Chocolate Cupcakes with Coffee Buttercream

Here’s an impossible question for you: If you had to choose, what would you say your favorite part of a cupcake or cake is – the cake itself, or the frosting? If I had to choose, I’d have to say my favorite part is the frosting. Especially when the frosting is as sweet and luscious as this coffee buttercream is.

I can’t even begin to describe how delicious these cupcakes are. I made them with my sister (who loves coffee and also works for a large coffee chain) in mind, and she absolutely loved them. Coffee and chocolate is one of those perfect flavor combinations (hello, mocha?!), and these cupcakes are the perfect thing to highlight the complementary flavors. The cupcakes are richly chocolate, and the frosting is sweet, with a slight bitterness from the coffee. Absolutely perfect.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Coffee Buttercream
cake adapted from The Cake Mix Doctor; frosting from Eat at Home

For the cake:

1 package triple chocolate fudge cake mix
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup miniature chocolate chips

For the frosting:

1 stick butter, softened
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 to 4 tablespoons strong brewed coffee, cooled

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cupcake pans with 24 paper liners.

2. Place the cake mix, cocoa powder, buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed, until batter is well-blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

3. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake the cupcakes about 20 minutes, or until they spring back lightly with pressed with your finger, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the oven. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

4. While cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting. With an electric mixer, beat the butter till smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and 2 tablespoons coffee. Mix again until well blended. Gradually add more coffee, by the teaspoon until the frosting reaches a spreadable consistency.

5. Spread frosting on cooled cupcakes and garnish with mini chocolate chips.