Mocha Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream Frosting
These mocha cupcakes are coffee and espresso-infused, with a subtle chocolate flavor, and topped with an espresso-spiked buttercream frosting.
These mocha cupcakes are a chocolate and coffee lover’s dream come true. If you can’t get your day going without your favorite cup of coffee, you’re in luck.
I might even go so far as to suggest that you should just skip your morning cup of coffee or trip to Starbucks and have one of these instead. The cake part itself strikes a subtle balance between light chocolate and a hint of creamy coffee. Not overwhelming on either end of the spectrum, and the combination results in a smooth, clean flavor, which is perfect for topping with espresso-spiked buttercream.
I love this recipe because it’s incredibly low maintenance in terms of preparation. I used my hand mixer and had these babies into the oven less than 30 minutes after I got started. I am absolutely infatuated with the texture of the cupcake – it’s so incredibly soft and tender, with not even a hint of dryness. It’s basically the perfect cupcake and I’m dying to think of other recipes to use the same base recipe.
As always, I try to achieve at least a 1:1 ratio of frosting to cake when frosting my cupcakes. Frosting is dreamy, yes? I could eat it with a spoon, straight from the mixing bowl. I pile it way high!
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I’ve mentioned many times that I’m not a big coffee drinker, mostly because I don’t like the flavor of black coffee, so I need to doctor it up with all kinds of cream and sugar to enjoy it, and I figure if I’m going to do that, I might as well just have some dessert… Oh wait.
These mocha cupcakes are pretty much how I like to ingest my coffee. Sugar? Check. Cream? Check.
While I don’t drink coffee, I absolutely, positively LOVE these cupcakes, and I’m willing to bet that many of you will, too!
Four years ago: Cherry Coke Float Cupcakes
Mocha Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- ½ cup (118.5 ml) brewed coffee, at room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) espresso powder
- ½ cup (122 ml) whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1⅓ cups (166.67 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (28.67 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (110 g) light brown sugar
- 1 egg, at room temperature
For the Espresso Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) espresso powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard-size muffin tin with paper liners.
- Make the Cupcakes: In a measuring cup, whisk the espresso powder into the brewed coffee until completely dissolved. Add the milk 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 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting the cupcakes.
- Make the Frosting: In a small bowl, whisk the espresso powder into the vanilla until dissolved; set aside.
- Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping once to scrape the sides of the bowl. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the powdered sugar a little at a time, waiting until it is mostly incorporated before adding more. Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, scrape the sides of the bowl and increase the speed to medium-high and whip until fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the espresso and vanilla mixture and continue to mix at medium-high speed until it is completely incorporated, scraping the sides as necessary. Frost the cupcakes as desired (I used the Wilton 1M decorating tip).
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published on August 13, 2010.
I made these cupcakes in my consumer ed. class for a Cupcake Wars. We added mini chocolate chips inside the cupcake batter to give the chocolatey flavor a little more *zing!* and also sprinkled some minis atop the frosting. They were a huge hit; everybody loved the look and taste of everthing!
Hi Maria, I’m sorry to hear that these didn’t quite turn out for you. Unfortunately there are a number of things that could have caused this so it’s really hard to pinpoint one cause exactly, especially without being there while they were made. Some possibilities:
– The baking powder and/or the baking soda could have been expired and didn’t work properly.
– If you opened the oven during baking it could have caused them to collapse.
– If they were taken out of the oven too early and the interior structure of the cupcake wasn’t fully cooked, they will sink when removed from the heating element.
– The oven temperature could be off; I always recommend an oven thermometer to make sure the temperature is correct.
– The batter could have been overmixed, or the cupcake liners overfilled.
Thanks for the quick response, I do believe my baking soda has expired, also as I was retracing my thoughts I remembered I only put in one egg and I had doubled the recipe, so that’s probably why they didn’t have body. I have already bought some new baking soda and will definitely make these again. The crumbs are really delicious and now I can attempt making those cake pops. :)
Hey, just made these and they collapsed as soon as I tried to take them out of the pan. Looks like I’m turning them into cake pops. It’s moist, the flavor is good but the cupcake has no body. Any guesses of what may have gone wrong? I followed the recipe exactly.
So I made these cupcakes last weekend and topped them with peppermint buttercream frosting for a peppermint mocha cupcake…Oh my goodness! They were heavenly. Move over Starbucks ;)
The worst recipe I have tried the cupcakes were bland, sunken and fell apart…
Hi Michelle, just wanted to let you know that your frosting is to-die-for! I didn’t use your cupcake recipe, but used the frosting for a different chocolate cupcake I made. I hope it’s okay I shared your recipe on my blog and gave you the big kudos and a link to your site :) Thank you!
I made this recipe tonight, and it was fantastic! My only complaint is that the cupcakes were too big and overflowed when they baked. Next time, I will make 18 cupcakes from this batter instead of 12. Not sure what happened. Other than that, though, they were absolutely amazing! Thanks for sharing. :)
These cupcakes were amazing! Thank you for sharing this recipe… I did run into a problem, however. The frosting I made looked nothing like that of which you made… It ended up extremely thick and quite dry..actually so dry that my pastry bag didn’t want to squeeze it out! :) Any idea of what I did wrong? To prevent this? Still tasted great nonetheless..
Hmm so thick that it wouldn’t go through a pastry bag is quite thick! Did you make any changes to the ingredients or quantities, or technique used? If not, it would really difficult to say what may have gone wrong.
Hmm..I used the same technique and quantities. I did check my packages just now, and I just noticed my butter was not unsalted. Is the salt the culprit? Whoops!?
I don’t think the salted butter would have done it. But, was your butter soft at room temperature? If it was hard, it may not have whipped up well.
Hm, yes..it was at room temperature. I probably made some human error and didn’t realize it. No worries, I will surely make these cupcakes and this frosting again in the near future…I’ll see where I made mistake then. Thanks for your help!
Needed an easy frosting recipe for my chocolate cupcakes. The espresso buttercream was perfect…can’t wait to try your cupcake recipe! Thanks!
Coffee and chocolate is my weakness. Chocolate and peanut butter is a close second. I have to have these. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
i see..wow, no wonder my cupcakes are super dense! thank you! =) i live in the philippines and i am new to baking. as to frosting, i’m a disaster! the last time i tried, 1 batch became so runny and the other got more than enough powdered sugar it got so hard and cracked easily. i’m so glad i chanced upon your link while googling for the perfect mocha cupcake recipe yesterday because i really learned a lot in a span of 1 day. many many thanks! =)
hello..based on the comments, i may have found the perfect mocha cupcake recipe. is there any difference between incorporating by hand or an electric mixer the dry ingredients to the buttered sugar-butter mixture? because i’m not sure if overbeating the batter affects the cupcakes. thanks!
You can use an electric mixer on the lowest setting, or fold by hand. Mix until JUST combined, and give it a few more gentle folds by hand. Overbeating can definitely cause dry and/or dense cupcakes.
Desperate to try these but totally lost on the measurements … What is 1- 1/3 flour is that cups … Do you have the measure for that in grams .. Many thanks, Jane
Hi Jane, It is 1 cup, plus another 1/3 cup. I do not have the gram measurements, although you might be able to find some conversions through Google.
I’m going to try these for a school parent cocktail party, but make them mini-sized. How would you adjust the baking time and/or temperature? Thanks!
You are my new hero! I made these back in August for my husband’s birthday and STILL cannot stop thinking about them! I’ve made them 3 times since them and will make them again next week. Everyone I’ve made them for loves them, including a friend who hates coffee flavored anything! Thank you thank you for this amazing recipe!
This is the easiest chocolate cupcake recipe ever! I messed up the recipe multiple times and it still came out great! :o
Just found your blog – amazing! this recipe is JUST what I’ve been searching for. I have to make a dessert for my brother-in-laws bday and he is a coffee-lover, I am not. Can’t wait to tackle it.
I love using the 1M tip but I love that ruffled look on one of the cupcakes swirls….how did you get that effect???
Hey! I recently made some great cupcakes and started getting into baking again. I had a sudden discovery of the most amazing aisle in Michael’s…. and ended up getting a ton of stuff for decorating. Please post that demonstration for the icing as soon as possible! I really want mine to look that fantastic as I plan on making a ton of them and giving them out to people =) It makes them look extra delicious ! I really hope you can put up a video soon!!! Thanks!
On the chocolate mocha cupcakes u said u used a 1M tip. How did u pipe the frosting to look like ribbons?
Hi Dawn, I really just swirl around and up on top of the cupcake, I don’t really have a special technique, but I am working on creating a video of this since I get so many questions about it.
I made these yesterday and they are hands down the best cupcakes I’ve ever made (I make a lot of cupcakes!!) I almost ate all 12 myself! I froze 5 of them (not frosted) and took them out this afternoon and they were just as delicious as when they were fresh baked!! They were so good that I am making them again right now!! I may attempt to make mini ones though, I have some of the frosting leftover and I think it’s a perfect amount for a batch of minis! Thanks for a great recipe!!
Help! I have just taken my first batch out of the oven. The centers are sinking.
Any thoughts? I do check my oven temp frequently..it is ok. Have I over/under beat?? I want to do a second batch right away, but would like to know what I should change…Thanks…..sue
Hi Sue, Usually sinking in the middle indicates that the center isn’t quite baked the whole way through yet.
I just made this frosting but increased the vanilla and espresso to two tsp each (for a friend who luuuurves coffee flavored sweets), and it was PERFECT! aaaand…it was my first time ever making buttercream! this recipe is keeper- silky, sweet, and with a great coffee kick. easy, too. thanks :)
How do you do the frosting like that it looks amazing!
I am actually working on a little video tutorial to demonstrate, this is one of the most frequently asked questions I get. Stay tuned!
Hi, I was trying them actually right now and I am wondering if the brewed coffee is mixed with water or just mix the expresso no water needed? I’m so confused? Thanks
Nope, no water! Just mix the espresso with the brewed coffee!
I made these cupcakes yesterday and they are delicious and just as moist today. The only problem is the recipe only makes 12 cupcakes and that’s not enough to share. Can you double the recipe to make 24 instead?
Yes, you can definitely double the recipe!
I’m a follower of your blog all the way from New Zealand, just whipped these cupcakes up from your recipe this afternoon and felt I must commend you on a fantastic recipe. The cupcake was light and fluffy and the buttercream soft and airy, I will most definitely be making these again!
So I made these tonight and the flavor is fantastic, especially the frosting. However I made mini cupcakes and they came out dry. I dont normally have this problem, but I dont normally make mini’s. I baked them on 325 for 15 minutes instead of what you listed above. Any advice on how to make sure they come out moist.
Hi Brittany, Sometimes mini versions can bake up in as little as 8 minutes; my guess would be that these may have been over-baked.
I bake the mini versions and only leave them in for 7 minutes.
This recipe is so yummy. I tried it out yesterday and my family loved it! The frosting is so tasty and the cake was so moist. Thank you for sharing your recipe! I will definitely be making these again!
Your cupcakes & espresso frosting are SO delicious. Thank you for sharing it with us. =) I could literally just eat the batter. These are also great after being chilled overnight in the fridge. I made them to include in a care package for my friend studying for CPA exams; I am sure these will lift her up. Thanks again, I’ll be making them again soon!
Hi Michelle,
I really was disappointed in the cake portion of this cupcake. I found it extremely dry, however I do not know why b/c everyone else said it was perfectly moist. I ate it with a fork, and it fell apart on every bite. I completed the hunt for a perfect chocolate cupcake recipe, it is said to be the one Georgetown Cupcake uses (doubtfully). Here’s the link if anyone wants it. http://www.cbs.com/daytime/the_talk/blog/?id=55436
Allie(: