Super soft and moist Coffee Cupcakes topped with ultra creamy Coffee Mascarpone Frosting. Easy to make and a dream for coffee lovers.
Lately, I find my love with coffee infused baking goods. Did you see my Chocolate Coffee Cake, what I posted recently? I got raving feedback on that.
How can I describe these Coffee Cupcakes best? Oh, I know it. It is like you eat a Cafe au Lait. Seriously.
How to make Coffee Cupcakes?
The cupcakes are quick to make. You need 3 bowls and about 10 minutes of active preparation time. In a small bowl, combine strong brewed coffee and espresso powder. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Then add egg and vanilla and stir to combine. Alternately add dry ingredients, then the coffee, then again dry ingredients, then the buttermilk, and then the remaining dry ingredients, and stir to combine.
Make sure that you use room temperature butter for the cupcakes. Let it sit on the counter in a warm place (next to the turned on oven for example) for about 30-60 minutes. The butter should be firm but soft and not greasy nor melted. Please don’t soften the butter in the microwave. It is too risky that the butter melts down or gets greasy.
The batter is enough for about 16-17 cupcakes. Make sure that you don’t fill too much batter into the cupcake liners. Fill them about 2/3 – ¾ full that they don’t sink or spill over the sides. This can be done with an ice cream scoop, a measuring cup, or a tablespoon.
I decided to add butter instead of oil to the cupcakes because of the nice buttery flavor. It leads to a richer taste. They are not as airy as a white cupcake but soft and moist.
How to make Coffee Mascarpone Frosting?
In a large bowl, mix mascarpone until soft and creamy, for about 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar until smooth and stiff peaks form. Add coffee and mix until creamy. In the end, add heavy cream and mix until the frosting forms stiff peaks and holds its stand.
If the consistency of the frosting is too soft or too firm, you can add more powdered sugar or heavy cream. When it is too soft, I suggest adding powdered sugar little by little up to ½ cup. You may want to add a pinch of salt in that case, to cut down the sweetness. When it is too firm, add 1-2 tbsp of heavy cream to the frosting to lighten it up.
Then spread or pipe frosting onto the cupcakes. It is enough frosting to pipe it beautifully high. You may don’t need it all. But should I tell you something? It’s not too bad to spoon the remaining frosting. You know what I’m saying?
How to store frosted cupcakes?
If you plan to eat the cupcakes at the same and the next day and your house has around 70°F/20°C degrees, you can store them at room temperature without any problems. However, I prefer storing them in an airtight container the fridge when I don’t eat them right away. They store well up to 3 days in the fridge.
Before serving, place them on the kitchen counter and let come to room temperature for about 30-60 minutes. They are best eaten at room temperature but can be eaten straight out of the fridge as well.
How to freeze Coffee Cupcakes?
Cupcakes are always best eaten fresh. However, if you plan to freeze the cupcakes, I suggest freezing the unfrosted cupcakes and making the frosting before serving. In this case, let the cupcakes let cool completely. Then wrap them individually in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped cupcakes in freezer bags and remove as much air as possible. They freeze well up to 3 months.
To thaw, unwrap the cupcakes and place them on the counter. They need about 1-2 hours to come to room temperature. Then frost them and serve. However, fresh Coffee Cupcakes are always better than frozen ones. I just want to repeat it.
These Coffee Cupcakes are
- a coffee lover’s dream
- even for non-coffee lover’s like me a hit
- a dreamy combination of soft coffee cupcakes and creamy coffee mascarpone frosting
- easy to make
- incredibly delicious
I can imagine that these cupcakes would also be great with chocolate frosting.
If you make this Coffee Cupcakes recipe leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #alsothecrumbsplease on Instagram! Would love to see your snap!
Super soft and moist Coffee Cupcakes topped with ultra creamy Coffee Mascarpone Frosting. Easy to make and a dream for coffee lovers.
- 1/2 cup strong coffee, room temperature (120ml)
- 1 tbsp espresso powder
- 1+3/4 cups all-purpose flour (210g)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature (113g)
- 3/4 cup granulated white sugar (150g)
- 1 large egg
- 1 vanilla bean* (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk (120ml)
- 2+1/4 cups mascarpone (500g)
- 1+1/4 cups powdered sugar (150g)
- 1 vanilla bean* (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- 1/4 cup strong coffee, room temperature (60ml)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (60ml)
Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with about 16-17 cupcake liners (this recipe yields 16-17 cupcakes - I got 16 cupcakes). Set aside.
Cupcakes: In a small bowl, stir coffee and espresso powder to combine. Set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, stir flour, baking powder, and salt to combine. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment beat butter and sugar until creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla* and stir to combine. Alternately add dry ingredients, coffee, dry ingredients, buttermilk, and dry ingredients to the batter and mix on medium-low speed just until combined. Spoon batter into the liners and fill about 2/3 – 3/4 full that your cupcakes don't sink or spill over the sides. Watch the 1-minute video for better understanding. Bake for about 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick centered in the middle comes out clean. Let cool to room temperature before frosting.
Frosting: In a large mixing bowl, using a stand or handheld mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat mascarpone until creamy. Sift in powdered sugar and mix until combined and sugar is dissolved. Add vanilla* and coffee and stir until incorporated. Stir in heavy cream and mix until creamy. If the frosting is too soft, add more powdered sugar little by little (up to ½ cup). If it is too firm, add 1-2 tbsp of heavy cream to lighten it up. When adding more powdered sugar, you may want to add a pinch of salt to cut down the sweetness.
Pipe or spread frosting on top of cooled cupcakes. Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days.
Recipe Video
*First, cut off the straight end of the vanilla bean. Then place the tip of your knife below the curled end and cut the vanilla bean through the middle of the bean lengthwise with a sharp knife. Although you don't need to cut it all the way through, it's ok when you do so. Then open the vanilla bean and scrape out the flavorful seeds with the back of your knife. Just use the seeds.
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