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.
Servings: 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
