When I was coming up with flavor combinations for my cake book, Anyone Can Cake, I decided to do a little experimenting with blending my favorite buttercream recipes together. So I took my favorite chocolate buttercream and my coffee buttercream recipes and married them to make this incredible mocha buttercream! Y’all. If you love chocolate and coffee together this is one of those frostings you could eat by the spoonful.
This mocha buttercream frosting is so delightful on chocolate cake and would also make a glorious filling for macarons, topping for cupcakes, or really any frosted dessert that pairs well with coffee and chocolate. It’s the perfect consistency for filling and frosting a cake with smooth or textured buttercream and pipes like a dream.
To get the coffee flavor, I like to whisk together espresso powder and whole milk before adding it in the mixing process. You could absolutely use your favorite instant coffee as an alternative. Either of these create a wonderful burst of coffee flavor as opposed to freshly brewed coffee, which won’t be strong enough and will end up adding too much liquid. And for the chocolate flavor, a touch of cocoa powder does just the trick.
Find this recipe paired with a coffee-infused chocolate cake in my book to make a chocolate mocha cake (pictured here) or use it any way your heart desires! See the notes of this recipe to calculate how much you’ll need for your specific baking project.
Mocha Buttercream
Ingredients
- 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 Cups (360g) powdered sugar
- 1/4 Cup (22g) unsweetened cocoa powder natural or Dutch-processed
- 1 1/2 tsp espresso powder or instant coffee
- 2 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter on med-high until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes), scraping down the bowl and paddle a few times in between.
- Add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle between intervals. Turn the mixer off and sift in the cocoa powder with a fine mesh sieve, then mix it in on low speed.
- In a small bowl, combine the espresso powder (or instant coffee) with the whole milk before adding it in with the vanilla and salt. Mix on low until fully incorporated and smooth, 1-2 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed.
Notes
- Frost 12-15 cupcakes with a piping bag
- Fill and crumb coat a three-layer 6-inch cake or two-layer 8-inch cake. To have enough for frosting and decorating as well, double the recipe.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know what you think in the comments below, or by tagging me on Instagram! I love to see your creations and hear your feedback.
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