Coffee Cupcakes

Moist coffee cupcakes topped with robust coffee buttercream. Your favorite beverage turned into an easy and delicious cupcake.

Enjoy with a beverage like a Cinnamon Dolce Latte or Caramel Frappuccino for the ultimate indulgence.

Want to take your cupcakes to the next level? We love these coffee cupcakes for birthdays and brunch!

We start out with a unique coffee-flavored batter. Next, I  top them with coffee buttercream and fill them with rich chocolate ganache.   Last, but not least we add chocolate-covered espresso beans on top.

Another must-try for coffee lovers: Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Ingredient Notes

For the Cupcakes

• Canola Oil
• Sugar
• Vanilla
• Eggs
• Sour Cream: Sour cream makes the cupcakes moist.
• Instant Coffee: Use a good quality one for the best flavor.
• Baking powder, Baking Soda, Salt, Flour

For the easy Chocolate Ganache: Ganache is made with just heavy cream and chocolate. When combined they create a rich shiny glaze you can use as a filling or frosting.  As it cools it solidifies. A rich ganache filling takes these over the top.

• Heavy Cream
• Semi Sweet Chocolate

For the Buttercream: You’re going to want to put this on everything!

• Butter
• Instant Coffee
• Powdered Sugar
• Heavy Cream

How To Make Coffee Cupcakes

For the Cupcakes

1. Prep Work: Preheat oven and line cupcake pans with paper liners.
2. Batter: Combine oil and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla.
3. Dissolve Coffee: Dissolve coffee in water. Add this mixture and sour cream to batter.
4. Dry Ingredients: Combine dry ingredients and add to batter gradually.
5. Bake: Bake for 21-23 minutes.

For the Ganache

1.  Heat heavy cream in a saucepan. Pour over chocolate chips. Allow to sit one minute, before whisking.
2. Core out cupcake and pipe ganache into cupcake.

For the Buttercream

1. Dissolve instant coffee in water.
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients until light and fluffy.
3. Spread or pipe onto cupcakes.

Common Questions

Where do you find chocolate covered espresso beans?
I love chocolate covered espresso beans. You can eat the as a snack, or use in desserts.  Chocolate covered espresso beans can be found in the bulk section of some grocery stores, outdoor adventure stores, and some convenience stores. I have noticed that some states have chocolate covered espresso beans more easily available than others. If you can not find them in your local stores, you can order them online too.

Can freeze cupcakes?
Yes these can be frozen. You can also make a double batch to freeze for later. Store in an tight container for up to 3 months. Be sure to thaw in the fridge before enjoying.

How to store
These chocolate coffee cupcakes should be stored in the fridge if using ganache filling. Ganache holds up best in the fridge especially in the summer months. If you just use buttercream you can store at room temp. Be sure to store the cupcakes in an airtight container.

Variations

Chocolate Cupcakes: Use a chocolate base to make mocha cupcakes.

Caramel Cupcakes: Use caramel buttercream and add a caramel drizzle for a macchiato-inspired cupcake.

More Cupcakes I Love

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes

Cannoli Cream Cupcakes

Margarita Cupcake Recipe

Boston Cream Cupcakes

Fireball Cupcakes

Hi Hat Cupcakes

Coffee Cupcakes

Moist coffee cupcakes topped with robust coffee buttercream. If you like coffee, you'll love these cupcakes.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 21 minutes

Total Time: 36 minutes

Servings: 12 Cupcakes

Calories: 695kcal

Author: Krystle Smith

Ingredients

For the Coffee Cupcakes

• ▢ ½ Cup Canola Oil
• ▢ 1 Cup White Sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• ▢ 2 Eggs
• ▢ 2 ½ tablespoons Instant Coffee
• ▢ 3 teaspoons Water
• ▢ ½ Cup Sour Cream
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
• ▢ 1 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour

For the Chocolate Ganache

• ▢ 1 ½ Cups Semisweet Chocolate Chips
• ▢ ¾ Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

For the Coffee Buttercream

• ▢ 1 Cup Butter Softened
• ▢ 3 tablespoons Instant Coffee
• ▢ 3 teaspoons Water
• ▢ 3 Cups Powdered Sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream
• ▢ 12 Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans For garnish

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Instructions

For the Cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F ,and line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
• In a large bowl, combine canola oil, and sugar. Mix in the sour cream, eggs and vanilla, until combined.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the water and instant coffee until the granules are dissolved. Mix in batter.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt until combined. Gradually add to batter a little at a time until just combined. Do not over mix.
• Fill cupcake liners ¾ full. Bake for 21-23 minutes. Cool completely

For the Chocolate Ganache

• In a small saucepan, heat up the heavy whipping cream until simmering.
• Pour the chocolate chips into a heat safe glass dish.Pour the simmering heavy whipping cream over the chocolate chips. Allow to sit for 1 minute.
• Whisk until smooth. Scoop into piping bag.
• Core out about ¼ inch of the center of the cupcakes.
• Pipe ganache into the center of the cupcake.

For the Frosting

• In a small bowl, whisk together the instant coffee and water until the granules are dissolved.
• In a large bowl, beat together the butter, powdered sugar, coffee mixture and heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
• Pipe or spread onto cupcakes. I used a disposable piping bag with a star tip.
• Garnish with a chocolate covered espresso bean if desired. 

Nutrition

Calories: 695kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 258mg | Potassium: 303mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 55g | Vitamin A: 840IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 2.5mg

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