Mocha Cupcakes
Mocha cupcakes are the perfect dessert for coffee and chocolate lovers! These cupcakes are made with moist and tender mocha chocolate cake, coffee buttercream frosting, and a dusting of instant espresso powder. This mocha cupcake recipe is the most delicious way to get your caffeine fix!
Ingredients for Mocha Cupcakes
Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes
- Chocolate chips – Use semisweet or dark chocolate chips for a deep chocolate flavor.
- Dark cocoa powder – You can also use regular cocoa powder.
- Instant espresso powder – Instant espresso powder enhances the flavor of the chocolate.
- Water – Boiling water helps melt the chocolate and hydrates the cocoa powder.
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking soda – A leavening agent to help the cupcakes rise.
- Salt – Enhances the flavor of the cupcakes and contrasts the sweetness.
- Vegetable oil – You can also use canola oil or another neutral baking oil.
- Eggs – Large eggs, oom temperature.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract enhances the chocolate flavor of the cupcakes.
Coffee Buttercream Frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Powdered sugar – Confectioners’ sugar/icing sugar.
- Instant espresso powder – Be sure to use instant espresso powder as opposed to ground espresso coffee.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract adds a subtle underlying vanilla flavor to the frosting.
- Salt – To contrast the sweetness of the buttercream.
- Heavy cream – Helps the buttercream become smooth and creamy.
How to Make Mocha Cupcakes
- Prep and preheat: Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
- Make the chocolate mixture: Stir together the chocolate chips, cocoa powder, instant espresso powder, and boiling water until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside to cool.
- Make the cupcake batter: Whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and whisk to combine. Add the remaining wet ingredients (vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract) to the flour mixture and whisk until the cupcake batter is combined and smooth.
- Bake the cupcakes: Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners about 3/4 full. Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the coffee buttercream frosting: Whip the unsalted butter until light and creamy. Add in the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add in the instant espresso powder, vanilla extract, salt, and heavy cream. Whip the frosting on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Assemble the cupcakes: Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip with the coffee buttercream. Pipe a generous swirl of buttercream onto the chocolate cupcakes. Use a fine mesh sieve to dust the tops of the cupcakes with instant espresso powder and garnish with coffee beans, if desired.
Recipe Tips
- Check out my baking tips blog posts on 10 Tips for Baking Perfect Cupcakes and 10 Tips for Making Perfect Buttercream to learn simple tips and tricks to make the most out of this recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I store the cupcakes?
- Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 days or in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
Can I substitute instant coffee granules for the instant espresso?
- Unfortunately, instant coffee does not make a great substitution in this recipe. The instant espresso powder adds a ton of coffee flavor and easily dissolves in the cupcake batter and buttercream frosting.
Other Mocha and Coffee Recipes You Will Love
- Chocolate mocha cake
- Pumpkin spice latte cupcakes
- Coffee buttercream frosting
- Peppermint mocha cupcakes
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Mocha Cupcakes
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Mocha cupcakes are the perfect dessert for coffee and chocolate lovers! These cupcakes are made with moist and tender mocha chocolate cake, coffee buttercream frosting, and a dusting of instant espresso powder. This mocha cupcake recipe is the most delicious way to get your caffeine fix!
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes
- ¼ cup (45 g) semisweet or dark chocolate chips
- ¼ cup (22 g) dark cocoa powder
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) instant espresso powder
- ¾ cup (177 ml) boiling water
- ¾ cup (94 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) baking soda
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 (2) large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
Coffee Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp (5 g) instant espresso powder
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp (0.2 tsp) salt
- 2 tbsp (30 g) heavy cream
Additional Ingredients
- 2 tsp (2 g) instant espresso powder to decorate the cupcakes
- 1 tbsp (15 g) coffee beans to decorate the cupcakes
Instructions
Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
- In a small bowl or a glass liquid measuring cup, stir together the chocolate chips, dark cocoa powder, instant espresso powder, and boiling water until the cocoa powder is dissolved and the chocolate chips are melted. Set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pour in the cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract and whisk until the cupcake batter is smooth.
- Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners about ¾ full. Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes bounce back when gently touched. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Coffee Buttercream Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, whip the room temperature butter for about 5 minutes until it is light, fluffy, and pale in color.
- Add the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed setting until fully combined. Then, add the instant espresso powder, vanilla extract, and salt and mix on low speed until combined. Slowly drizzle in the heavy cream while mixing on low speed. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure the frosting is well mixed.
- Increase the speed on the mixer to medium and whip the buttercream for about 3 to 5 minutes until it is smooth and creamy. Turn the mixer to low speed and mix the buttercream for several minutes to remove any air bubbles. *Note: If there are undissolved instant espresso granules, continue to mix the buttercream on low speed until they are fully dissolved.
Assembling the Cupcakes
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip with the coffee buttercream frosting. Pipe a generous swirl of buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes. Use a fine mesh sieve to dust the tops of the cupcakes with additional instant espresso powder and garnish with coffee beans, if desired.
Notes
- Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 days or in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
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About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
These cuppycakes turned out so delicious. I am taking the batch I made into work tomorrow for my coworkers. : )
Hi Lindy! So happy you enjoyed these cupcakes! Hope your coworkers love them!
Fantastic! Your recipes are the best. Keep it up!
Hi Stan! Thank you so much! I appreciate that!
These are the most fabulous cupcakes!!!🖤🖤🖤 they stay so moist and are so full of flavor! I used King Arthur double dark cocoa and semi sweet chips in the batter.
Love it! So glad you loved this recipe! Can’t wait to make it into a cake!!!
Do you have a recipe to make a cake thankyou ,trish
Hi Trish! Yes, you can try out my mocha cake recipe – https://cakemehometonight.com/chocolate-mocha-cake/
from a caffeine addict here- I LOVE this recipe, came out great- thank you! your page has helped me so much as I continue to learn and get better at baking. thank you!
I am so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe and my content! I appreciate your positive review and comment! 🙂