An easy, high altitude recipe for fluffy coffee cupcakes made with instant espresso powder, frosted with coffee buttercream, and topped with espresso sugar and crushed chocolate covered espresso beans. These cupcakes taste like a cup of coffee with cream and sugar, and they’re perfect for coffee lovers.
You might also love these high altitude recipes for coffee blondies, espresso coffee cake muffins, and chocolate cream filled doughnuts with espresso sugar.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Coffee, Coffee, Coffee. You get a triple dose of coffee flavor in these cupcakes, with espresso powder in the cupcakes and buttercream, a sprinkling of espresso sugar and crushed chocolate covered espresso beans.
Easy to Make. Just whisk up the cupcake batter with a bowl and whisk, and they’re ready to bake.
High Altitude Tested. I test all the recipes on my site at Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- Whole Milk. Adds moisture and fat for a tender, flavorful cupcake.
- Espresso Powder. You’ll need instant espresso or coffee powder to add the coffee flavor to these cupcakes.
- Eggs. Gives the cake structure and strength.
- Butter. Keeps the cake tender and moist.
- Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
- Flour. You can use either cake flour or all purpose flour in today’s recipe.
- Sugar. Granulated sugar adds sweetness and moisture.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness.
- Baking Powder. Leavens the cake batter so the cupcakes rise.
Buttercream
- Butter. I use unsalted butter, but if you use salted, just omit the extra salt in the recipe.
- Powdered Sugar. Sweetens and thickens the buttercream.
- Meringue Powder. Adds stability.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness.
- Heavy Whipping Cream. Used to dissolve the espresso powder before adding it to the buttercream, for maximum coffee flavor.
- Espresso Powder. Instant espresso or coffee powder adds a punch of coffee flavor.
- Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line your muffin pan/s with 15 paper liners.
- In a bowl, whisk together the milk and espresso powder until dissolved. Whisk in the eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder, then whisk until everything is well distributed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and whisk just until smooth and combined.
- Divide the batter between the paper liners, filling them no more than 2/3 – 3/4 full.
- Bake the cupcakes on the center oven rack for about 18-20 minutes, until the centers of the cupcakes spring back when gently touched, or a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool the cupcakes in the pans for several minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Buttercream
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, combine the powdered sugar, meringue powder and salt. With the mixer running on low, add the powdered sugar mixture by spoonfuls to the butter, mixing just until combined. The buttercream will be clumpy at this point.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cream, espresso powder and vanilla until the coffee is dissolved. Add to the buttercream, and increase the speed to medium. Whip the buttercream for about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl several times, until very light and fluffy. Turn the speed down to “stir” and mix for 1 more minute.
- Fit a piping bag with tip 1M, fill with the buttercream, and pipe the buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle the cupcakes with crushed chocolate covered espresso beans and espresso sugar.
Espresso Sugar and Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans
After making my chocolate cream filled doughnuts with espresso sugar, I had some of the espresso sugar leftover which I used to decorate today’s cupcakes. For the doughnut recipe, I combined 1 cup granulated sugar + 1 tablespoon espresso powder, but you won’t need nearly that much. To make just a little for sprinkling over the buttercream, just combine 1/4 teaspoon espresso powder + 1 tablespoon of sugar. Then just roughly chop a small handful of chocolate covered espresso beans, and sprinkle everything on top of the frosted cupcakes.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common questions with cake making, so that you can be successful in your own baking! I also suggest reading these comprehensive posts on making Perfect American Buttercream, How to Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost Layer Cakes and How to Use Piping Bags.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find espresso powder?
I use Medaglia D’Oro Instant Espresso Coffee, which I find at my local grocery store.
Can I substitute brewed coffee for the milk and espresso powder?
While this might work, note that I haven’t tested this substitution.
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Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!
High Altitude Coffee Cupcakes
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Standard-Sized Muffin Pan
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- ¾ cup whole milk, lukewarm
- 1 ½ tbsp instant espresso powder
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled for 10 minutes
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups + 2 tbsp cake flour or all purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
Buttercream
- 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ tbsp meringue powder (optional)
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp instant espresso powder
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line your muffin pan/s with 15 paper liners.
- In a bowl, whisk together the milk and espresso powder until dissolved. Whisk in the eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder, then whisk until everything is well distributed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and whisk just until smooth and combined.
- Divide the batter between the paper liners, filling them no more than 2/3 – 3/4 full.
- Bake the cupcakes on the center oven rack for about 18-20 minutes, until the centers of the cupcakes spring back when gently touched, or a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool the cupcakes in the pans for several minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Buttercream
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, combine the powdered sugar, meringue powder and salt. With the mixer running on low, add the powdered sugar mixture by spoonfuls to the butter, mixing just until combined. The buttercream will be clumpy at this point.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cream, espresso powder and vanilla until the coffee is dissolved. Add to the buttercream, and increase the speed to medium. Whip the buttercream for about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl several times, until very light and fluffy. Turn the speed down to "stir" and mix for 1 more minute.
- Fit a piping bag with tip 1M, fill with the buttercream, and pipe the buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle the cupcakes with crushed chocolate covered espresso beans and espresso sugar.
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