If you love cupcakes, you’ve come to the right place because I am all about cupcakes right now. They’re adorable, portable and delicious, so what’s not to love, right?
Are you a coffee lover too? I sure hope so, because today’s recipe is full of coffee flavor and the perfect cure for that midday slump. I’m a café mocha enthusiast, so I wanted to try to encompass the intense flavor of one of my favorite Starbucks beverages into cupcake form.
I started with a rich, coffee infused chocolate cake and topped that off with a velvety, sweet espresso infused buttercream. As though they weren’t decadent enough, I had to finish them off with a chocolate drizzle and a chocolate covered coffee bean. Take these into the office or your next meeting and you’ll have a happy staff that are guaranteed to be alert!
Café Mocha Cupcakes
Yield: 24 cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the Cupcakes
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso granulesFor the frosting
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
pinch of fine grain sea salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 pounds confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 tablespoon instant espresso granules dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm water
3-6 tablespoons heavy cream or milkDirections:
For the Cupcakes
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins with paper liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.
3. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. Add the 1 ½ teaspoons of espresso granules to the cup of hot coffee and stir to combine. With mixer still on low, add in the coffee/espresso mixture and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
4. Using a large scoop (about 3 tablespoons), distribute the batter into the prepared muffin tins.
5. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then remove them onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
For the frosting
1. In a large bowl, sift together the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter until fluffy. Slowly add in confectioner’s sugar/cocoa powder mixture, and continue creaming until well blended.
3. Add salt, vanilla, 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk and espresso/water. Blend on low speed until moistened. Add an additional 1 to 3 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk until you reach the desired consistency. Beat at high speed until frosting is smooth and fluffy.
For the garnish
Place 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Heat the chips on 50% power in 30 seconds increments until chocolate is melted. Drizzle over cupcakes and finish with a chocolate covered coffee bean.
Notes:
- You can easily adjust the consistency of this recipe by simply adding in more heavy cream or milk.
- Cake adapted from Ina Garten
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{ 68 comments… read them below or add one }
Chocolate and coffee might be two of our favorite things…! And in cupcake form?! Delicious!
those look amazing! The ganache on the buttercream takes them to a whole new level
Those look adorable! And mocha cupcakes are one of my favorites
These look incredible! I LOVE coffee so these are going right on my to-make list. And, hubby loves Starbucks mochas so I know he’ll love them too!
These look amazing, so cute too!
I love cupcakes and coffee, so this is a match made in heaven. You photos are absolutely amazing.
This is one of the most tempting cupcake photos I’ve seen in a very, very long time. Bravo!
ButterYum
You are amazing girl! These are absolutely gorgeous.
I dont think I am friends with anyone who DOESNT like coffee!!! These look absolutely scrumptious!
I love all things coffee… These cupcakes look spectacular.
why drink coffee when you can have a cupcake?!
I have to make these for my mom! She’s an absolute coffee fanatic and I’m sure she would love these. Love the finishing touch of chocolate drizzle and chocolate covered espresso bean.
I tasted too many cupcakes in NYC last week, but I would still take a bite of these:) They look fantastic!
There is nothing that I adore more than coffee. Well, and chocolate too. So these are the perfect delectable combination of everything divine in my book.
I just got an urge to bake cupcakes the other day! Waiting for a birthday celebration but I’ll have to keep these beauties in mind!
Hi Jamie,
These cupcakes look to die for. But I can’t catch up that quickly. I made your Chocolate cupcakes with the caramel sauce, the vanilla bean frosting and the salted caramel for a cupcake tasting tonight. Thank you for that wonderful recipe. I hope “we” will win. I’ll keep you posted.
Kirsten
Mmmm, those look fab!
Oh I’m all for cupcakes! And I love anything coffee infused. Looks too good.
Your photo is stunning as always! I would be happy to know what sort of cake decorating tip you used to achieve such a pretty result. Always a pleasure to visit your site!
Yum. They look divine and so moist. I can almost taste them.
Oh yeah! I can’t wait to try these…they look wonderful! Beautiful little cupcakes ~ pics are great!
You seriously need to write a book on cupcakes alone. Whenever I need a good cupcake recipe I ALWAYS come here!
These look amazing! I love chocolate and coffee!! thanks for the recipe, i think i will try it soon!
Absolutely gorgeous!!! I have got to try these!!!
Oh my stars!!! Those look incredible!
These look so good! Email me some, please?
These are really yummy and easy to make. I used Starbucks Via instant coffee and it works great.
Oh my word! These look fantastic!
You’re right! Im totally hook in with cupcakes! Good thing I found your amazing post featuring tasty and pretty cupcakes! Thanks a lot for sharing this wonder post.
Yep, love me some cupcakes add some coffee to it and I’ll have a few!
Who needs coffee in the morning? I’ll just eat one of your cupcakes. Well, maybe I can have both.
I love mocha flavor and I can’t wait to try this one. Thanks for sharing the recipe. My kids will be surprise with this mocha flavored cupcakes since they are used of chocolate flavors.
Girl you are killing me with these cupcakes!
Could your pictures be any more beautiful? Swoon!!! These look awesome!
Rachael-
That is very sweet of you! Thanks so much!
-Jamie
This makes me stop with my diet! I can’t wait to make some of this with my friends. They will surely love this so much. They love mocha flavors too.
I’ve never had any luck finding espresso powder. Since I’m not a coffee drinker, I wonder if I’m looking over it somehow. What the secret? I would imagine it would come in a small package that clearly says “espresso powder” but nope, never seen anything like it…and I’ve spent a good 30 minutes staring at the same coffee section over and over again.
But I want to make these!!!!!!!
Hi Lynzi
I found espresso powder at william sonoma http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/espresso-powder/?pkey=cfodbakdec
this is a very good product and not that expensive, will last you for a long time. hope this helps!
Ok these cupcakes have the whole package. The cake, the buttercream frosting. I’m not even a cupcake person, but darn these look fantastic!
As a graduate student living in Chicago, I’ve been snowed in for the last two days with nothing but my dachshund, mounds of homework, and my “baking box” (fully stocked with baking essentials). Fervently avoiding my thesis, I have made several of your recipes, “Cafe Mocha Cupcakes” being one of them. Absolutely fantastic! Thanks so much for your delightful website; it has certainly made the snowstorm more bearable!
these look amazing!
Next to PB & Chocolate, Chocolate and Coffee, has to be next in line. Your cupcakes look beautiful, and tasty! I can’t wait to make them….I’m off to search for an occasion!
These photos are to die for… I just broke out in smiles when I saw your delicious post
Unfort Starbucks was scaled back here in Australia, I love it too!
Wow do those ever look good. if I have one weakness it is Mocha. Mocha anything and those cupcakes just seem like the perfect compact version! Yum!
Thanks for the Café Mocha Cupcakes recipe. Its really delicious. Try the Espresso Fudge Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing too, it taste as good as the Café Mocha Cupcakes especially when you love coffee! The recipe could be found on http://bit.ly/fCnaHV for those who would like to try.
The chocolate and coffee combo is one of my favorites so these would definitely be a winner in our house! Don’t think I’d be able to share them with my coworkers!
Those are some of the most stunning pictures I’ve seen in a long time!
just made this icing and it is UNREAL. The best cupcake and icing I have ever had.
These cupcakes are FAB! I cut the recipe in half and, while the batter was quite runny, the cupcakes turned out perfect. And I think the frosting speaks for itself… Great recipe! Thank you!
http://bananablueberries.blogspot.com/2011/02/obligatory-valentines-day-post.html
Oh my gosh! I just made these (less than 5 minutes ago) and they are amazing!
I have to make these, the look delicious!!!!!
Love this recipe – have made it several times. It is so moist and delish, and it is also amazing with cream cheese frosting! Tried it in a bundt pan, too. Gets raves every time! Thanks!
Just made these last night and while I was worried because the batter was really runny they turned out perfectly! Very sweet and sticky. Going to frost them with a Caramel Swiss butter cream (going for the caramel espresso coffee theme) — thanks for the inspiration!
Hi,
I made these cupcakes today and have to say they didnt come out very well! The mixture itself was very runny…maybe the recipe is wrong??? This made the cupcakes way too soft with a very unusual texture and they stuck to the cupcake casings! Any advice???
Boo-
I just double checked the recipe and it is definitely correct. The recipe is from Ina Garten – Beatty’s Cake. I adapted it slightly from Food Network. The batter is definitely thin, but bakes up for me well every time. Sorry I am not more of a help.
Jamie
These cupcakes look gorgeous!
is it possible to replace the vegetable oil for melted butter instead?
Made these for my coffee loving mom as an early Valentine’s Day present and they were phenomenal!!! This was the best dessert that I have ever made, thanks for the recipe! I did add some extra espresso to the buttercream for more coffee flavor, and the texture of the cupcake is perfect, nice and light and airy!
YUM! I love your website, so glad I found it!
Uhm Yum!!!! Thanks for sharing
The cake was sooooooo moist. I love it, and I think it is going to be my go to chocolate cake recipe!!!! Yummy!!
Hi!
This recipe looks amazing, I just don’t know what espresso granules are or what a good substitute for them might be? Have any suggestions?
Thanks!
Ursula-
Instant espresso granules are usually found in the coffee aisle of grocery stores. If you can’t find them, ask the store manager and they should be able to direct you to them or order them for you. Hope this helps.
-Jamie
These look absolutely amazing. I am a HUGE fan of using black coffee in my chocolate baked goods–I mean, what’s better than coffee and chocolate? It brings out the chocolate tones and has that extra something. Yum! It seems like there would be a lot of frosting? Did you end up having leftovers, and does it freeze well? Thanks!
I have never tried to freeze the icing, we like a lot of frosting around here, so we pile it on! Have a great day.
-Jamie
Ohh boy I so want to make these now!! They look delicious!! Can someone explain to me about the 1cup brewed coffee. Do i make it strong or to my tasting? And for the espresso can I use cafe bustelo? And if I use all-purpose flour will it destroy the moistness of this awesome cupcake? Thanks!
I used expresso coffee, i figured that since the recipe ask you too put some more “instant coffee” in your freshly breew coffee that means that u need a strong flavored coffee.
Same thing with the icing, i switch some milk for some freshly brewed expresso.
Amazing photos (pro.) Amazing food and bakes
love all your posts (that I have seen so far)
keep up the awesomeness
They we’re DELICIOUS.
I switched the oil for 3/4 cup of finely grated sweet potatoes (reduced a bit my guilty…lol), they were really amazing.
The icing was delicious too but maybe a bit too sweet, do you have any idea what i can do to put less sugar in the icing?
Thx again for the delicious recipe ! we’ll try some more in our next “cupcake frenzy” night
Isabelle-
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe – thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback! As far as the icing goes, simply leave out a bit of the sugar and taste as you go. Have a great day.
-Jamie
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