If you like coffee house mochas you’ll love these cupcakes! These coffee cupcakes are topped with a rich and decadent buttercream frosting – just like your favorite coffee drink, but in cupcake form!
Coffee Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Last night I arrived home in a panic because I had to make cupcakes and not because of some last-minute office celebration, or a friend’s birthday, a potluck/picnic/other random event that requires a box of homemade cupcakes piled high with buttercream frosting.
No, I stayed up late to frost cupcakes because today, TODAY, is this blog’s 6th birthday and I couldn’t let the day slip by without a little recognition.
I’ll spare you the whole “oh my gosh, I’ve been blogging for six years and I’ve learned so much, yada, yada yada” stuff and instead will just say “thank you”. Whether we just met this past year or you’ve been following along for a while I want you to know your support of this little blog means the world to me.
And so I’m celebrating today with these decadent coffee cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting…
How to Make Coffee Cupcakes
If you combined a mocha, my favorite coffee drink, with cupcakes I’m pretty sure these little cupcakes are what you would end up with. The cupcake part is the coffee part, so here’s how you make them…
- To get a good coffee flavor in the batter, I like to brew some coffee and let it cool to room temperature.
- The coffee is combined with your usual baking suspects like flour, butter, eggs, and a touch of cream to add richness to the batter.
- I like to use two bowls – one to mix the dry ingredients and the other to combine the wet ones. That way it’s easier to combine the two until the batter is just combined – makes for a better cupcake if the batter isn’t overworked.
Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting
This frosting is so rich and chocolatey and pairs so well with the coffee-flavored cupcakes. The recipe makes a lot of frosting, so if you don’t like your cupcakes piled high with the sweet stuff you can halve it. Here are some ingredients you’ll need:
- Butter
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Milk
- Bittersweet chocolate
These sweet treats were the perfect way to celebrate six years of blogging!
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Coffee Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x
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Pin RecipeDescription
These coffee cupcakes are topped with a rich bittersweet chocolate buttercream frosting. It’s like your favorite mocha coffee drink in cupcake form.
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup cream
- 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee, at room-temperature
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Frosting
- 1/2 cups butter (1 stick), softened
- 1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 3 tablespoons 2% milk
- 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard sized muffin tin with cupcake liners (or spray with cooking spray).
- Using a stand mixer (with paddle attachment) or hand mixer first combine the oil and sugar together before adding the vanilla and eggs. Mix until well combined. Add the cream and coffee and continue to mix until it’s all well combined.
- In a separate medium sized bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt (I use a fine mesh strainer to sift – if you don’t have one you can just whisk the ingredients together.
- Set the mixer to a low speed and add the dry ingredients to the wet ones in a few batches mixing until just combined.
- Fill each cupcake liner about 3/4 full with the batter. Bake the cupcakes at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until they pass the toothpick test.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- While the cupcakes are cooling make the frosting. First, whip the butter on high speed until it starts to look fluffy and airy.
- Add the confectioner’s sugar, milk, and vanilla and continue to mix (start at a lower speed and increase to medium) until well incorporated. Finally, add the melted chocolate and stir until combined. You may need to scrape down the sides to ensure all the ingredients are mixed together.
Notes
I used bittersweet chocolate for the frosting, which makes the frosting super rich. You can easily substitute unsweetened chocolate or semi-sweet if you prefer. Also, the recipe makes a lot of frosting – feel free to cut the recipe in half if you like less frosting on your cupcakes so nothing goes to waste.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 439
- Sugar: 27g
- Sodium: 118.7mg
- Fat: 31g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 21g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 37.9g
- Fiber: 0.7g
- Protein: 3.1g
- Cholesterol: 59.3mg
Keywords: coffee cupcakes
The nutrition information in this recipe is an estimate only and was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.
Carol L Callender says
I made these. They turned out well. I liked the cupcakes and I liked the icing though I probably wouldn’t do that combination again. The problem may be that I didn’t have bittersweet chocolate. I was attempting to use up my supplies and used semisweet chocolate with the addition of some cocoa. However, my taste tester team (husband, neighbors, friends), thought the combination was great.
Emma says
This might sound silly, but should I chill the coffee prior to baking it?
April says
Hi Emma! Not a silly question at all – it’s best if it’s room temperature. I will update the recipe!
Len says
Hey April,
Just stumbled upon your blog and these coffee cupcakes look heavenly. I’m not a coffee drinker but these got my attention. I’m excited to try them 🙂
I wish you success.
April says
Hi Len – thanks so much! I hope you give them a try 🙂
Elaine Valerie says
Can you substitute canola oil to vegetable oil? thanks!
April says
Yes, vegetable oil should be fine.
Thao @ In Good Flavor says
Happy 6th blogiversary!! That is smoothing to celebrate! I could use one of those yummy cupcakes right now.
Rosemary @anitalianinmykitchen says
Hi April, happy 6th! The cupcakes look and sound amazing. Anything with cake and frosting and you have my attention.
SweetBeanDesigns says
Aww happy birthday!!! These cupcakes look delish!
Steve says
Happy Birthday GGG… my favourite blog!
Amanda & Reid says
Happy Birthday, Gil Gone Gormet Blog!! These cupcakes look incredible – I love the zebra cupcake sleeves. This recipe has been added to my to-do list!
April says
I love the liners, too – got them at Harris Teeter 🙂
Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks says
Happy Birthday! I recently discovered your blog and am a new follower. I have enjoyed what I’ve seen so far. These cupcakes look like just the right celebratory treat and I look foward to what you have to come!
suzi anderson says
Happy 6th Birthday! Love reading your blog and trying out many of the recipes. Keep up the good work!
★★★★★
April says
Thanks, Mom!!
April says
Thanks so much, Rachelle!