Cappuccino Angel Food Cupcakes

I don't like coffee.

But for some strange reason I had the urge to buy this grinder simply because it involved the words "sugar" and "chocolate".  I'm a sucker.

No really, I have a strong aversion to anything with even the slightest hint of coffee.  With one exception: Braum's Cappuccino Chunky Chocolate Ice Cream.  Best stuff on earth.  Not Snapple. 

But a special occasion prompted me to break out this grinder.  And this occasion also prompted me to finally make something that's been sitting on my kitchen bucket list since the inception of this blog.  (I've barely put a dent in the thing!):  my older sis turns __ today!  (Not sure if she's hit the point where she doesn't want to tell people her age so I'm gonna play it safe).

Anywho, my sis, Melissa (aka Mel) has a birthday today and I know her pretty well so I know that she typically likes her bday cake of the angel variety and I also know she loves Starbucks.  So I chose to combine the two and make her a special treat for her special day. 

I must declare coffee = awesome in this recipe!  It's there but not enough to make me furrow my brow and pucker my lips and run to the sink to spit up the disgusting bitterness that all things coffee-flavored usually carry.  And they're pretty light so you can average about three or four a day, like me :)

Cappuccino Angel Food Cupcakes

Makes 18 cupcakes

1/2 cup cake flour (or 1 tablespoon cornstarch + fill the rest of the 1/2 cup with all-purpose flour)

1/4 cup powdered sugar

6-7 large egg whites (1/2 cup + 1/3 cup)

3/4 teaspoon cream of tarter

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons ground coffee

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Sift flour and powdered sugar through sieve set over a small bowl.  Set aside.

In large mixing bowl with whisk attachment, beat egg whites, cream of tarter, salt, coffee, and cinnamon at medium speed until foamy.  Increase speed to medium-high; beat until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted.  Sprinkle in granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until sugar has dissolved and egg whites stand in stiff, glossy peaks when whisk is lifted.  Beat in vanilla extract. 

Sift the flour mixture, one-third at a time, over the beaten egg whites.  Fold in each addition with a rubber spatula until the flour mixture is no longer visible. 

Drop 1/4 cup-fulls into muffin tins lined with cupcake liners.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly pressed.  Serve topped with whipped cream and a few turns of the grinder! (Or sprinkle with a mixture of 1 tablespoon powdered sugar and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon).

Adapted from The Good Housekeeping Cookbook.