Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes combine the luscious, aromatic flavors of espresso powder and chocolate to make a beautifully scrumptious dessert. These dense, fudgy cupcakes are topped with a luscious semi-sweet chocolate frosting making them the perfect treat for the chocolate lover in your life!
If you're looking for a delectable dessert then these chocolate mocha cupcakes are sure to satisfy. They are quick and easy to make and perfect for every celebration from holidays to birthdays.
Jump to:
❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
✔️ Chocolate espresso cupcakes are a chocolate lovers treat with a dense fudgy cake and dark chocolate icing!
✔️ This cupcake recipe is the perfect dessert for the coffee lover and is great for sharing!
✔️ I love to make these chocolate frosted cupcakes for celebrating special occasions, and the espresso flavor goes great with a cup of coffee!
🥘 Ingredients
🔪 Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, using a hand mixer, mix together the butter and sugar until creamy. Blend in vanilla extract and ½ of the flour mixture with batter until just blended.
- Mix in the sour cream and the remaining flour mixture at medium-high speed until just blended. Fold in the melted chocolate.
- Scoop batter into cupcake liners and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into center of cake.
- To make the frosting, melt chocolate chips and butter in microwave. Stir in confectioners' sugar. Spread over cupcakes and decorate as desired.
🙋 Recipe FAQ's
It is likely there were one of two things happen. Either there were too many dry ingredients in the cupcake or they were overbaked. This can happen when packing flour into a measuring cup. Be sure to lightly spoon flour in the measuring cup, leveling it off with a knife, and do not tap.
I highly recommend using good quality parchment paper liners, but you can skip the liners and either coat the pan really well with cooking spray or shortening.
There are a few reasons cupcakes can sink. Either they were over mixed, the leavening agents were expired or you used too much or too little. Or, the cupcakes could have been overmixed, causing a texture change with the development of gluten from the flour.
💭 Tips
- Use a small spreader (like this one) to evenly and smoothly spread the top of the cupcakes with the chocolate glaze.
- Be sure to not overfill the cupcake liner. Overfilling will cause a rim over the cupcake.
- A good way to tell if the cupcake is baked through is the "bounce back" which is when you touch the top of the cupcake and it doesn't leave a dent, rather, it bounces back and keeps its shape.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir, then microwave in 5 second intervals until smooth.
📖 Variations
- Garnish the top of the cupcakes with chocolate covered espresso beans.
- Skip the chocolate glaze and frost the cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting or Cream Cheese Frosting.
- Use a mini muffin pan to make mini cupcakes (be sure to reduce the baking time so they don't overbake).
- Add 2 teaspoons espresso powder instead of 1 for a stronger coffee flavor to the cupcake.
🍽 Equipment
Parchment cupcake liners, I highly recommend these as the cupcake will not stick to the parchment.
Serving Suggestions
These Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes pair perfectly with Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream!
Storage
Store these cupcakes on the counter top in an airtight container for up to 4 days, in the refrigerator up to 1 week, and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Related Recipes
Chocolate Irish Cream Coffee Biscotti
Brown Butter Cookies with Espresso Chips
Baked Chocolate Mocha Doughnuts
Do you have a coffee lover in your life? Check out my top 10 picks of Gifts for Coffee Lovers!
Don't forget to check out my Amazon storefront for some of my favorite products!
When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 1 cup flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter , room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- ⅓ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips , melted
For the icing
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
- Line cupcake pans with paper liners.In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, using a hand mixer, mix together the butter and sugar until creamy. Blend in vanilla extract and ½ of the flour mixture with batter until just blended.
- Mix in the sour cream and the remaining flour mixture until just blended. Fold in melted dark chocolate.Scoop batter into cupcake liners and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into center of cake.
- To make the frosting, melt chocolate chips and butter in microwave. Stir in confectioner's sugar. Spread over cupcakes and decorate as desired.
Sarah @ The Chef Next Door
Chocolate and espresso is one of my favorite combinations! These cupcakes look amazing, Shelby. I can't wait to make a batch for my family!
Cristina @ I Say Nomato
Chocolate is absolutely the best Valentine's food 🙂 I love your new kitchen present... maybe I should suggest that to Mr Nomato for our 17th anniversary... haha. These look so cute!
Shelby
So fun 🙂 Grumpy and I have been together 17 years too!
Jolene
Espresso flavored DARK chocolate? Must have. Enjoy the new kitchen!
Carlee
A new kitchen is definitely a great Valentine's Day present. So are cupcakes! These look delicious!
Amy's Cooking Adventures
Those look just decadent! So perfect for Valentines!
Maureen
I can never get enough chocolate! Such sweet Valentines Day inspired sprinkles are the perfect touch!
Ellen
I love those sprinkles with the mini hearts. I know you'll cook up lots of yummy dishes in your new kitchen! Grumpy is lucky to have you!
Caroline
These look deliciously decadent!
Wendy Klik
Perfect cupcakes. I am not a huge icing fan so I love when cupcakes are made with a little shmear instead of a mound of frosting. Enjoy that new kitchen!