Coffee and chocolate are calling my name! Who can relate? Satisfy both cravings in two bites of this incredibly delicious Mocha Cupcakes Recipe. (Or two cupcakes...) These two flavors are a brilliant pairing; very few people would disagree with that. We've made these for parties and work events and they get devoured fast. Absolutely irresistible!
With half a cup (or three shots) of espresso in the recipe, each cupcake offers quite a punch, along with the sharp chocolate flavor to add. If you're an espresso drinker, you may skip the morning coffee run and grab one of these cupcakes with some to-go milk or tea. And one for the afternoon pick-me-up 😉 Try this deliciousness and finish the week strong with an awesome Friday! 🙂
- Espresso
- Organic whole milk
- Pure vanilla extract
- Organic all-purpose flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Sea salt
- Unsalted butter (softened)
- Brown sugar
- Organic sugar
- Egg (room temperature)
Frosting Ingredients
- Cream cheese (softened)
- Organic sugar
- Heavy whipping cream
- Espresso (cooled)
How to Make Cupcakes Batter
First, brew espresso.
Next, combine liquid ingredients: espresso, whole milk, and pure vanilla extract. Set aside until ready for use.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard-size muffin tin with paper liners. Sift dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix with a whisker until well combined.
Beat butter and organic and brown sugars together at a high speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add the egg and beat again until combined.
Pour in the liquid mixture and mix for 10 seconds. Then add the dry mixture. At the lowest speed, mix everything together well for about a minuteminute (do not over mix). Scrap down the sides and bottom of the mixer bowl and mix again for 30 seconds.
⏲️ Baking Time
Divide the batter evenly between the 12 liners.
Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick, inserted in the center of a cupcake, comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting cupcakes.
How to Make Frosting
Beat softened cream cheese and organic sugar for 2 minutes. Let it sit on the mixer base for a couple of minutes (to allow the larger granules of organic sugar to melt). Beat again for 2 - 3 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer and set it aside.
In a small bowl, beat heavy cream until thick (do not overbeat or it will turn into butter chunks).
Add ½ of the beaten heavy cream to the cream cheese mixture and mix them with a silicon spatula. Then add the second half of the heavy cream and mix well again. Finally, add 1 tbsp. of cooled espresso and combine well.
How to Decorate Cupcakes
Using a large 1M tip to pipe the frosting onto cooled cupcakes.
Sprinkle a bit of cacao or finely ground coffee on top of each cupcake.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
Store frosted cupcakes in the fridge in the container covered with a lid for about 4-5 days before they start to get hard and dry.
Bake cupcakes up to two days ahead of the event and arrange them (unfrosted) in the container with a lid, and store them at room temperature. Frost before serving.
To freeze cupcakes, arrange unfrosted cupcakes in the container and cover with a lid. Freeze up to two months.
If you make this Mocha Cupcakes Recipe, please share a picture with me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. Tag with #valyastasteofhome. I’d love to see your creations!
Recipe Card
Mocha Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
Cupcake Batter Ingredients
- ½ cup (120 ml) - espresso
- ¼ cup. (60 ml) - organic whole milk
- 1 tsp. - pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (254 g) - organic all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (35 g) - unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ tsp. - baking powder
- ½ tsp. - baking soda
- ⅛ tsp. - sea salt
- 2 oz. (57 g) - unsalted butter (softened)
- ½ cup (125 g) - organic sugar
- ½ cup (125 g) - brown sugar
- 1 large egg - room temperature
Frosting Ingredients
- 4 oz. (113 g) – cream cheese (softened)
- ¼ cup (50g) – organic sugar
- 1 cup (254ml) – heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp. 915 ml) – espresso (cooled)
Instructions
How to Make Cupcakes Batter
- First, brew espresso.
- Next, combine liquid ingredients: espresso, whole milk, and pure vanilla extract. Set aside until ready for use.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard-size muffin tin with paper liners. Sift dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix with a whisker until well combined.
- Beat butter and organic and brown sugars together at a high speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add the egg and beat again until combined.
- Pour in the liquid mixture and mix for 10 seconds. Then add the dry mixture. At the lowest speed, mix everything together well for about a minute (do not over mix). Scrap down the sides and bottom of the mixer bowl and mix again for 30 seconds.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 12 liners.
Baking Time
- Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick, inserted in the center of a cupcake, comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting cupcakes.
How to Make Frosting
- Beat softened cream cheese and organic sugar for 2 minutes. Let it sit on the mixer base for a couple of minutes (to allow the larger granules of organic sugar to melt). Beat again for 2 - 3 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer and set it aside.
- In a small bowl, beat heavy cream until thick (do not overbeat or it will turn into butter chunks).
- Add ½ of the beaten heavy cream to the cream cheese mixture and mix them with a silicon spatula. Then add the second half of the heavy cream and mix well again. Finally, add 1 tbsp. of cooled espresso and combine well.
How to Decorate Cupcakes
- Using a large 1M tip to pipe the frosting onto cooled cupcakes.
- Sprinkle a bit of cacao or finely ground coffee on top of each cupcake.
Notes
- Store frosted cupcakes in the fridge in the container covered with a lid for about 4-5 days before they start to get hard and dry.
- Bake cupcakes up to two days ahead of the event and arrange them (unfrosted) in the container with a lid and store them at room temperature. Frost before serving.
- To freeze cupcakes, arrange unfrosted cupcakes in the container and cover them with a lid. Freeze up to two months.
Enjoy a cupcake with a cup of tea or a homemade latte.
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- Carrot Cupcakes with Greek Yogurt Cream Cheese Frosting
Kitchen items I used in making this recipe:
(If you need any of these items, simply click on the picture to order. This post may contain affiliate links which won't change your price but will share some commission.)
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Inna says
Hello Valya,
If I make mini cupcakes.. would baking time be the same?
Thank you 🙂
Valya of Valya's Taste of Home says
I would reduce baking time a bit. Check if they are done with a toothpick.
Julia says
Hello dear Valya,
I baked these cupcakes few days ago and they turned out sooo good! I wanted to ask you how can I convert this exact recipe into a cake? All chocolate cakes I’ve tried don’t satisfy “my chocolate cake dream” and after I made these cupcakes I literally imagined what an awesome chocolate, rich coffee taste like cake it could be! Please give me some of your professional advice! Thank you!
www.valyastasteofhome.com says
Wow, what a great idea converting this recipe into a cake! I'm super excited to give it a try! ? This recipe is more likely for a smaller cake. I'm just predicting, because I have to make the recipe to be sure. I would devide batter in between 2 - 8" spring pan's. Bake it for 20 minutes. Cool. Frost it with the same amount of recipe cream as for cupcakes. I'll update you once I make it.
Eva says
Hello Valya,
I've been craving mocha cupcakes and have been looking for a perfect recipe for a while now. These look so yummy. Can't wait to try another recipe for yours!!!
Thank you!
valya'stasteofhome.com says
Thank you very much! I can't wait to see a picture 🙂 and would appreciate hearing back how they turned out for you.
Larisa says
Hi Valya,
These cupcakes are totally calling my name also, they look so tasty. I had a few questions about it. Can I use brewed coffee or it will make a huge difference? Also, in the ingredients for milk, it says "¼ tsp. (1.25 g) - cup whole organic milk".....was the word cup or tsp extra? Just wondering to put in the right measurements.
Thanks!
P.S. that's a super nice espresso machines you've got! Good job in investing in it!
valya'stasteofhome.com says
Hi Larisa. Yes, brewed strong coffee is totally fine. And thank you for catching that. It's actually 1/4 cup of whole milk not tsp. I made the corrections. Let me know how it turns out for you dear 🙂