White Mocha Cupcakes
You know how they say your spouse makes you want to be a better person? Yeah, well, I feel like my honey is pushing me towards suicide. I’m almost positive I won’t be here another week.
The Mr. is making me go to the gym 4 days a week. He has this little Marine-Corps-green notebook from which he calls out our interval exercises. This week, his crazy orders have included “hanging reverse crunch” and “sitting bicep curl.” Do those words mean anything to you? Yeah, me neither. I just know it means pains a’comin’. Watching the two of us switch places on the lift bench is almost comical, considering he lifts more than my body weight, and I lift, well, the bar. Why don’t we just stay home and I’ll perch like a bird on a 2 x 4 with a platter of cupcakes and he can use me as a weight bar?
Anyway, I suppose he’s got a good thing going for me. My day job is really physically demanding and the stronger I am, the safer it is for me. But sometimes I feel like it’s not just about my safety and health—I feel like he’s making me into a work horse for the time when we start our farm. I think his goal is to have me able to lift a spool of drip tape by myself. That weighs in the neighborhood of 50 pounds, in case you’re wondering.
Don’t tell him, but I’m secretly excited that I might have a six-pack someday. That only requires 3 or 4 trips to the gym, right?
I have another secret for y’all to keep from him: last week, I ate 2 ramekins of crème brulee before meeting him at the gym. I made up a lame excuse why I couldn’t ride with him, then snuck away to the fridge to gobble them down before getting in my car. Even I have to admit that it just doesn’t feel right to put on work-out clothes between bites of crème brulee. I do have some morals, you know.
Morals aside, I feel like I’ve aged decades overnight. No longer can I bend over to pick up something without groaning. Lifting my arm over my head to put on deodorant requires a hope and a prayer. I know people say working out makes them feel great, but I feel like an 80-year old woman with mobility issues.
Luckily, I have sugar and caffeine to keep me going. These white mocha cupcakes provide just the right pre-workout boost for me. I hope you’ll use them the same way.
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- 1 large egg white
- 1½ teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 6 tablespoons flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 ounce of white chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon cold sour cream
- Preheat the oven to 350 and line 4 cups in a muffin pan with liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, sour cream and egg white very well.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the instant espresso powder, flour, baking soda and salt. Combine this with the wet ingredients and whisk very well.
- Divide between 4 cupcake liners and bake for 15-17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The cupcakes will be flat, not domed like muffins.
- Once completely cool, fold together the powdered sugar and melted white chocolate. Add ¼ cup of the sour cream and stir, adding the extra tablespoon to get the consistency you want. Frost the cupcakes and serve. Dust with cocoa powder, if desired.













As a professional ballet teacher, I can assure you that crème brulee is a staple in the proper training of any elite athlete. That’s just science.
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The gym visits will just allow you to make more sweet treats lol. The cupcakes look delicious!
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These sound amazing! YUM!
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White mocha..in cupcake form…oh lordy these look and sound fab!
“Luckily, I have sugar and caffeine to keep me going” <– hey, that's my line!
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yikes…it’s been a while since i was that sore! kind of miss it…but i think the cupcakes more than make up for it
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I could imagine the muscle aches. Hope you feel better soon. The cupcakes look very nice and I am sure they taste yummy.
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My hubby tried this on me once, no sir, lol
I can imagine you quickly spooning each sweet bite, lol
Lovely cupcakes!!
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I can always read your posts for a good smile
You are too funny! But I feel you on the feeling like an old lady. I have definitely been there and LIKED it. I know, something is wrong with me. I would eat one of your cupcakes before and after a workout if I had one!!
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I once got my boyfriend to take me running. Never again. I’m so impressed with your dedication!
My problem is that I would probably eat a couple of these cupcakes and then not go to the gym…
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You are so funny! Creme brulee before the gym… love it!
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You are hilarious! I am a personal trainer and have to share this post with my clients. The soreness will go away hang in there. I know they will want one of these cupcakes also, I certainly do. White chocolate is my favorite.
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LOL at the surreptitious creme brulee incident! That is too funny!
These cupcakes look delicious
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Adorbs! I love working our with my husband – it’s a nice chance to spend time together during the week!
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What is this exercise thing you speak of…??? It sounds tiring.
Your cupcakes look amazing as always!!
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You are so funny. I’m pretty sure these would make me pretty happy as a pre-workout snack, but the odds of my making it to the gym would get pretty low haha.
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This post actually made me laugh out loud! I love it!! My husband used to be the same way! It’s like “thanks for the motivation, but REALLY, I’m done.”
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Hanging Reverse Crunch. Isn’t that like granola?? GREG
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you are so cute & funny! i totally feel your pain. my hubby makes (asks nicely?) me go to crossfit at 6am! while i feel awesome after the workout, i’m usually moaning & groaning for days after. and if we do pull-ups? 100% impossible for me to lift my arms higher than shoulder level. sigh, the things we do for them
and my secret motivation is a six-pack too hehe
anyways, your cupcakes look soooo good! they remind me of those white mocha drinks at starbucks! can’t wait to try these out
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I miss being that sore when I’m not. I kind of love it. But I love creme brulee and cupcakes too. Tough choices! These sound fantastic!
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Impressive! Both of you! Go Team!
That being said, I’m not sure that I can dump sugar into my belly and then workout. Of course, I’m not willing to give up sugar – and it shows.
White mochas are one of my favorite coffeehouse treats. You had me at “white mocha”.
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Yeah, just two more trips and you’ll be HULK HOGAN!
oh, ew. Don’t do that.
xo.
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You are so funny! I love your work horse anecdote. But oooh I’m so sorry for your pain. But hey just think of the calories you’ll burn at rest with all that new muscle! I hear muscle practically eats fat. I think that’s the medical description. But yeah, I don’t really like working out at all. I only do it so that I can eat more.
These cupcakes look fantastic! Anything that sounds like a coffee drink…I’m sold. Oddly enough I have a batch of Mocha coconut frappuccino cupcakes in the oven (Jessica’s recipe from how sweet) but I LOVE the idea of the white mocha! …Starbucks runs my life.
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This has egg whites, which means it has protein, which means it’s the perfect pre-gym fuel
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These look amazing. Two very good things – coffee and white chocolate. I may make these today!
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Hilarious, I love that you’re using these as a pre-workout snack. Makes sense to me.
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I am loving that frosting!
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I am adding espresso powder and white chocolate to the grocery list, and I will have everything I need to make these!!!!
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these look incredible. I have to make them stat!
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I loved reading this post. I’m in the process of starting to exercise again after having my 2nd child who is 4months old. I love to eat and sometimes I feel like I need to physically clamp myouth shut I don’t put any more food in there. And it doesn’t help that my hubby is also a foodie. Anyhow, your white mocha cupcake looks scrumptious ANC I can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing
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