Moist Coffee Cupcakes
These coffee cupcakes are light and airy. They are made with oil instead of butter to keep them moist with a tender crumb. The best part is that you need just 5 minutes to prep and 20 minutes to bake. The coffee buttercream takes these to a whole new level.
If you love coffee, you are going to love these cupcakes. The flavor of coffee is like no other, especially when you combine it with a sweet coffee-flavored frosting.
This was one of the popular cupcakes on order when I had a cake business, and it always received rave reviews. One customer told me that coffee buttercream is like eating ice cream on a cupcake.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Simple and easy – The cupcakes don’t need much effort, and the ingredients are mostly pantry staples you probably already have on hand.
- Affordable – Because they are so simple and easy with everyday ingredients, these are best made at home rather than spending dollars to buy. After all, you can’t compare homemade.
- Versatile – These can be customized and made to your own requirements with endless variations (see below)
Ingredients and substitutes
- Flour – I use regular all-purpose flour, plain flour (maida) for most of my cakes and cupcakes. Since it is easily available and usually always on hand in most households.
- Canola oil – Any cooking oil will work, as long as it has no flavor. That way it won’t affect the flavor of the cupcakes. For example, olive oil has a strong olive oil taste and smell, which we definitely don’t want.
- Sugar – I prefer to use white sugar so it won’t alter the color of my cupcakes. And yet, feel free to use the same amount of light brown sugar. But I would not recommend using dark brown sugar.
- Eggs – We have only one egg in this batch, so make it a good, large egg.
- Buttermilk – You can make buttermilk at home, and it takes just five minutes. Here’s how to make homemade buttermilk in 5 mins.
Step-by-step: Coffee Cupcakes with Coffee Frosting
- Preheat the oven to 160 C / 325F. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Dry ingredients: In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. And set aside.
- Wet ingredient: Whip the eggs with sugar until just light and fluffy (don’t over whip). Gradually add the oil, coffee, and vanilla extract.
- Combine: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine well, but do not overmix.
- Bake: Divide the batter between 12 to 15 cupcake liners. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Coffee Buttercream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter with heavy cream, salt, coffee and vanilla until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Once all the powdered sugar is in, whip for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Assemble: Transfer the frosting to a piping bag with a star tip or similar. Pipe a generous swirl on each cupcake.
Variations you can make
- Chocolate chip coffee cupcakes – add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips to the batter at the end
- Caramel coffee cupcakes – Fill the cupcakes with caramel before frosting, and then drizzle some over the frosting at the end.
- Coffee hazelnut cupcakes – Add chopped hazelnuts into the batter (or other nuts). Add 2 tbsp of hazelnut paste to the frosting.
- Cardamom coffee cupcakes – a very popular combination in the Middle East – add cardamom powder to the batter and then into the frosting.
- Spiked coffee cupcakes – add 2 tbsp of alcohol or liquor to your coffee cupcakes from Baileys, Kahlua, to dark rum or Cognac.
Tips for making these Coffee Cupcakes
- Make sure your ingredients are all room temperature before making the batter.
- The coffee must be brewed and cooled before adding to the batter. You can use the same amount of espresso instead of coffee for an intense flavor.
- Don’t whip the eggs and sugar for too long – just until light and fluffy (not ribbon stage). Over-whipping can cause them to deflate once baked.
- These will take 18 – 20 minutes to bake, so watch closely as overbaking them will make them dry.
- Moist Vanilla Cupcakes (one-bowl)
- Luscious Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
- Lemon Cupcakes
- Best Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
- Homemade Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes
Frequently asked questions
How long will these cupcakes keep?
The unfrosted cupcakes can be kept in an air-tight container at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. Once frosted, they need to be refrigerated.
Can I make these eggless vanilla cupcakes?
This recipe works best with egg batter, but you can add coffee powder to my eggless vanilla cake recipe, which works beautifully for eggless cupcakes too.
Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes, you can bake the cupcakes and keep them at room temperature for 2 days or freeze them for up to 3 months. When you are ready to frost them, thaw them in the fridge overnight if frozen. Frost them when you are ready to serve.
Best Coffee Cupcakes with Coffee Buttercream
These coffee cupcakes are light and airy. They are made with oil and take just 5 minutes to prep and 20 minutes to bake. Don't skip the coffee buttercream cause its what takes them to a whole new level.
Ingredients
Coffee Cupcakes
- 190 g (1½ cups) All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 2 large Eggs
- 200 g (1 cup) Granulated Sugar
- 120 ml (½ cup) Canola oil
- ¼ cup (¼ cup) Brewed coffee or Espresso cooled (or use 2 tsp coffee powder with 1/4 cup hot water)
- 2 tbsp Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Coffee Buttercream
- 226 g (1 cup) Butter unsalted, room temperature
- 2 tbsp Heavy cream
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Coffee powder
- 2 tbsp Hot water for the coffee
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 375 g (3 cups) Powdered sugar
Method
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven at 160 C / 325 F. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- Dry ingredients: In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. And set aside.190 g All-purpose flour, 1 tsp Baking powder, ½ tsp Baking Soda, ¼ tsp Salt
- Wet ingredient: Whip the egg with sugar just until light and fluffy. Gradually add the oil, coffee, sour cream, and vanilla extract.2 large Eggs, 200 g Granulated Sugar, 120 ml Canola oil, ¼ cup Brewed coffee or Espresso, 1 tsp Vanilla extract, 2 tbsp Sour cream
- Combine – Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine well but don't overmix.
- Bake and Cool: Divide the batter between 12 to 14 cupcake liners. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then, transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Coffee Buttercream: Combine coffee powder with hot water, then let cool. In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, cream butter, whipping cream, salt, vanilla extract, and coffee paste until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Once all the powdered sugar is in, whip for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.226 g Butter, 2 tbsp Heavy cream, ½ tsp Salt, 1 tbsp Coffee powder, 1 tsp Vanilla extract, 375 g Powdered sugar, 2 tbsp Hot water
- Assemble: Transfer the frosting to a piping bag with a star tip or similar. Pipe a generous swirl on each cupcake.
Notes
- Make sure your ingredients are all room temperature before making the batter.
- The coffee must be brewed and cooled before adding to the batter. You can use the same amount of espresso instead of coffee for an intense flavor.
- Don’t whip the eggs and sugar for too long – just until light and fluffy (not ribbon stage) Over whipping can cause them to deflate once baked.
- These will take 18 – 20 minutes to bake, so watch closely as overbaking them will make them dry.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
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hi veena lv ur recipes tried ur choclate cupcakes they were so good thanks for the recipe plz tell about coffee cupcakes in the recipe u mention 1/4 cup coffee n 2tbsp water plz clarify should we use 2tbsp coffee dissolve in 1/4 cup hot water cool n then add in the batter plz reply
Hey Seema, you can add 1/4 cup of already brewed coffee (cooled). Or you can use 2 tsp of coffee powder with 1/4 cup of hot water, combine, then cool before using. Thanks
You may want to correct the ingredient list to show 8oz (226g) butter. I started out using 113g of butter and quickly realized the incorrect part was 4oz is equal to 113g. Once that was fixed the frosting turned out really creamy and good.
Thanks
I love any kind of coffee desserts and these cupcakes look delicious.
Oh these look SO pretty – coffee cake is one of my favourite things and I’m bookmarking these to try at the weekend, thanks so much!
I love the addition of cocoa powder in that frosting never I would probably eat the whole bowl!
These sound incredible! I always love how easy your recipes are to make with your detailed instructions. Can’t wait to try these!
Thanks, Danielle
You had my attention with the word coffee. Freshly baked cupcakes re the best and I bet these would go great with a cup of fresh coffee.