Mocha cupcakes
Mocha cupcakes bring together deep chocolate and fragrant coffee for a dark brown crumb that stays moist and wonderfully tender thanks to oil and buttermilk. The coffee-cocoa buttercream on top is rich, silky and gently bitter, a perfect pick for anyone who likes their sweets with some depth.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Rising or chilling
- 40 min
- Total time
- 1 hr 35 min
- Method
- Oven-baked
Ingredients
Cupcake batter
Mocha buttercream
Instructions
Step 1
Turn the oven on to 175 degrees C and line a cupcake pan with paper liners ahead of time. This batter is very thin, so it needs to go into the oven as soon as it is portioned to keep the air bubbles from the baking soda. The oven is ready when it has held a steady heat for at least fifteen minutes.
Step 2
Pour 120 g hot brewed coffee over 40 g cocoa powder in a small bowl and stir until dissolved. Hot coffee blooms the cocoa, releasing a far stronger chocolate flavor than mixing it in dry. The mixture is right when it is smooth and glossy like chocolate sauce, with no dry specks of cocoa.
Step 3
Sift 130 g all-purpose flour, 4 g baking soda, 3 g baking powder and a pinch salt into a large bowl, then add 180 g granulated sugar and toss to combine. The baking soda must be evenly distributed so the cupcakes don't taste soapy or develop large holes. The dry mix is right when it is loose and free of lumps.
Step 4
Whisk 100 g egg, 120 g buttermilk, 80 g vegetable oil and 4 g vanilla extract together, pour into the bowl of dry ingredients, then add the cocoa-coffee mixture. Stir with a whisk just until everything is evenly moistened, because overmixing makes the cupcakes tough. The batter is right when it is thin, glossy and smooth like drinkable yogurt.
Step 5
Use a spouted measuring cup to pour the batter into the liners until each is about two thirds full. Pouring from a spout portions the batter evenly and keeps the edges of the liners clean. The cups are right when the batter levels match and no batter has spilled onto the pan.
Step 6
Bake at 175 degrees C for about 18 to 20 minutes on the middle rack. Cocoa-rich cakes dry out easily if overbaked, so start checking at minute 18. The cupcakes are done when the tops spring back when pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
Step 7
Let the pan rest for five minutes, then move the cupcakes to a wire rack and wait about forty minutes until completely cool. Only fully cooled cupcakes will keep the buttercream sharp and defined. They are ready when the bottoms no longer feel warm.
Step 8
Dissolve 6 g instant coffee in 30 g slightly warm whipping cream and let it cool, then beat 170 g softened unsalted butter until fluffy, sift in 280 g powdered sugar and 25 g cocoa powder, and finally add the coffee cream. Beating for about four more minutes makes the frosting light and easy to pipe. The frosting is right when it is an even milky brown, smooth and holds its ridges.
Step 9
Pipe the frosting in tall swirls on top of the cupcakes with a large star tip, and sprinkle on chocolate shavings or a few roasted coffee beans if you like. A large star tip makes deep ridges so the cupcakes look full and professional. They are finished when the frosting is even and stands firm on top.
Equipment
- Oven
- Muffin tin
- Whisk
- Hand mixer
- Sieve
- Spatula
- Kitchen scale
- Wire cooling rack
- Mixing bowl
- Piping bag
Tips
- If you don't have brewed coffee, you can dissolve instant coffee in boiling water to whatever strength you like.
- No buttermilk? Stir a little lemon juice into regular milk and let it sit for ten minutes before using.
- Dutch-process cocoa gives darker cupcakes with a mellower flavor, while natural cocoa gives a slight tang and a reddish brown color.
Storage
The cupcakes keep well in an airtight container at cool room temperature for one day, or in the refrigerator for up to four days. When you take them out of the fridge, leave them out for about twenty minutes so the buttercream softens and the coffee aroma comes back.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The tops sank after baking.
- The cupcakes were underbaked or had too much leavening. Weigh the baking soda and baking powder precisely, and bake for two to three minutes longer.
- The buttercream is runny and greasy.
- The coffee cream was still warm or the kitchen is too hot. Put the bowl of frosting in the refrigerator for about fifteen minutes, then beat it again at medium speed.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
