If our collective obsession with the chocolate muffins at the 2024 Olympics and an entire Seinfeld episode devoted to “The Muffin Top” weren’t proof enough that Americans are sweet on muffins, perhaps this will seal the deal. Several times since “William Shatner’s” Cappuccino Muffins first graced the internet, they’ve had sparks of viral success on blogs and social media.
I put the Star Trek actor’s name in quotes because the jury is still out if this is actually William Shatner’s Cappuccino Muffin recipe. It’s been credited to him since at least 2007, when Anna Ginsberg of Cookie Madness originally shared her rendition. The buzzy morning muffins have been making the rounds online ever since—still attributed to Shatner.
Ginsberg credits Recipe Goldmine as the place she first discovered the formula, and I was unable to find more about the history of this exact baked good. Still, Shatner has been embracing the “live long and prosper” philosophy for 94 years, so he’s bound to have made his fair share of recipes in his day…so maybe this is one of them. With that in mind, I decided to go boldly into the kitchen to find out how these muffins stack up.
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How to Make William Shatner’s Cappuccino Muffins
Regardless of who first dreamed up this Cappuccino Muffin recipe, it’s easy to understand the appeal. The instructions ask for just 11 ingredients total, and the average basic kitchen is stocked with 10—if not all 11—of those items as we speak. Plus, as you might guess based on the name, these muffins are designed to combine the best parts of a breakfast pastry and a cup of Joe in each bite.
Here’s how to make them:
Combine the dry ingredients. Into a large bowl, sift all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, instant espresso powder, cinnamon, and salt.
Prepare the wet ingredients. In another medium bowl, beat an egg with milk and melted butter. Add a splash of vanilla extract and stir to combine.
Mix the batter. Make a well in the center of the flour, then pour in the milk mixture. Pour in chocolate chips. Using a spatula, stir until the flour is just moistened and mostly incorporated (a few small clumps are okay).
Scoop and bake. Grease muffin tins or line them with paper baking cups, then scoop batter into each well, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes.
Tips For Making Your Best Batch of Muffins
Although it’s tempting to reach for a boxed mix (and I have no shame in doing so!), this Cappuccino Muffin recipe was a lovely reminder that a batch of homemade muffins can be on the table in just half an hour. If you’re feeling inspired to give “Shatner’s” strategy a try too, here are a few helpful hints from our Test Kitchen and my experiment with this and other similar muffin recipes:
Try a chopped chocolate bar. Chocolate chips are formulated to maintain their cute kiss shape, which means they tend to resist melting. Compared to chocolate bars, chips usually have less cocoa butter content and more stabilizers. If you prefer pockets of melted chocolate, take a cue from our Chocolate-Cherry Muffin recipe and chop up a chocolate bar (with your desired sweetness level). Fold in ¾ cup chocolate pieces instead of using chips.
Spike your batter. With just 2 teaspoons of instant espresso powder in the 12-muffin recipe, I found the coffee flavor to be quite mild. I’m not a big coffee fan, so faint java flavor is just fine with me. However, if you crave more kick, follow the lead of our five-star Vietnamese Coffee Cake Muffins and replace ¼ cup of the milk in the wet mixture with cooled brewed espresso.
Stagger the muffins. If you have some breathing room in your baking time, or if your baking toolkit includes a couple muffin tins, I like to space out the muffins by skipping a well between each that I fill. This ends up looking like a 2-1-2-1 pattern. (Fill the empty cups with a splash of water so you don’t scorch your pan.) Although this muffin hack requires more time or multiple pans, I find that it’s well worth it to promote better air circulation—which leads to more even baking. The muffin tops tend to dome up better, too.
Test for doneness. As written, this muffin recipe simply says “bake until just done, approximately 20 minutes.” This begs the question, “what does ‘done’ mean?” Our Test Kitchen swears by the toothpick test for muffins, quick breads, and cakes. It’s easy: Simply insert a wooden toothpick near the center of a baked good. If you remove the toothpick and it appears clean (without wet batter or big clumps stuck to it), the recipe is done. Opt for a thin, sharp knife or a bamboo skewer if you don’t have a toothpick. If you’d like some extra insurance that you haven’t underbaked, gently press on the top of the muffin. If it springs back, it should be good to go. If the indentation remains, bake for a few minutes more.
Store with care. It’s tough to beat a still-warm-from-the-oven muffin, and they’re often best enjoyed the day they are baked. But if you happen to have extra after making muffins, transfer them to an airtight container and keep at room temperature for up to 4 days. Or if you’d like more time—and a gift for your future self—pop cooled muffins into a zip-top bag, label with the name and date, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature before enjoying.
The Verdict on William Shatner’s Cappuccino Muffins
Often, starting my day with a sweet baked good has me anxious about the impending sugar rush…and crash. But I found these muffins to be soft, lofty, tender, and just sweet enough. Even as a non-coffee drinker, I enjoyed starting my day with a warm Cappuccino Muffin, a carton of Greek yogurt, and fruit salad. I found that breakfast line-up to keep my energy even-keeled for several hours. If you prefer your muffins on the sweater side, try drizzling a vanilla, espresso, or chocolate glaze on top.
Coffee fans might crave more flavor, so I’d recommend the espresso-for-milk swap mentioned above. As for me, the only thing missing was a bit more cinnamon. That’s one spice I measure with my heart, rather than by the spoonful, so ½ teaspoon felt a bit timid for my taste. But that’s one of the terrific things about spices; they’re generally quite flexible and adding a little more or less likely won’t throw off the chemistry involved in a recipe. Yes, even a baked one (designed by Captain Kirk or otherwise)!
Dining and Cooking