These coffee cupcakes are a must bake and burst with delicious coffee flavor. They have a coffee cupcake topped with a smooth coffee buttercream. They taste like your favorite cup of coffee in a cake.
The coffee cupcakes are for coffee lovers! They are have the most amazing coffee flavor. They have super soft and delicious coffee cupcake and are topped with a smooth coffee buttercream.
These cupcakes are super easy and simple to make. To flavor these cupcakes with I use instant coffee, as it'll give a rich and flavorful coffee flavor.
For more cupcake recipes, try Tiramisu Cupcakes, Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes and Peach Cupcakes.
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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Coffee Cupcakes: These cupcakes burst of coffee flavor!
- Coffee Vanilla Buttercream: These cupcakes are topped with smooth and flavorful coffee buttercream.
- Simple and easy: These cupcakes are super easy to make but still stand out in the crowd.
INGREDIENT NOTES
These are some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- Butter: Take it out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking (depending how warm your kitchen is).
- Eggs: Take them out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking (depending how warm your kitchen is).
- Whole milk: Whole milk makes for a soft and tender cupcake. Measure out the whole milk and let it come to room temperature 1-2 hours before baking (depending how warm your kitchen is).
- Instant espresso powder: I use 100% arabica instant espresso powder. Instant coffee granules dissolves quickly and has a great flavor.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - COFFEE CUPCAKES
Here is how to make and bake these coffee cupcakes. For this recipe you'll need a whisk for the cupcakes and a stand mixer for the buttercream.
The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.
Before starting preheat the oven to 175ºC/ 350ºF conventional oven. Prepare a 12-cup cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
STEP 1: Start by boiling some water and weigh out the water so it can cool down a bit while preparing the other ingredients.
STEP 2: In a large bowl, sift all of the dry ingredients together. Give it a stir to make sure it is combined.
STEP 3: In another large mixing bowl add all of the wet ingredients, including the boiled water, and with a hand whisk, whisk them together until combined. Be sure to not mix the ingredients too vigorously so the eggs don’t get over mixed.
STEP 4: Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry while gently stirring it all together. Make sure there are no lumps left in the batter.
STEP 5: Divide the cake batter into the 12 cupcake liners and bake them for 18-19 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the hot pan. After 5 minutes, gently remove the cupcakes from the cupcake pan and let them cool down completely on a wire rack.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - COFFEE BUTTERCREAM
STEP 1. Sift the powdered sugar and instant coffee powder.
STEP 2. In your stand mixer, use the paddle attachment, start by creaming the butter for 2 minutes on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix 1 minute more.
STEP 3: On low speed, add the sifted powdered sugar/instant coffee, vanilla and milk in 2 portions. Mix until each addition is fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, mix for 2 minutes on medium/high speed.
STEP 4: Take the bowl off the stand mixer and with a spatula or wooden spoon, beat it well by hand to make sure to remove the air bubbles in the buttercream. Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag with star piping tip, e.g. Wilton 8B.
STEP 5: Pipe the buttercream on the cupcakes and dust with a bit of extra coffee powder.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams. It is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Don't over mix your batter: I always use a spatula after everything has mixed together, to give it one final gentle fold together. This makes sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
- Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan. Aluminum pans are light in color and therefore attract less heat. That means it bakes more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat. That will then give a darker crust, which can result in a dryer cake.
FAQ
Yes, these cupcakes last well in an airtight container, at room temperature for 1-2 days.
Yes, follow the recipe and bake them for 8-10 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
See my Ingredients Notes, further up in the blog post, for which one I recommend.
STORAGE
Store the coffee cupcakes in an airtight container, at room temperature. Enjoy these cupcakes within 1-2 days.
Other Cupcake Recipes To Try
Make sure leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats. To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.
Coffee Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
COFFEE CUPCAKE
- 220 g all-purpose flour
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon espresso instant powder
- 80 g boiling water
- 80 g whole milk room temperature
- 25 g sour cream
- 75 g vegetable oil like canola oil
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
COFFEE BUTTERCREAM
- 200 g butter cool room temperature
- 330 g powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon instant espresso coffee powder see ingredients notes
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon whole milk room temperature
Instructions
COFFEE CUPCAKES
- Preheat the oven at 175ºC conventional oven and line a cupcake tray with 12 cupcake liners.
- Start by boiling some water and weigh out the water so it can cool down a bit while preparing the other ingredients.80 g boiling water
- In a bowl, sift all of the dry ingredients together. Give it a stir to make sure everything has been combined.220 g all-purpose flour, 200 g granulated sugar, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon espresso instant powder
- In another mixing bowl add all of the wet ingredients, including the boiled water, and with a hand whisk, whisk them together until combined. Be sure to not mix the ingredients too vigorously so the eggs don’t get over mixed.80 g whole milk, 25 g sour cream, 75 g vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 80 g boiling water
- Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry while gently stirring it all together. Make sure there are no lumps left in the batter.
- Divide the cake batter into the 12 cupcake liners and bake them for 16-17 min.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the hot pan. After 5 min, gently remove the cupcakes from the cupcake pan and let them cool down completely on a cooling rack.
COFFEE BUTTERCREAM
- Once the cupcakes have cooled down make the buttercream.
- Sift the powdered sugar and instant coffee powder.2 teaspoon instant espresso coffee powder, 330 g powdered sugar
- In your stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, start by creaming the butter for 2 minutes on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix 1 minute more.200 g butter
- On low speed, add the sifted powdered sugar/instant coffee, vanilla and milk in 2 portions. Mix until each addition is fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, mix for 2 minutes on medium/high speed.2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon whole milk
- Take the bowl off the stand mixer and with a spatula or wooden spoon, beat it well by hand to make sure to remove the air bubbles in the buttercream.
- Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag with a star piping tip, e.g. Wilton 8B.
- Pipe the buttercream on the cupcakes and dust with a bit of extra coffee powder.
- Serve it on the day, but it can also last well for a 1-2 days on the kitchen counter, in an airtight container.
Sabrina
Hello, I want to try these but won’t the boiling water make the eggs cook?
Julie Marie
No, as water cools down a bit, while preparing the remaining ingredients 🙂
Ebony
Highly recommend this recipe for all coffee lovers. Beautiful recipe. Thank you for sharing
Soundarya
I made this into a 6 inch cake and oh my God, this is definitely one of my most favourote bakes ever! Highly recommend trying this one out
Cat
Weigh the water??? How do you weigh water?!?!😜
Julie Marie
I recommend using a scale 🙂
Soundarya
I made this into a 6 inch cake and oh my God, this is definitely one of my most favourote bakes ever!
Iben Nielsen
If you love coffee then this is the cupcake for you.