I'm not very good with creating flavors. I usually just do vanilla or chocolate with regular buttercream, or lemon with raspberry. For my father-in-law's birthday, I want to make cupcakes that look like Starbucks drinks and make them in the flavor of caramel macchiato or cappuccino or something like that.

I just googled and found out that caramel macchiatos are espresso, vanilla, and caramel flavors all together.

What do I do? Make a coffee cupcake with vanilla/caramel buttercream? Or the other way around? Or just vanilla buttercrean and drizzle caramel on top?

I don't even like coffee, so this is even more difficult for me. Any help or links to your favorite recipes is greatly appreciated. (I didn't really find
anything in the recipe section with good reviews.)

Thanks so much!

Oh, I forgot to mention, either mix based or scratch is fine. I have several boxes of French vanilla mix in the cabinet at the moment.

I make caramel macchiato cupcakes (actually its my husband's favorite flavor). I don't know if you're a scratch or box person, but this is what I do.

DH Caramel cake mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup brewed coffee
1/2 cup caramel macchiato coffee creamer liquid
1/3 cup oil

For frosting, I make my regular buttercream recipe (a la Sugarshack!) For the liquid I substitute half brewed coffee and half caramel macchiato coffee creamer. If I'm making cupcakes I drizzle caramel on top. They are AMAZING!!!!

Here is how I made mine:
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1626570.html

1 Betty Crocker french vanilla cake mix
1 Instant pudding; french vanilla or butterscotch
2 packets Starbucks VIA, Italian Roast Coffee
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk
1 dram LoriAnn English Toffee or Butterscotch flavoring

Mix on low to combine, then on medium for 2 mins. Fill baking cups half full, and bake app 17 mins. Cover cupcakes with plastic wrap and let sit overnight for flavor to intensify.

Caramel Cream Icing... 2 cups Rich's Whip Topping/1 can Duncan Hines Caramel Frosting. Whip topping on medium w/wire whip to stiff peaks. Turn to low and add Caramel frosting gradually till mixed.

Place one unwrapped cupcake in Starbucks cup, top with some icing; add another cupcake and complete with swirl. Drizzle with Caramel Topping.
NOTE: This icing is to die for..

Thanks! I'm glad you both put recipes with cake mixes. I went to Starbucks yesterday and bought some of their instant coffee. They also had a bottle of the thick caramel that they put on top of the whipped cream. Oh, and some chocolate covered espresso beans to put on top. My husband is looking forward to these cupcakes.

Starbucks also had chocolate covered cacao beans. They're pretty good. I think they will be good in ice cream!

Thanks so much!

When I click on the link for the photos, a box comes up and says I have to be an authorized user. I put in my password and username but it keeps rejecting me. Any ideas what's going on?

Wow these recipes sound amazing!!! thank you ladies
I love coffee!