Frosted Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes
Mocha desserts are hit or miss around here, but these easy Frosted Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes were a home run! Just a touch of coffee in the cupcakes and frosting intensified the chocolate flavor without screaming coffee.
Frosted Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes
The hubby, unlike his wife and oldest child, does not like coffee nor coffee-flavored anything. So I have to be judicious about how I add it to my chocolate desserts. Although the aroma of coffee was obvious when around these mocha cupcakes, the hubby did not balk and ate his fair share!
There’s a fine balance between just enough coffee flavor to enhance the chocolate in a dessert and too much where you start to think they are coffee, not chocolate cupcakes! Said oldest child was over for dinner and he was willing to sample and offer his critique. We both could detect a coffee aroma, but not a coffee flavor. That made for an intensified chocolate flavor without any overt evidence that could scare away the coffee avoiders.
Mocha Cupcakes for Progressive Eats
Welcome to Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a Progressive Dinner Party. Each recipe in our menu this month features coffee in some form: espresso granules, coffee grounds, brewed coffee, coffee extract, etc. Our host this month is Coleen from The Redhead Baker.
If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location. With Progressive Eats, a theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out.
Coffee Recipes:
Appetizers
- BBQ Chicken Tamale Corn Pancakes with Coffee BBQ Sauce from The Heritage Cook
Drinks
- White Chocolate Espresso Martini from SpiceRoots
Bread
- Espresso Coffee Cake with Dates, Walnuts and Espresso Glaze from Creative Culinary
Main Course
- Coffee-Rubbed Flank Steak from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Side Dishes
- Crusty Cheesy Coffee Potato Cups from Mother Would Know
Desserts
- White Chocolate Mocha Layer Cake from The Redhead Baker
- Frosted Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
More Mocha Recipes You’ll Love:
- No-Bake Mocha Mint Cheesecake Parfaits from Inside BruCrew Life
- Mocha Cheesecake with Chocolate Chips from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Whipped Mocha Tart from Pint Sized Baker
- Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookie Icebox Cake from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Double Chocolate Mocha Cookies from What’s Gabby Cooking
Used in This Recipe:
Frosted Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes
These easy Frosted Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes were a home run! Just a touch of coffee in the cupcakes and frosting intensified the chocolate flavor without screaming coffee.
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup cold coffee
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used canola oil)
- 1 tablespoon vinegar (I used cider vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
Mocha Frosting:
- 1 12 cups (3 sticks butter), at room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 tablespoon instant coffee, dissolve in about 2 teaspoons hot water
- 12 chocolate covered espresso beans, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350°.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, coffee, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients; mix well.
Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool. Frost when cooled to room temperature.
To make frosting, in your stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter with the powdered sugar until it is creamy.
Add the cocoa powder, vanilla and coffee. Beat for 2 minutes until fluffy. Pipe onto cupcakes. Top each cupcakewith a chocolate covered espresso bean if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1 cupcakeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 558Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 216mgCarbohydrates: 83gFiber: 4gSugar: 61gProtein: 6g
33 Comments on “Frosted Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes”
You are a woman after my own heart! Chocolate and coffee together are such a favorite of mine and I only wish I had one of these delights right now…who needs dinner anyhow; I want a cupcake!
I just love Mocha! The very first time my family ever got me to eat any cake at all (hated it growing up!) it was a chocolate cake with mocha frosting and that combo of coffee and chocolate was amazing. These sure do look amazing too. Pinned.
These look perfect and I don’t think your pictures could be any better. Fantastic photos!
Man, I love these so much!!! Coffee truly enhances chocolate flavor beautifully!!!! Yum!
My goodness, these look delicious. I enjoy cupcakes much more than cake and these ones look so appealing. Great recipe.
These look SO good! I love the little touch of an espresso bean on top!
These cupcakes look and sound devine, and unlike Bill, I like coffee flavoured desserts.
What incredibly gorgeous cupcakes! I love coffee in all forms, so I wouldn’t be put off at all by a coffee taste. But if you say that they are decadently chocolate, I’m all in, whether or not I can taste the coffee. Please send several along – I’ll provide the steaming coffee on the side:)
Mocha is my favourite way to enjoy coffee, so I know I will love these. Stunning as always Liz 🙂
Pure Elegant Decadence! Gorgeous photos.
That mocha frosting is luscious Liz! I never get tired of Chocolate and coffee desserts!Thanks for another amazing recipe!
I love that mocha frosting – these cupcakes look simply divine!!
Feel the sudden urge to lick my computer screen. Perfect frosting swirls of mocha and chocolate. Perfect sweet ending to a progressive dinner… Just pinned.