepads.  I scanned the list and immediately went into attack mode.  It was time cross things off.  Only the rain started dribbling down the side of my car window and put the whole operation on slow down.  Then the rain stopped.  So I wielded my to-do list again, ready to go.  And then it started pouring.  And I heard thunder.  And then the sun shone brightly.  But I checked weather.com.  More rain coming.

So I made cupcakes.

(Which ended up so beautifully rounded on top.)

Though it’s been raining on and off for a week, the story of these cupcakes begins about six months earlier when I delivered a card and a hug to a friend on her birthday.  No cupcakes.  And I always give my friends cupcakes on their birthdays.  #fail

When making cupcakes to make amends it’s important that they go beyond the standard chocolate or vanilla classics.  Cupcakes that make amends need to shine.

Mudslide cupcakes fit the bill.  They’re composed of Martha’s one bowl chocolate cupcakes and have swirly, boozy frosting– Baileys and Kahlua frosting to be exact.

Exactly what the doctor ordered on a rainy Monday.

To make 18 mudslide cupcakes you will need:

For the cupcakes:

3/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
3/4 C warm water
1 T instant espresso powder
3/4 C buttermilk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the frosting:

1 C (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
4 C powdered sugar, divided
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 T Kahlua
3 T instant coffee powder (or 1 or 1 1/2 T espresso powder if you’re not a weird baker who keeps both on hand at all times)
3 T Bailey’s
Two small pastry bags
One larger pastry bag
A piping tip of your choice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tins with paper liners.

Mix cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in large bowl.  Add remaining cupcake ingredients and stir till smooth.

This is a pretty liquid-y batter so I used Queen Cupcakes patented method for getting it into the tins.  She pours her batter into a measuring cup, and uses the handy little spout to pour it.

This is why we call her the Queen.

Bake cupcakes for 20 minutes, or until tops spring back when pressed lightly, rotating halfway through.  Let cool completely.

To make frosting, beat butter in bowl of electric mixer till light and fluffy.  Slowly add 3 C of sugar, till frosting is smooth.  Beat in vanilla.  At this point, divide frosting in half, removing half to a separate bowl.

For the half in the mixer, add coffee powder and Kahlua, beating till smooth.

For the half in a separate bowl, pour in Baileys and stir till smooth.

Now it gets real.  Time to make the frosting swirl.  I’ve seen plenty of these on Pinterest and always wondered how that magic happened.  Here is how it happens.

Prep the large pastry bag first by cutting off the tip and Cut the tip off the bottom of the two small pastry bags.  Place the Kahlua buttercream in one, and the Baileys buttercream in the other.

Don’t put rubber bands on the tops.  That was a mistake.

Then, put the two bags in the large pastry bag, fitted with a piping tip.

Then, pipe away.

Till you have beautiful, swirly goodness.

p.s.  Happy 4th Birthday, A Glass of Milk!