Light espresso sponge cake, and smooth, silky coffee flavoured buttercream for the ultimate coffee flavoured cupcakes!
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Coffee and desserts are the dream combination. The bittersweet pairing balances any dessert whether you are having it as a drink on the side, or a coffee flavoured dessert!
These coffee cupcakes are made up of light espresso sponge and silky coffee flavoured buttercream for the perfect representation of coffee in a cupcake. The buttercream used in this recipe is a little bit different to the traditional American buttercream. The icing sugar and coffee are melted together to form a royal icing consistency before the butter is added. This process helps to melt the coffee and sugar, resulting in a super silky buttercream! Once you give it a go you won't want to go back to your regular frostings.
There are a couple of different cupcakes on this blog, all with different kinds of frostings, if you're looking for a couple of different cupcake recipes check these ones out:
- Black forest cupcakes with whipped cream
- Matcha cupcakes with whipped white chcolate ganache
- Pineapple and coconut cupcakes with coconut swiss meringue buttercream
- Lychee and rose cupcakes with lychee italian merignnue buttercream
- Chiffon cupcakes with mandarin whipped cream
How to make the perfect cupcakes
There are a couple of tips to creating perfectly moist and fluffy cupcakes without a domed top.
Why this recipe creates the perfect cupcake
There are a couple of little tips and tricks I've incorporated into this recipe to ensure that the cupcake bakes up with the perfect texture and shape.
- Use buttermilk or soured milk: Using buttermilk, or milk mixed with vinegar, adds extra moisture to the cupcake base and creates that plush texture.
- Use a combination of butter and oil: Butter in cupcakes gives them flavour, however it has the tendency to dry the sponge cake out. On the other hand, oil adds moisture to the cake without imparting any flavour. Oil also allows the cupcakes to last longer without becoming stale. By using a combiation of oil and butter you get the best of both worlds.
- Creaming the butter, oil and sugar together: Beating the fats and sugar together gives the cupcakes a little more air and volume, increasing their fluffy texture.
Tips to keep in mind when making the batter
- Beat the fats enough: Ensure you beat the butter, oil and sugar together for long enough so that it has increased in volume and lightened in colour. This process ensures that your cupcakes come out well risen and fluffy. Underbeating at this stage can result in a dense texture.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together: Whisking the dry ingredients together allows the leavening agents to incorporate with the flour before it is added to the wet mixture. This decreases pockets of baking powder or soda in the batter, allowing for an even bake.
- Mix until just combined: One of the most important tips when baking cupcakes is the in the mixing. Overmixing the batter will increase gluten development in the batter, causing them to be dense and rubbery. After each addition of dry ingredients or milk make sure the batter is only mixed until just combined.
How to make silky buttercream
This buttercream is a little different from the typical American buttercream. Regular buttercreams can get grainy as the sugar is added directly to the butter and beat together. On the other hand buttercreams like Swiss, Italian, or French dissolve the sugar in mediums like egg yolks and egg whites.
This method simply dissolves the sugar and espresso powder in a couple of tbsp of boiling water to create a paste. Butter is added to the paste and beat until fluffy. A simple method for a super silky, grain-free buttercream.
Tips for the perfect buttercream:
- Make sure the water is hot enough to dissolve the coffee and sugar: if the water isn't hot enough to melt the sugar the resulting buttercream will still be grainy
- Cool the coffee-sugar paste before adding the butter: If you add the butter when the mixture is still warm it can cause the butter to melt and the frosting to curdle and split. If this does happen simply place the buttercream in the fridge to firm up for 30 mins before continuing to whip
- Keep beating: A good buttercream has to be beat for an extended period of time in order to have the perfect consistency. I recommend beating the butter for 10 mins to 20 mins, stopping when the buttercream has doubled in volume, lightened in colour and reaches a light, yet silky texture.
Frequently asked questions
How long do these last?
These cupcakes will last up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Leave the cupcakes out at room temperature for 15 minutes before consuming to allow the buttercream to soften up.
Can I use real coffee rather than instant?
Yes definitely. Instead of 1 cup of milk use ½ a cup of milk and ½ a cup of espresso. I would recommend using instant coffee in the buttercream. Instant coffee provides a more concentrated coffee flavour without changing the texture or curdling the buttercream.
Why have my cupcakes cracked?
Cupcakes can crack for a couple of reasons. However, the most common reason is when they are baked at too high of a temperature. When the oven is too hot the cupcakes will rise rapidly and cause cracks on the surface. Some ovens run hotter than others, so if you find that your cupcakes are constantly cracking turn down your oven by a couple of degrees.
Why are the tops of my cupcakes sticky?
The tops of your cupcakes can become sticky if your environment is very moist or humid. The cupcakes like to absorb moisture from their surroundings, and the caramelised sugars on the surface of the cupcake are the first to pick it up, becoming sticky. This isn't a problem at all, just frost your cupcakes as normal and you won't even be able to notice it!
My buttercream curdled, can I fix it?
In most cases curdled buttercream can be fixed. The most common reason why buttercream curdles is when the butter is added to the coffee-sugar mixture when it is still warm. Make sure the coffee-sugar mixture has cooled completely before adding the butter and whipping. If it does curdle place the curdled buttercream in your fridge for 30 minutes before whipping again.
Let's Get Baking!
Coffee lovers need to give these cupcakes a try!
If you make this recipe make sure to leave me a comment and rating down below, I would love to hear how it went.
Also don't forget to tag me on instagram @catherine.justdessertsau and hashtag #cattycakes so I can see and share your desserts!
Follow me on facebook, pinterest, youtube and tiktok for more of my baking creations and updates! Until next time... happy caking!
PrintCoffee Cupcakes
Light espresso sponge cake, and smooth, silky coffee flavoured buttercream for the ultimate coffee flavoured cupcakes!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 Cupcakes 1x
- Category: Cupcake
- Method: Easy
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Cupcake
- 120ml Whole milk (½ cup)
- 1 tsp White vinegar
- 60ml Vegetable oil (¼ cup)
- 30g Unsalted butter (2 tbsp 1 tsp), Room temperature
- 150g White sugar (¾ cup)
- 2 Eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp Instant espresso powder
- 165g Plain flour (1 ⅓ cup)
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- ¼ tsp Baking soda
- Pinch of salt
Coffee Buttercream
- 240g Unsalted butter, room temperature (1 cup)
- 200g Icing sugar
- 2 tbsp Hot water
- 1 tbsp Instant espresso powder, can be adjusted to your liking
- Cocoa powder, for dusting
Instructions
Cupcake
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F
- Line a cupcake tray with 12 paper liners
- Combine the milk and vinegar in a small bowl, set aside
- Add sugar, butter, and oil to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat for 5 minutes on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy
- Add the eggs and instant coffee powder to the butter and beat on high for 1 minute, until well combined
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium-sized bowl, whisk to combine
- Add half the flour mix to the butter mix and beat until just combined
- Add the milk, followed by the rest of the flour, beat until just combined
- Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean
- Cool before frosting
Coffee Buttercream
- Combine the sugar, hot water, and instant espresso powder together in the bowl of a stand mixer, mix until well combined, cool slightly
- Add the room temperature butter and beat on high for 10 mins or until doubled in volume, lightened and fluffy
- Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a star-shaped tip and pipe swirls of buttercream on top of the cooled cupcakes
- Dust with cocoa powder and enjoy!
Keywords: cupcake, espresso, coffee, buttercream, frosting, cappuccino, latte, mocha
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ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE WITH IT!!!!!!
IT WAS SUPER SIMPLE; THE BUTTERCREAM WAS AMAZING!!! IT WAS LIGHT; FLUFFY AND DELICIOUS!!! 100000000/10
THEY LOOKED JUST LIKE THE PICTURE. U CAN'T MAKE ANYTHING WRONG!!!
I SEND MY GRANDMA A PICTURE OF THEM AND SHE SAID THEY LOOK GORGELICIOUS!!!!! THANK U THANK U THANK U!!!!!!!! <3<3<3<3
★★★★★
Aww thank you Carolina! ❤️❤️
Hi! I’d love to bake these as a cake! My only question is how long should I bake them in and what should be the f?
Hi Andy, I've never baked these as a cake before. If I was to bake these as a cake I would bake it for about 30 mins, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Keep an eye on it! Try 180C. Hope it goes well!
Hi, can i ask? how many cupcakes can you make in this ingredients? Thank you
You can make 12 🙂