Taco Bar Party

Part One Dessert
This quote attributed to Jaques Torres and no one says it better. 

A friend's birthday was the inspiration for a Potluck Taco Bar Party. So starting backwards  today's posting begins with the most important course-dessert.  Some ideas found on Pinterest for serving cupcakes was recently posted. 
https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2019/01/weekend-round-up_20.html

This is my birthday take on the idea below. 

Ingredients:
Birthday crown
Candles
Plastic champagne glasses found at Party City. I found the ones at Dollar Tree not the right size and didn't have an opening in the stem for the candies. 
M&M's
Cupcake recipe (your favorite one or use the one below posted) 
Sprinkles

Directions:
Add candies to the plastic stem before placing cupcake in.
Bake cupcakes. I added a clean paper liner to the other cupcake liner before frosting.
 

Mocha Cupcakes with Espresso Spiked Buttercream Frosting
Cook's notes: These cupcakes are coffee and espresso-infused, with a subtle chocolate flavor, and topped with an espresso-spiked buttercream frosting. Even if you aren't a coffee lover there is lots to love about these cupcakes, especially the buttercream frosting. The recipe is low maintenance in terms of preparation. I used my hand mixer and had these cupcakes into the oven less than 30 minutes after I got started. The texture is so incredibly soft and tender, with not even a hint of dryness. And the flavor will make you think of a Cafe Mocha. Optional Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans
(Cupcake recipe adapted from My Baking Addiction) and makes 12 regular size cupcakes.

Ingredients:
Cupcakes:

• ½ cup brewed coffee, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. espresso powder
• ½ cup milk
• 2 TB. Kahlua
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp.baking soda
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg, at room temperature

Espresso Buttercream Frosting:

• 3 TB. butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. espresso powder
• 1 TB. Kahlua 
• 2 TB. milk

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard-size muffin tin with paper liners.

Cupcakes: 

• In a measuring cup, whisk the espresso powder into the brewed coffee until completely dissolved. Add the milk, Kahlua and vanilla extract; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of the coffee mixture, mixing each until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, give the batter a final stir to ensure everything is incorporated.
• Fill each muffin cup about two-thirds full with batter. Bake for 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting the cupcakes.

Frosting: 

• In a small bowl, whisk the espresso powder into the vanilla and Kahlua until dissolved. beat in powdered sugar add only enough milk to attain right frosting consistency.