Mocha Cupcakes
If you like coffee and chocolate, then you’ll love these Mocha Cupcakes! Moist, deeply chocolate-y cupcakes are topped with a silky Swiss buttercream that’s spiked with rich espresso.
It’s Friday, woo-hoo!
Can somebody please tell me where the week went? Seriously.
I’m so sorry for the spotty posting schedule of late. You may or may not have caught in a recent post that I’ve been recovering from a pretty bad illness. Every day is a little bit better, but I’m still fighting a bothersome cough and my energy levels are just nowhere near what I’m used to. I’m doing my best to keep up on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram, but it’s been hard for me to get into the kitchen to do a whole lot of recipe testing (which goes hand in hand with tons of dirty dishes!).
Still, I couldn’t let this week go by without honoring my friend Meriem, from the blog Culinary Couture. Meriem and I have been friends pretty much since I started blogging. She’s so super-talented and we have so much in common (namely, a passion for baking beautiful sweets!). Meriem just got engaged and I couldn’t be happier for her! So when our mutual friend Nora (of A Clean Bake) invited me to be a part of her virtual bridal shower, I couldn’t refuse!
The theme of this shower is “Made for Each Other.” Isn’t that sweet and clever? Because Meriem and her beau are a match made in heaven, Nora encouraged us all to choose a flavor combination that’s iconic and well-loved. I decided to match my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe up with my other favorite: coffee!
Chocolate + Coffee = Mocha. Mmmmmm, mocha.
Are you into coffee? Gosh I just love it. I start every day with a cup, and I’m a bit of a snob about it. Drip coffee just doesn’t cut it for me, it has to be espresso!
I love how the roasty, slightly bitter notes bring out all the best in chocolate. These flavors truly are a perfect match for each other!
I used a 1M tip to pipe the frosting, and I’ve topped it off with a chocolate covered espresso bean. Check out the affiliate links just below the recipe card for an online source, where you can mail order these and some of the other specialty tools/ingredients I’ve used to create these cupcakes.
Please be sure to hop on over to Culinary Couture to wish Meriem all the best today! And definitely click around and check out all the other fabulous recipes my fellow bloggers have created within the “Made for Each Other” theme. There’s so much variety here, I just love it!
A Virtual Bridal Shower Menu:
Paleo Brookies from A Clean Bake
Yellow Cake Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream for Two from An Edible Mosaic
Mocha Cupcakes from Baking a Moment
Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cupcakes from Blahnik Baker
Cheese and Charcuterie Board from Hall Nesting
Mini Lemon Cheesecakes from What Jessica Baked Next
Mocha Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 batch Simply Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes*
- 4 egg whites
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 22 tablespoons unsalted butter, (2 sticks plus 6 tablespoons), softened but cool
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate,, melted and cooled slightly
- 3 tablespoons instant espresso powder
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- unsweetened cocoa powder, for garnish
- chocolate covered espresso beans, for garnish
Instructions
- Bake the cupcakes according to the recipe instructions.
- Place the egg whites and sugar in a large metal mixing bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the mixture is smooth, thin, and translucent, and it no longer feels gritty when rubbed between the thumb and forefinger (about 10 minutes).
- Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk on medium speed until fluffy and stiff, and no hint of warmth remains when you place your hand on the side of the bowl.
- Add the butter, a tablespoon at a time, whipping after each addition. If the mixture seems runny, place it in the refrigerator for 10 to 20 minutes, then re-whip.
- Fold in the melted chocolate.
- Place the instant espresso, water, and vanilla in a small bowl and stir together.
- Whip the liquid into the chocolate buttercream, then transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a 1M tip.
- Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes, and dust with cocoa powder.
- Garnish with a chocolate covered espresso bean.
These are such a great flavor – chocolate on chocolate can sometimes be a bit much. But this is perfect!
Coffee and chocolate in a cupcake?!! Sooo much to love! These look perfect!
Oh my! What a treat!
Allie- this is absolutely amazing! I think that the 1M tip was really meant for this frosting. Gorgeous.
Thank you so much Daisy! So happy you like these cupcakes. Thanks for the awesome feedback!
Ooh I would take one of these in place of a cup of coffee any day! They sound amazing!! Thank you again so much for joining us for the shower, Allie! 🙂
Thanks Nora! And thank you for inviting me to be a part! I think Meriem loved it 🙂
Deluscious!
Yay! So glad you liked, thanks Evelyn!
Looks deliciously amazing! 🙂
Thank you so much Stephanie! I’m so glad you like them 🙂
These are just delightful Allie! I have every kind of mocha cupcake (peppermint, salted caramel etc) but not really a classic like this. Giving the chocolate and the coffee time to shine. Love it!!
Oh but those fancy ones are so goooood!!! I would have loved to have drizzled some salted caramel on these but you know, three’s a crowd 😉 Thanks Zainab!
These look so delicious, the icing is so light and fluffy, isn’t meringue buttercream the best?! I don’t drink coffee that often (I’m a tea person), but when I do I generally order a mocha, and I LOVE coffee flavoured desserts so these are right up my alley 🙂
Meringue buttercream is hands-down THE BEST! Totally my favorite, by far! And I love coffee flavored desserts too (even though tea is darn good too!). Thanks so much Hannah!
Gosh! Could these cupcakes be any more amazing?! You are so extraordinarily talented.
Oh my gosh so are you Jen! Thank you so much my dear 🙂
Your cupcakes are making me wish this wasn’t a virtual bridal shower! I am salivating at the screen Allie! Thank you SO much for creating this beautiful cupcake; hubby and I love these two flavors separately and we will love them even more together!
I’m so happy for you both! I wish you alllll the best, many blessings, and much happiness. So happy to have been a part of this fun celebration! Thanks Meriem!