By ELAINA MERCATORIS
News Editor
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You wake up at noon on Saturday and you’re cold and tired. The rain spitting at the window certainly doesn’t help. You planned to do homework in the afternoon before partaking in various Saturday night activities. Sure, go ahead and get started on that homework. An hour later when you’re browsing the internet, procrastinating and not getting anything done, get off your butt and bake something.

When it’s raining and cold, I’ve found there’s no better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than baking. It may become my winter ritual. A weekend cleanse for my week of chaos.

If you’re feeling introspective, then bake alone. It’ll do something for your soul. Or if you’re in the mood to interact, find your friends and have a good time.

My friend Charlie Magovern, who has become a baking fiend if you don’t know him, initially invited me to make coffee cupcakes with him. Anything with coffee in it, count me in. After searching for recipes, we settled on cinnamon roll cupcakes with a coffee-flavored frosting.

Imagine a gooey cinnamon roll with the consistency of a coffee cake.

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix together the ingredients for the cake part: flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, sour cream, eggs and vanilla extract. For once, I can put all of the ingredients in the same bowl. Make sure you soften your butter before you attempt to use your manpower to stir it all together. Otherwise, you’ll have to use an electric mixer. Trust me, we learned from experience.

Get out your cupcake pans, metal or aluminum. If you don’t have paper liners, spray with PAM or something similar.

Place a spoonful of batter in each one and then drip about a teaspoon of the cinnamon mixture on top. Using a toothpick or straw or something thin, gradually swirl the mixture into the top of the batter. Then put another spoonful of batter on top and swirl more cinnamon on top.

Bake for about 20 minutes until you can insert a toothpick or fork and have it come out clean.

While the cupcakes are cooking and cooling, prepare the frosting, using brewed coffee, butter, sugar and vanilla extract. For a stronger coffee flavor, add more coffee. But, keep in mind, you may have to add more sugar to get a good consistency. Frosting is easy if you put it in a Ziploc bag and cut off a small corner.

You’re supposed to wait until the cupcakes are completely cool before you frost them, otherwise they will get runny. This situation becomes paradoxical because the cupcakes are without doubt the best right out of the oven. The cupcakes are just like a cinnamon roll — they’re better when they are warm. Don’t wait, share them right away!

Original recipe can be found at bakingdom.com.

INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE CUPCAKES
1 1/2 cups (190 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (113 grams) sour cream
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FOR THE SWIRL
1/4 cup (1/2 stick or 56.5 grams) unsalted butter (melted)
1/3 cup (85 grams) brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

FOR THE COFFEE ICING
2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (125 grams) confectioner’s sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) brewed coffee