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three coffee cupcakes on a white plate with one being half eaten
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5 from 5 votes

Coffee Cupcakes with Coffee Mascarpone Frosting

These super soft and moist coffee cupcakes are topped with ultra creamy coffee mascarpone frosting. These cupcakes are a coffee lover's dream! They are easy to make and perfect for any occasion.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time17 minutes
Total Time47 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16 cupcakes
Calories: 340kcal

Ingredients

Coffee Cupcakes

  • ½ cup strong brewed coffee - preferably espresso, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon espresso powder
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ¾ cup granulated white sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup buttermilk

Coffee Mascarpone Frosting

  • 2 ¼ cups mascarpone, cold
  • 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup strong brewed coffee - preferably espresso, chilled
  • ¼ cup heavy cream, cold

Instructions

  • 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 ⅔ – ¾ 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 tablespoon 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 340kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 106mg | Potassium: 102mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 704IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 1mg