Starbucks Caramel Macchiato Frappe cupcake recipe

MAKE THESE AMAZING STARBUCKS CARAMEL MACCHIATO CUPCAKES FOR THE COFFEE LOVER IN YOUR LIFE! BAKED IN MINI ESPRESSO CUPS, FILLED WITH CARAMEL WHIP AND DRIZZLED WITH CARAMEL, THEY ARE PERFECT FOR A COFFEE THEMED PARTY OR SHOWER. 

UPDATE: Many of our readers have been asking how to adjust this recipe because they can’t currently find the Royal Macchiato Instant Pudding Mix. We’re hoping stores carry them again soon!! But in the meantime, here’s what we’d do: Duncan Hines makes a caramel cake mix. You can use the caramel cake mix, vanilla pudding, and then an extra VIA. It’ll taste great!

A few years ago, my beautiful sisters threw a bridal shower for me… Starbucks themed!!! They put a whole lot of thought and time into it and there were so many little decorations and treats all to match the theme, from little candles on the table nestled in coffee beans, letting off an aroma of fresh coffee in the air, to a big streamer made of coffee filters, to a huge ‘custom drinks’ coffee bar, to several copycat recipe Starbucks treats. Such a fun theme for a party!

A friend recently asked me to make these little frappe cupcakes for her daughter’s 18th birthday party. I went to Starbucks and asked them if I could purchase some of their little sample espresso cups… they gave me a pack of 50 and assured me I did not need to pay for them! They also gave me plenty of straws, which I cut into thirds to stick in the tops of the cupcakes. 

The espresso cups are perfect cupcake size. I used basically the same amount of batter I would use in a normal cupcake liner. 

Adding VIA instant coffee to the batter gives it that true Starbucks taste. So good!

The filling is very light… a light whipped cream with caramel sauce stirred in. I used a decorating bag and my large cupcake tip, plunged it into each cake, and gave a small squeeze until I saw the cupcake swell just a little. It’s a very quick and easy way to fill cupcakes. 

I love how the buttercream resembles a mound of whip, just like a frappe! I kept it a little more stiff than I normally would for cupcakes, but I wanted to make sure the frosting was stiff enough to hold up the caramel and it worked perfect. After I frosted the cupcakes, I chilled them so they were cold when the I drizzled the caramel. Several hours later the caramel looked just like when I put them together. 

See the recipe below for some amazing Caramel Macchiato Cupcakes!

UPDATE: Many of our readers have been asking how to adjust this recipe because they can’t currently find the Royal Macchiato Instant Pudding Mix. We’re hoping stores carry them again soon!! But in the meantime, here’s what we’d do: Duncan Hines makes a caramel cake mix. You can use the caramel cake mix, vanilla pudding, and then an extra VIA. It’ll taste great!

Starbucks Caramel Macchiato Frappe Cupcakes

A delicious caramel-whip filled espresso cake topped with buttercream and caramel drizzle.

• Author: Six Clever Sisters

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 1 french vanilla cake mix
• 1 cup oil
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 package Royal Caramel Macchiato pudding mix
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 VIA instant coffee, Columbian Roast

Filling

• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 3 Tbs Hershey’s Caramel sauce

Frosting

• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 1 2 lb bag powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 c milk

Instructions

Cupcakes

1. Mix all ingredients and beat 2 minutes. Fill cupcake liners halfway and bake at 350° until a toothpick comes out clean, about 12-15 minutes.

Filling

1. Beat cream on high until stiff peaks form, slowly beat in powered sugar. Fold in caramel sauce.

Frosting

1. Beat butter until creamy. Beat in powered sugar a little at a time. Add vanilla and enough milk for desired consistency and beat on high for 4 minutes.
2. After cupcakes have cooled, pipe a mound of caramel whip into the center of each cupcake. Top with a frosting mound and drizzle with caramel. For the look of a frappe, shorten a green straw and stick it out of the cupcake toward one side.

Elisabeth Judy