This recipe is for coffee lovers only! A soft coffee flavored cupcake with a rich, pudding-like chocolate coffee frosting on top is the ideal afternoon treat. Mocha cupcakes will become your new 3pm craving.
You should know: the frosting on these cupcakes isn't normal. It's more like a pudding, and it's insanely delicious. If there's anything better than a soft, tender-crumbed coffee flavored cupcake with a creamy mocha pudding on top, I haven't found it yet. Even my coffee pancakes for breakfast are jealous of this afternoon treat!
If you're new around here, this is a small batch desserts website. Therefore, this recipe only makes 4 mocha cupcakes. You can absolutely double or triple the recipe, which you will definitely want to do after you take a bite, but please follow the recipe exactly. If you double it, use two egg whites, not the whole egg. If you triple it, use 3 egg whites, ok?
Ingredients
I haven't had such a coffee-centric recipe on here since my Beer Brownies made with stout, so I'm so happy to bring you these mocha cupcakes.
- Butter. We need ½ a stick (4 tablespoons/ 2 ounces) of unsalted butter that we melt and slightly cool.
- Granulated Sugar.
- Sour Cream. Whenever a baked good is made with sour cream, you can expect a moist yet light cake crumb. It's truly the best, in my opinion. Please, reach for full-fat regular sour cream with only one ingredient (cultured cream) on the label.
- Egg White. We only need the egg white for this recipe, not the egg yolk. Please check here for a list of recipes that use egg yolks. Again, if you double this recipe, use 2 egg whites, not the whole egg. The egg yolk contains fat that we don't need in this recipe, and it will make your cupcakes sink.
- Instant Espresso Powder. This is the ingredient that brings so much coffee flavor in such a small package. My favorite brand is here. If you only have instant coffee, that will work here, too.
- Flour.
- Baking Soda.
- Salt. I use fine sea salt for baking, and yes, desserts really need a pinch of salt to make all the flavors shine.
- Powdered Sugar. This is for the frosting on top of the cupcakes.
- Chocolate. For this mocha cupcakes frosting recipe, we're melting chocolate and combining it with sour cream and powdered sugar to make a soft, pudding-like frosting. You can use semi-sweet chocolate for the cupcakes you see in the photos, or you can use white chocolate for a white mocha flavor!
How to Make Mocha Cupcakes
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, sour cream and egg white. Whisk very well to combine; this is all of your wet ingredients.
Next, in a separate bowl, whisk together the espresso powder, flour, baking soda and salt until no lumps remain. This is your dry ingredients.
Now, pour the dry ingredients in the bowl of the wet ingredients, and stir to combine. At first, you won't see the coffee, but it will dissolve and dye the batter a lovely golden shade.
Once the batter is fully combined (but be careful not to over-mix), it's time to scoop it into a muffin pan lined with cupcake liners.
Evenly divide the batter between the cupcake liners and bake at 350-degrees Fahrenheit for 15-17 minutes. However, be sure to test the cupcakes with a toothpick before removing them from the oven.
The cupcakes will be flat, not domed--this is so they can hold lots of yummy frosting. Remove the mocha cupcakes from the pan and let cool on a wire rack.
Now, it's time to make the frosting for these mocha cupcakes. Begin by melting the chocolate in a double boiler or on LOW in the microwave, stirring frequently.
Once the chocolate is fully melted and no longer has any lumps, stir in the powdered sugar.
Next, add the sour cream and stir in very well. It's important that the chocolate is fully melted before stirring in the cold sour cream, or else your final frosting will have lumps.
The final consistency of the frosting for these mocha cupcakes is like pudding, and it can be piped or spread on the cupcakes once they're fully cool.
If you love my Starbucks Double Chocolate Chip Frappuccino drink, you will feel like this cupcake is the drink in chewable form. Just look at how soft the centers of these mocha cupcakes are! Oh, and don't forget the chocolate covered espresso bean on top for decoration.
Yes, to make these white mocha cupcakes instead of regular, just melt white chocolate for the frosting instead of semisweet chocolate.
If you double this mocha cupcakes recipe, double it EXACTLY. A double batch calls for two egg whites, not the whole egg. A triple batch calls for three egg whites, not the whole egg again. Follow the directions exactly, and you will have success.
The cupcakes have plenty of coffee flavor, but you may also add ¼ teaspoon of instant espresso powder to the frosting for a double dose of coffee. Wow, you really love coffee, don't you? Have you made my iced mocha recipe?
Mocha Cupcakes
These cofee cupcakes with soft mocha frosting are always a hit!
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- 1 large egg white
- 1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 6 tablespoons flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For the chocolate frosting:
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 ounce of chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon cold sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 and line 4 cups in a muffin pan with liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, sour cream and egg white very well.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the instant espresso powder, flour, baking soda and salt. Combine this with the wet ingredients and whisk very well.
- Divide between 4 cupcake liners and bake for 15-17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The cupcakes will be flat, not domed like muffins.
- Once completely cool, fold together the powdered sugar and melted white chocolate. Add ¼ cup of the sour cream and stir, adding the extra tablespoon to get the consistency you want. Frost the cupcakes and serve. Dust with cocoa powder and garnish with a chocolate covered espresso bean, if desired.
Notes
To make these white mocha cupcakes, use melted white chocolate in the frosting instead of semisweet.
If you want to double this recipe, follow it exactly: 8 cupcakes require 2 egg whites, not the whole egg. To make 12 cupcakes, use 3 egg whites. Do not use egg yolks in this recipe. Do not alter the recipe in any way, or results will vary.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 276Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 249mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 0gSugar: 21gProtein: 3g
Bev Weidner says
Yeah, just two more trips and you'll be HULK HOGAN!
oh, ew. Don't do that.
xo.
Esther says
You are so funny! I love your work horse anecdote. But oooh I'm so sorry for your pain. But hey just think of the calories you'll burn at rest with all that new muscle! I hear muscle practically eats fat. I think that's the medical description. But yeah, I don't really like working out at all. I only do it so that I can eat more.
These cupcakes look fantastic! Anything that sounds like a coffee drink...I'm sold. Oddly enough I have a batch of Mocha coconut frappuccino cupcakes in the oven (Jessica's recipe from how sweet) but I LOVE the idea of the white mocha! ...Starbucks runs my life.
Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic says
This has egg whites, which means it has protein, which means it's the perfect pre-gym fuel :)
Heidi Hawyes says
These look amazing. Two very good things - coffee and white chocolate. I may make these today!
Feast on the Cheap says
Hilarious, I love that you're using these as a pre-workout snack. Makes sense to me.
Maria says
I am loving that frosting!
Jolene (www.everydayfoodie.ca) says
I am adding espresso powder and white chocolate to the grocery list, and I will have everything I need to make these!!!!
Maria @ Orchard Bloom says
these look incredible. I have to make them stat!
Lewelyn Lee says
I loved reading this post. I'm in the process of starting to exercise again after having my 2nd child who is 4months old. I love to eat and sometimes I feel like I need to physically clamp myouth shut I don't put any more food in there. And it doesn't help that my hubby is also a foodie. Anyhow, your white mocha cupcake looks scrumptious ANC I can't wait to try it. Thanks for sharing
Christina Lane says
Oh no, Marina! I haven't made this recipe in a few years, but let me check on this for you. So sorry you had trouble!