Easy Coffee Cupcakes with Luscious Coffee Buttercream

Sweet and rich instant coffee cupcakes bring all the flavors of your favorite coffee shop latte in cupcake form.

Easy coffee cupcakes are moist and fluffy and topped with a luscious espresso coffee buttercream frosting. This rich coffee cupcakes recipe is a coffee lover’s dream.

coffee cupcakes topped with coffee frosting displayed on a cake stand

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Coffee lovers rejoice! You’re going to adore these delicious, moist coffee cupcakes.

I love to treat myself to a fancy coffee shop latte every now and then.

The kind with creamy espresso blended with cream, topped with whipped cream and drizzled with caramel or chocolate syrup.

They are rich, decadent and oh, so sweet.

These easy coffee cupcakes taste just like one of those fancy drinks, but in cupcake form!

The rich coffee flavor really comes through in the moist, fluffy cake.

I topped them with a creamy coffee frosting, and you can even add a dusting of cocoa powder on top if you’d like.

They’re the perfect treat for any coffee lover.

When you take a bite of the instant coffee cupcake, you’ll be enamored by the taste.

The coffee flavor is just right–not too strong or too weak.

The coffee buttercream added a nice touch of sweetness to balance out the bitterness of the coffee.

It’s the perfect treat for your sweet tooth!

More Decadant Cupcake Recipes:

overhead view of several homemade coffee cupcakes on a cake plate, with coffee beans scattered around

Easy Coffee Cupcake from Scratch

I am a fan of shortcuts in the kitchen and often use boxed mixes in my baked goods.

While I love the ease of doctoring up a cake mix, I think you’ll find this rich coffee cupcakes recipe is so simple that you wont regret making them from scratch.

The cupcake batter is made in made in a couple of easy steps, which you can do by hand or use a stand mixer or an electric beater to speed up the process.

I like to use an ice cream scoop to measure and fill the cupcake liners.

It ensures that each cupcake will be the same side and makes much less mess than scooping with a spoon.

After baking your cupcakes, you need to let them cool completely before frosting them.

Waiting is the most difficult part, but we don’t want the frosting to melt.

side view of a frosted coffee-flavored cupcake with its wrapper removed

How to Make Moist Coffee Cupcakes

It’s really easy to make these decadent and beautiful cupcakes!

Ingredients You’ll Need:

mise en place view of all ingredients used

For the Cupcakes:

  • Flour
  • Sugar
  • Instant Espresso Powder
  • Baking Powder
  • Baking Soda
  • Salt
  • Eggs
  • Milk
  • Butter, melted
  • Vanilla Extract

For the Frosting:

  • Butter, softened
  • Powdered Sugar
  • Instant Espresso Powder
  • Milk
coffee cupcakes with espresso frosting in a muffin pan

How to Make It:

(Full printable recipe card is available below)

Mix the dry ingredients. First, you’ll whisk together flour, sugar, instant espresso, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

two photos, showing before and after of dry ingredients being whisked together.

Mix the wet ingredients. Next, you’ll need a whisk (if mixing by hand), or a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment).

You’ll lightly beat eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl, to incorporate.

two photos; showing before and after mixing the eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla extract together.

Bake the cupcake. Then, with the mixer on low speed, or mixing by hand with a spatula, you’ll mix the flour mixture slowly into the wet ingredients until just incorporated.

two photos; showing before and after adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

Fill each muffin cup 1/2-2/3 full and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Remove cupcakes from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

cupcake batter added to lined muffin wells of a muffin pan

Make the frosting. Then, once cupcakes are cool, prepare frosting.

In a medium mixing bowl, cream together butter, powdered sugar, and instant espresso powder.

Add in milk, a tablespoon at a time, beating until desired consistency is reached.

two photos; before and after mixing the ingredients for the coffee buttercream frosting

Frost the cupcakes. Last, use a piping bag and tip to pipe the frosting over the tops of the cupcakes, or use a knife to spread frosting over the tops.

overhead view of coffee cupcakes in the muffin tin, with coffee buttercream swirled on top of each.

Notes and Adaptations:

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.
  • If you don’t have a piping bag you can put the frosting into a ziptop bag and snip off the corner, or simply use a knife to slather it on top of the cupcakes.
close-up side view of coffee cupcakes on a white cake stand

Recommended Equipment:

Yield: Approx. 18 Cupcakes

Coffee Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream Frosting

coffee cupcakes with coffee frosting in a muffin pan

Enjoy your morning coffee in cupcake form! These tender coffee cupcakes are topped with an espresso buttercream, making them a decadent treat with plenty of flavor.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • For the Cupcakes:
  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • ¾ cup milk
  • ½ cup butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • For the Frosting:
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
  • 3 tablespoons milk

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Place liners in muffin pans and set aside. 
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, instant espresso, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add milk, butter and vanilla extract, mixing to incorporate.
  4. Mix dry ingredients slowly into the wet ingredients until just incorporated. Fill each muffin cup 1/2-2/3 full and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
  5. Remove cupcakes from oven and let cool completely.
  6. Once cupcakes are cool, prepare frosting. In a medium mixing bowl, cream together butter, powdered sugar, and instant espresso powder.
  7. Add in milk, a tablespoon at a time, beating until desired consistency is reached.
  8. Use a piping bag and tip to pipe the frosting over the tops of the cupcakes, or use a knife to spread frosting over the tops.

Notes

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.
  • If you don’t have a piping bag you can put the frosting into a ziptop bag and snip off the corner, or simply use a knife to slather it on top of the cupcakes.

Recommended Equipment:

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

18

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 517Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 259mgCarbohydrates: 93gFiber: 0gSugar: 84gProtein: 2g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.

Want more delicious recipe ideas?

Check out even more mealtime inspiration on my Pinterest boards!

Be sure to save this to your desserts board on Pinterest!

two photos; one shows coffee cupcakes on display on a cake stand, the other shows a cupcake cut in half, displaying the moist interior and the silky coffee frosting.

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