These mocha cupcakes are a beautiful blend of coffee and chocolate. To balance out the flavors these cupcakes are frosted with vanilla buttercream. If you are a coffee and chocolate lover you will love these cupcakes.
Somewhere I read a quote saying “When a coffee dreams, it dreams of chocolate”. Truly coffee and chocolate are matches made in heaven. They bring out each other’s flavor so well. This combination is loved by so many people all around the world. The popularity of Caffe mocha or mochaccino is a prime example of how famous this combination is.
I am not a coffeeholic. I brew myself a cup only once in a while. But I love the mocha flavor of these cupcakes. The combination of coffee and chocolate doesn’t try to overwhelm each other. We get an even and rich taste.
Mocha cupcakes are not only impressive in flavours department but also in the texture field. They are soft, light, and fluffy. Although the flavour and texture may give an impression of a decadent dessert they are very easy to make.
The creation of these cupcakes is an uncomplicated process. Only staple ingredients are required and the steps are very simple. You can whip up cupcakes in under 30 minutes. The only time-consuming part is waiting for the cupcakes to cool so that they can be frosted.
INGREDIENTS REQUIRED
For Cupcakes
- Water
- Instant Coffee powder- You can use espresso powder as well.
- Sugar- Powdered.
- Butter-unsalted and at room temperature.
- Eggs- at room temperature.
- Vanilla extract
- Flour
- Cocoa powder -Here I’ve used unsweetened regular cocoa powder. But you can use Dutch processed instead but make sure to skip baking soda.
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
For Buttercream Frosting
- Butter
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla extract
Method:-
FOR CUPCAKES
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ (356℉).
- Line the cupcake tray with liners.
- Heat water in a saucepan. Add coffee powder and let the water simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. This process is done to enhance the flavour of coffee.
- In a large bowl with help of a mixer cream butter and sugar on med speed till they become light and fluffy. Make sure the butter is at room temperature otherwise, it would be difficult to cream them. This is the process which makes sure that cupcakes are light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract to the mixture. Mix on med speed till well incorporated. Properly Mixed eggs and sugar results in moist and fluffy cupcake.
- Add the coffee concoction to the mixture. Mix on med speed till well incorporated.
- Sift in all the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed till a creamy or smooth consistency is achieved. Do not over-mix otherwise the texture and structure may get destroyed.
- Pour the batter into the cupcake tray with liners. Only fill up to ¾ of its height. Giving room for cupcakes to rise. Employ an ice-cream scooper for equally dividing the batter.
- Bake them at 180℃(356℉) for 15-18 minutes. When you insert a toothpick in the center of a cupcake and it should come out clean.
- Place them immediately on the wire rack otherwise the residual heat of the baking tray will continue to cook the cupcakes. Let them cool completely before frosting.
FOR VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- In a bowl put sugar, butter, and vanilla extract. Cream them on medium speed till they are light and fluffy.
- Use a spoon or piping nozzle to frost the cupcake. Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before frosting. I’ve used a 1M piping nozzle.
Tips to make sure mocha cupcakes are perfect
- Not measuring flour properly:- Quantity of flour can decide whether the cupcakes are on the dry or moist side. Using a measuring scale is the perfect way of measuring flour properly. But if you don’t have a scale make sure to never scoop the flour with a measuring cup directly instead use spoons to fill the measuring cup with flour.
- Don’t over-mix the batter as it may result in dense and cakey cupcakes.
- Halfway through baking time rotate the pan to ensure even and proper baking.
- Take the cupcakes out of the cupcake tray immediately after baking to ensure that the cupcake won’t further cook in the pan and end up dry.
Mocha Cupcakes
Ingredients
Mocha Cupcakes
- 120 ml Water ½ cup
- 3 g Instant Coffee Powder 1½ tsp
- 180 g Sugar(powdered) 1 cup
- 113 g Butter ½ cup
- 2 Eggs
- 3 ml Vanilla Extract ½ tsp
- 150 g Flour 1 cup
- 26 g Cocoa powder ½ cup
- 2 g Baking powder ½ tsp
- 2 g Baking soda ½ tsp
- 2 g Salt ½ tsp
Vanilla buttercream frosting
- 113 g Butter ½ cup
- 180 g Sugar(powdered) 1 cup
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
Mocha Cupcake
- Gather the ingredients and preheat the oven at 180℃ (356℉).
- Line the cupcake tray with cupcake liners.
- Heat water and coffee powder till it simmers. Set aside.
- Ina bowl cream sugar and butter with a mixer on medium speed till light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract to the mixture and mix with a mixer on medium speed till it reaches a creamy consistency.
- In to this add coffee decoction and mix on med until the mixture is well incorporated.
- Sift in all the dry ingredients and mix on low speed till a smooth consistency is achieved.
- Pour the batter into a lined cupcake tray up to ¾ of height.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes at temp 180℃(356℉). When inserted with a toothpick in the center of cupcake it should come out clean.
- Take the cupcakes out from the cupcake tray immediately and place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
Vanilla Buttercream
- Ina bowl cream butter, sugar, and vanilla extract with a mixer till a creamy consistency is achieved. Use a piping nozzle or spoon to frost the cupcake with buttercream.
Notes
- If using dutch processed cocoa powder skip baking soda.