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Coffee Coffee Cake Muffins

April 17, 2012 by Joy the Baker 174 Comments

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I saw people in bikinis today.  People.  In.  Bikinis.

Friends… apparently it’s time.  Granted, I live in Los Angeles.  It’s SunnySunTown.

Just a few days ago I was eager and ready for summer.  Summer is great, right!?  Well… I was mostly thinking about watermelon, picnics, and late night tacos.  I was NOT thinking about bikinis.  I’m not ready to think about bikinis.  I’m medium ready to think about tankinis… and that’s about as far as it goes.

I tend to have really strange reactions to seeing people in bikinis.  I make muffins.  It’s sort of a knee-jerk reaction.  People are wearing very little clothes in public?  Right… right.  I’ll be right back.  I have to go make a dozen, and eat at least two muffins. (brb. no bigs)

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I want to pack these muffins with as much flavor as possible.

In my kitchen, flavor generally starts with browned butter.

The process of browning butter takes the cold stick of yellow butter, and makes it a golden brown, nutty smelling, butter liquid.

It is divinity.

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I made simple sugar fragrant and utterly lovely by adding fresh vanilla bean.

I split a vanilla bean, scraped out the seeds and rubbed it into granulated sugar.  I used my clean fingers.  This pretty much creates the best perfume ever.

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Next flavor?  Espresso!

Instant espresso powder is one of my secret weapons in the kitchen.  …I’ll throw it in the eyes on any burglar that breaks in my house.

It also adds an amazing depth to chocolate desserts.  Brownies and chocolate cakes are brilliant with just a touch of instant espresso powder re-hydrated in a bit of hot water.

In these muffins, the espresso powder isn’t hidden behind dreamy chocolate.  The coffee flavor is combined with browned butter and vanilla sugar to create… well, a dang lovely breakfast muffin batter.

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I filled the muffin cups halfway with the vanilla, brown butter batter… then I stirred the espresso mixture into the remaining batter and topped off the muffin cups.  Yea… vanilla and coffee in these humble little muffins.  No biggie.

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Streusel and cinnamon too!  It wouldn’t be coffee cake without a streusel.

These are good thinking and planning muffins.  Grab your calender and coffee… settle in.  Avoid any and all thoughts about bikinis.

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Or!  Put on a pair of cowboy boots and a little dress and take these muffins for brunch times.  Totally the right move.

These muffins are tender and flavorful.  The coffee flavor is alluring and not too sweet.  They’re like little cupcakes you can totally get away with enjoying in the morning.  It’s just good breakfast eating.

Coffee Coffee Cake Muffins

makes 12 muffins

Print this Recipe!

10 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk

2 large eggs

2 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons istant espresso powder mixed with 1 1/2 tablespoons warm water

For the Topping

3 Tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Put a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line muffin pan with paper or foil liners.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Keep an eye on the butter.  Melt and cook down the butter until little brown bits appear in the pan.  The crackling will subside and butter will begin to brown fairly quickly after that.  Keep a close eye.  Remove from heat.

If using vanilla bean, split the vanilla bean down the center, scrape the seeds out, and in a small bowl, rub the vanilla beans into the granulated sugar.  I used my fingers and it worked like a charm.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, and vanilla.  Add the brown butter and stir to combine.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl  Add milk and butter mixture all at once, and stir gently to combine.

Divide half of the batter among muffin cups.  Stir the espresso and water mixture into the remaining batter.  Divide the espresso batter between the twelve muffin cups.

To make the topping combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until crumbly.  Sprinkle evenly over the batter in the cups.

Bake until golden and crisp and a wooden pick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes.  Keep an eye on them… they dry out quickly.  Cool in pan on a rack for 15 minutes then remove from the pan.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Filed Under: Breakfast, Muffins, Recipes, Vanilla

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Reader Interactions

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Questions
  1. Jane

    April 18, 2012 at 6:39 am

    Dang! I was going to make your Lemon Poppy Seed muffins this weekend, but now I might have to make these! Or maybe both…

    Reply
    • joythebaker

      April 18, 2012 at 8:33 am

      those lemon poppyseed muffins are so good! both!

      Reply
  2. Elizabeth

    April 18, 2012 at 6:25 am

    Wait. You only ate two?
    Are you feeling ok?

    Reply
  3. amanda @ fake ginger

    April 18, 2012 at 6:18 am

    These muffins look fantastic! I’m a sucker for coffee cake so portable coffee cake = dream come true.

    Reply
  4. Iris

    April 18, 2012 at 6:17 am

    I am a sucker for anything coffee flavor. But you started the post talking about bikinis, which reminded me bikini season will be here soon enough, and espresso muffins in my house are very, very dangerous.

    Reply
  5. Amanda | Little Door On The Sound

    April 18, 2012 at 5:54 am

    I’ll take muffins over bikinis any day! These look amazing and are making me seriously hungry… yum, yum, yum

    Reply
  6. Rachael B

    April 18, 2012 at 5:51 am

    I saw bikinis too… on old leathery woman sitting on our beach. Gross! I actually bought a one piece from old navy and the ridiculous look I got from the woman behind the counter made me laugh. I’m only 25 and I don’t believe in flaunting my pasty white, semi-reflective skin. I’d like to think people would thank me for not baring it all or worse – blinding them!

    Reply
  7. Catalina @ Cake with Love

    April 18, 2012 at 5:27 am

    The crumble topping on top is amazing, thats why I love muffins!

    Reply
  8. Louisa @ The Heart Beats Faster

    April 18, 2012 at 5:23 am

    Yum, these look so good!!! Bikini’s are definitely not so appealing though :)

    Reply
  9. thelittleloaf

    April 18, 2012 at 5:19 am

    I’m a sunshine worshipper and love any excuse to get my bikini on but I love muffins more, especially gorgeous coffee cake muffins like these. Delicious, whatever the time of year.

    Reply
  10. Vickie

    April 18, 2012 at 5:16 am

    they look so good!

    Reply
  11. ileana

    April 18, 2012 at 5:14 am

    Oh, man. Yes. A little coffee flavor in my chocolate is the best. Can’t wait to try these muffins.

    Reply
  12. Todd

    April 18, 2012 at 5:11 am

    I really like this idea– always looking for good coffee cakes and good muffins; in my head they’re perfect for quiet rainy mornings with my cup of coffee. This recipe looks fantastic, thanks.

    Reply
  13. Katherine @ eggton

    April 18, 2012 at 5:00 am

    You know, back in the day, women didn’t wear bikinis. They wore “CUMBERSOME PANTALOONS” when they went swimming. Cumbersome pantaloons were pretty much leggings and a full body suit. You could eat all 12 of those muffins and still look rad in your cumbersome pantaloons 20 minutes later at the swimming hole or wherever. The look was pretty awesome, and probably cheaper than today’s $45 PER SQUARE INCH of bikini. Check out my girl Anette Kellerman (famous old-time swimmer) rocking the look here:

    https://eggton.com/2012/01/13/relax-and-pull-up-your-swim-pants/

    Reply
  14. Caroline @ chocolate & carrots

    April 18, 2012 at 4:36 am

    Screw bikinis. I want these! :D

    Reply
  15. Julie H. of Spinach and Sprinkles

    April 18, 2012 at 4:22 am

    I am pregnant right now so my reaction is very similar- I want to run and cry—- or eat muffins!

    Reply
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