These are the best Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes: a rich, moist chocolate cake finished with silky espresso buttercream and an optional salted caramel drizzle for a truly indulgent bite.
*This recipe and images were updated on 5/8/2025.
What Makes these Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes the Best?
- Delicious flavor pairing. Chocolate, coffee, and caramel balance each other perfectly for a complex, satisfying taste.
- Moist chocolate cake. These cupcakes are easy to make (no stand mixer required for the cake) and reliably come out tender and moist every time.
- Silky espresso buttercream. The frosting begins as a classic American buttercream, then espresso dissolves into warm cream and is folded in, yielding an ultra-smooth, creamy buttercream.
Ingredients
- Dry ingredients. All-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt form the base.
- Cocoa powder. Dutch-process (dark) cocoa gives a deep chocolate flavor.
- Buttermilk. Acidic buttermilk activates the leavening and keeps the crumb tender when using Dutch-process cocoa.
- Vegetable oil. A neutral oil (vegetable or canola) keeps the cake extra moist.
- Coffee. Hot coffee enhances the chocolate flavor — add it slowly so eggs don’t scramble.
- Butter. Use unsalted butter for the frosting so you can control the salt level; let it soften at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
- Espresso powder. A finely ground instant espresso powder dissolves into warm cream and flavors the buttercream beautifully.
- Heavy cream. Use cream (not milk) to bloom the espresso and adjust frosting texture.
- Powdered sugar. Confectioners’ sugar for the buttercream; no special sifting required.
How to Make Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes
Make the Chocolate Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two standard cupcake pans with liners. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk. While whisking the dry ingredients, slowly pour the wet mixture into the bowl and mix until combined. The batter will be thick at first; continue whisking and slowly add the hot coffee in a thin stream. Adding the coffee slowly tempers the eggs and prevents scrambling. After adding the coffee, the batter should be thin and pourable.
Fill each cupcake liner about halfway. A measuring cup with a pour spout makes this easy and tidy. Do not overfill — filling past halfway can cause overflow or domed cupcakes that sink. Bake at 350°F for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely before frosting.
Make the Espresso Buttercream
Measure 1/2 cup heavy cream into a liquid measuring cup and warm it for 15–20 seconds until it is warm but not hot. Stir in 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder until dissolved and let it sit to bloom — this will flavor the buttercream.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 1½ cups (3 sticks) of unsalted butter on medium-high for about 10 minutes, scraping the bowl halfway through. The butter will become lighter in color and silky. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon salt and mix to combine.
Add 6 cups powdered sugar in two additions (3 cups at a time), mixing on low and then for about 3 minutes after each addition until smooth. Once the sugar is incorporated, add the espresso-infused cream 2 tablespoons at a time until you reach your desired consistency. You may not need the full 1/2 cup; for a fluffy, pipeable buttercream the recipe maker used about 6 tablespoons total.
Assemble the Cupcakes
Fit a piping bag with your preferred tip (a large round or star tip works well) and fill it with the espresso buttercream. Pipe a swirl onto each cupcake. If adding salted caramel, create a small well in the center of the frosting to hold the caramel so it pools slightly without sliding off. Spoon or pipe the salted caramel into the well and, if desired, finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt for contrast.
Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes
No reviews
- Author: Elizabeth Buuck
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 24 Cupcakes
- Category: Cupcakes, Recipes
Description
Classic chocolate cupcakes topped with espresso-infused American buttercream and an optional salted caramel sauce for finishing.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 3/4 C All-purpose flour
- 2 C Granulated sugar
- 3/4 C Dark (Dutch-process) cocoa powder
- 2 tsp Baking soda
- 3/4 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 C Buttermilk, room temperature
- 1/2 C Vegetable oil
- 3 Large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 1 C Hot brewed coffee
For the Espresso Buttercream
- 1 1/2 C (3 sticks) Unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 6 C Powdered sugar
- 2 TBSP Instant espresso powder
- 1/2 C Heavy cream, room temperature
- 1/2 C Salted caramel sauce (optional)
Instructions
For Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two cupcake pans with liners.
- In a large bowl (or stand mixer with paddle attachment) whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.
- While whisking the dry ingredients, slowly add the wet mixture and mix until combined.
- Continue whisking and slowly stream in the hot coffee until the batter is smooth and pourable.
- Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure everything is evenly combined.
- Using a measuring cup with a pour spout, fill liners halfway. Do not overfill.
- Bake at 350°F for 18–20 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.
For Espresso Buttercream
- Warm the heavy cream until warm (not hot) and stir in the instant espresso powder until dissolved. Set aside.
- Beat the butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for about 10 minutes, scraping the bowl halfway through.
- Add vanilla and salt and mix to combine.
- Add the powdered sugar in two additions (about 3 cups at a time), mixing on low then for 3 minutes after each addition.
- Add the espresso-infused cream 2 tablespoons at a time until you reach the desired consistency; about 6 tablespoons yields a fluffy, pipeable buttercream.
- Fit a piping bag with your preferred tip and fill with buttercream.
- Pipe a swirl onto each cupcake and top with salted caramel if desired.
Notes
If you don’t have buttermilk, make a substitute by adding 1 tablespoon white vinegar to 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon regular milk, then let it sit for a few minutes.
Piping bags are optional — you can dollop frosting on and spread or swirl it with an offset spatula or butter knife for a pretty finish without specialized tools.
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