Mocha coffee cupcakes with a mocha buttercream frosting. Espresso powder, brewed coffee and cocoa powder make the base of this mocha coffee cupcake batter, and the mocha buttercream has a hint of cocoa with espresso powder. The perfect coffee-chocolate bite, without either the coffee or chocolate overpowering each other.
Mocha coffee cupcakes. Perfect for a 10-year olds birthday party?? Hahaha yup! When I asked Ethan what kind of cupcakes he wanted for his birthday, Ethan told me he wanted coffee cupcakes. Hmmmmm…of course I would make him coffee cupcakes, but I told Ethan that I would also make Funfetti cupcakes for the other kids at the party, because not all kids like coffee cupcakes. But apparently I underestimated the palate of todays youth, because at the party, almost all of these mocha coffee cupcakes got devoured by a bunch of 9-year olds and 10-year olds 🙂
There’s the espresso powder I used (you can find it by the coffee at the grocery store). I use espresso powder quite a bit in chocolate desserts because it helps to enhance the chocolate flavor, and when added in small amounts, you can’t actually detect any coffee flavor.
Mocha Coffee Cupcakes with Mocha Buttercream Frosting
Print RecipeIngredients
- CUPCAKES:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup hot, dark roast coffee
- MOCHA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1-3/4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 tablespoon instant espresso powder
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Instructions
CUPCAKES:
Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Line one cupcake tin with 12 cupcake liners and set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and espresso powder until combined.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, affixed with the whisk attachment, add the butter and sugar and mix until combined. Slowly add the eggs one at a time to the sugar mixture, beating into the mixture. Add the vanilla extract. Whisk mixture on medium-high speed until combined. Change the mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients and hot brewed coffee into the wet ingredients, mixing only until barely combined.
Fill cupcake liners approximately two-thirds full and bake in 350-degree oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out without raw batter on it. Do not overbake. Remove from oven and once cupcakes are cool enough to handle, remove cupcakes from tin and place on wire rack to finish cooling. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
FROSTING:
In the bowl of your stand mixer, with the paddle attachment affixed, add the butter and sugar and beat until combined. Add the heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, espresso powder and cocoa powder to the sugar mixer and beat on low until combined, and then change the speed of your mixer to medium-high. Beat frosting for 5-minutes or until light and fluffy. Use a knife to frost cupcakes or put frosting in a piping bag and pipe onto cupcakes.
Notes
Store at room temperature in an airtight container, or in the refrigerator if it's warm and you are concerned about the cream in the buttercream frosting.
Just cooling before frosting!
I wish this was scratch-n-sniff, because these mocha cupcakes smelled AMAZING!
I added sprinkles and made fondant Happy Birthday toppers for these cupcakes 🙂
Ethan had a football themed birthday party, so for the Funfetti cupcakes, I decorated them with “grass” buttercream and a chocolate football. And Ethan’s cupcake at the top of the cupcake tower is topped with an edible chocolate candle!! Ummm yes….mind.blown. The kids were more in awe of the candle, than eating the cupcakes hahaha. You can buy the edible candles HERE from My Cup of Cake.
Ethan was super excited about the coffee cupcakes I made him and he loved them! If you like coffee and chocolate, then these would be perfect for you!
XOXO,
Kelly
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PS-
You can find this recipe and tons of other recipes at the following parties I have linked up to: What’s Cookin’ Wednesday, Create, Link and Inspire, Sugar and Spice, Weekend Potluck, Pretty Pintastic Party, Friday Frenzy, Meal Plan Monday. Click on the links to check out tons of amazing crafts, recipes and ideas from a variety of bloggers who love to party like me!! 🙂
5 Comments
Maria Doss
February 2, 2017 at 3:36 PMMe love some coffee too😄. It’s fascinating how the kids palate are these days. Lovely cupcakes and all that coffee, I’m drooling…..:)
Kelly
February 3, 2017 at 8:03 AMHahahah I know right?!?! Kids are much more sophisticated than I was at their age! And thank you…these cupcakes were a hit! 🙂 XOXO
Kim @ The Baking ChocolaTess
February 2, 2017 at 4:10 PMI love your whole cupcake display! Very creative and I love the mocha! 🙂
Kelly
February 3, 2017 at 8:04 AMThank you Kim!! It was definitely worth the work hehehe. And the Mocha cupcakes were a hit! 🙂 XOXO
Funfetti Cupcakes - Kelly Lynn's Sweets and Treats
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