Who says you can’t have your coffee and eat it too? These Mocha Cupcakes bring together the flavors of rich dark chocolate and bold coffee just perfectly. In this recipe, I’ve paired my favorite ultra moist chocolate cupcakes with a silky espresso Swiss meringue buttercream for the ultimate mocha treat.
This mocha cupcake recipe is a scaled-down version of my amazing Mocha Cake! The chocolate cupcakes are made with strong brewed coffee enhancing their deep and rich chocolate flavor, while the coffee buttercream is infused with instant espresso powder – ensuring every bite is packed with mocha goodness.
✨ Recipe highlights
- TASTE: rich dark chocolate with bold coffee flavor.
- TEXTURE: soft and moist cupcakes with smooth and silky frosting.
- EASE: the cupcakes are super easy to make by hand while the frosting is a little bit more advanced since it is a Swiss meringue buttercream, but I will walk you through it step-by-step.
- WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: if you love coffee and chocolate, you will love these cupcakes. They are hands down the softest, moistest coffee mocha cupcakes with the silkiest frosting, guaranteed!
What you’ll need for mocha cupcakes
Skip ahead to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients with quantities.
For the cupcakes
Here is everything you’ll need to make the chocolate mocha cupcakes and some notes on the key ingredients.
- Cocoa powder – you can use either natural or Dutch-processed cocoa powder in the cupcakes. I personally prefer Dutch-processed because of the deeper chocolate flavor.
- Coffee – you can brew a pot of coffee and use some for these cupcakes or you can use instant coffee or instat espresso and prepare it with hot water per packaging direction.
- Buttermilk – don’t have any? Make your own buttermilk using whole milk mixed with a little vinegar or lemon juice. Or just substitute with yogurt or sour cream.
For the frosting
And here is everything you’ll need to make the coffee buttercream frosting along with some notes on the key ingredients.
- Egg whites – While it is typically not recommended to use pasturized egg whites for meringue, I’ve tested my OG Swiss meringue buttercream with both fresh and pasturized (carton) egg whites many times and never had any issues with either. So feel free to use fresh egg whites or carton egg whites if that’s all you have.
- Vinegar – vinegar is an acid whic helps stabilize the meringue, preventing it from collapsing. You can also use lemon juice or cream of tartar.
- Instant espresso powder – I used Medaglia D’oro espresso instant coffee, which I usually find at my local grocery store, but any brand will work. Look for instant espresso, espresso powder, or instant espresso powder. Instant coffee will impart a milder flavor, so if that’s all you can find, you may want to increase the amount in the recipe.
A few tips
You can skip to the recipe card for detailed instructions with step-by-step photos to make these cupcakes.
- The simple cupcakes: the coffee chocolate cupcakes are extremely simple to make, if you can follow directions and measure your ingredients correctly, it should be a breeze! You can make it in the stand mixer if you want but I prefer to make it by hand.
- The frosting: my coffee buttercream frosting is a bit more advanced. I have additional tips and tricks in a separate post but pay close attention to keeping your equipment clean and grease-free when making the frosting for a successful meringue!
- An easier frosting option: you can make my American buttercream frosting and infuse it with 2 tablespoons of instant espresso powder instead.
- For a decaf version: you can make this chocolate cupcake recipe without coffee and use decaffeinated instant coffee for the frosting.
- Leftover egg yolks: save them to make ice cream! Many of my ice cream recipes are custard-based (made with egg yolks) like this mascarpone ice cream or this honey lavender ice cream.
Storing and making ahead
You can store leftover mocha cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. For easy freezer storage, I recommend flash freezing the frosted cupcakes on a baking sheet. When they are frozen solid, you can wrap them up in foil and/or plastic and store them in a freezer bag to save space.
The cupcakes and frosting can be made ahead separately. Whenever I have a work event that I need to make dessert for, I would break it down into smaller tasks that I can do at night after the kids go to bed. Here’s what I would do:
- 2 nights before the event: make the cupcakes, let cool and cover with plastic, leave at room temp.
- 1 night before the event: make the frosting, assemble the cupcakes and store in the fridge.
- Day of the event: let come to room temp and serve!
📖 Recipe card
Mocha Cupcakes with Coffee Frosting
These Mocha Cupcakes bring together the flavors of rich dark chocolate and bold coffee just perfectly. In this recipe, I’ve paired my favorite ultra moist chocolate cupcakes with a silky espresso Swiss meringue buttercream for the ultimate mocha treat.
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Yield: 12 cupcakes
Equipment
- Thermometer
- Pastry Bag
- 1M Piping Tip
Ingredients
For the mocha cupcakes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (144 g)
- 6 tablespoon cocoa powder (dutch-processed preferred, 42 g)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar (199 g)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup coffee (espresso or strong brewed, cooled, 113 g)
- ½ cup buttermilk (room temperature, 115 g)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (50 g)
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the coffee buttercream
- 4 oz egg white (115 g, a smidge less than 4 large egg whites)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (135 g)
- ¾ teaspoon distilled vinegar or lemon juice (4 g)
- 10 oz unsalted butter (room temperature, cubed or cut into thin pats, 283 g)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon instant espresso powder (10 g)
- A pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup standard size muffin pan with cupcake paper and set aside.
- Make the cupcake batter: In a medium mixing bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder together. Add salt and sugar, and whisk until evenly distributed.1 cup all-purpose flour, 6 tablespoon cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 cup granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cooled coffee, buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla until thoroughly combined.½ cup coffee, ½ cup buttermilk, ¼ cup vegetable oil, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredient mixture and stir until a smooth batter forms. But becareful not to over mix here.
- Bake the cupcakes: Divide batter evenly into 12 muffin cups using a large cookie scoop and bake for 17 – 19 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cupcakes comes out clean with just a few crumbs attached.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 – 15 minutes until cooled to the touch before removing them from the pan and setting them on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the frosting: Add egg white and sugar to a heatproof glass bowl and place it over a pot of boiling water without allowing the bottom of the bowl to touch the water, reduce heat to keep the water simmering and not boiling over. Whisk the mixture constantly until all the sugar dissolves and the mixture reaches 160°F.4 oz egg white, ¾ cup granulated sugar
- Carefully remove the bowl from the pot and wipe the bottom and side dry. Transfer the egg white mixture into your stand mixer bowl and beat with the whisk attachment on medium speed. Stream in the vinegar or lemon juice, and continue beating until stiff peak forms and the meringue is shiny and smooth.¾ teaspoon distilled vinegar or lemon juice
- Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add the room temperature cubed butter, one cube at a time, allowing it to incorporate into the meringue before adding another. The mixture may curdle but just keep beating until it comes together.10 oz unsalted butter
- Once all the butter has been incorporated, add vanilla extract, instant espresso powder, and a pinch of salt, beat on medium-high speed until buttercream is light and fluffy.½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 2 tablespoon instant espresso powder, A pinch of kosher salt
- Frost the cupcakes: Transfer frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a 1M tip and pipe frosting on top of cooled cupcakes. Serve at room temperature and enjoy!
Notes
- Type of cocoa: I preferred Dutch-processed cocoa powder for a deeper chocolate flavor but natural cocoa powder will work too.
- Frosting yield: the coffee buttercream frosting recipe yields about 3 cups, which is more than enough for 12 cupcakes. You may only need about 2 cups for the cupcakes. You can freeze leftovers for another day or use it on brownies and make cookie sandwiches.
- Clean equipment and tools: it is crucial to make sure your equipment and tools are clean and grease-free when making the meringue for the frosting.
- Storage: keep these cupcakes refrigerated for 3-5 days. For longer storage, you can freeze them for up to 3 months. But serve at room temperature for the best texture.
Nutrition
Serving: 106g | Calories: 386kcal
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