Chocolate & coffee are a match made in heaven – and these award-winning Mocha Cupcakes with Mascarpone Buttercream are the ultimate flavor combo!
If I could work coffee into every meal of my day, I think I would.
One of my favorite flavors to mix in with my daily cups (because let’s be real – I don’t only have one) is chocolate. Taking both of them and putting them in tasty baked treats is a no-brainer!
Which is exactly what I did in this Cupcakes Wars-winning recipe.
Storytime!
No, you won’t see me on TV (only replayed FB live video). I didn’t compete on the actual Cupcake Wars show (I’m not really sure I could have handled the pressure)!
This page includes step by step instructions, as well as tips and notes. If you’d like to skip all that, feel free to scroll down to the full, printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Bestie Lara and I attended a food conference in Salt Lake City for several years. Our very first year, we entered a “Cupcake Battles” competition, hosted by Justin Willman. As soon as I saw the call for team auditions, I filled out the Google form and sent it off.
Months went by with no word, so I assumed we hadn’t made the cut. No sweat.
Three weeks before the conference, an email lands in my inbox. Not reminding me of the conference – congratulating us on being one of the four competing teams.
Oh. Oh, crap.
By that point, I had forgotten completely about it. Of course. So the mad rush to develop and test a competition-worthy recipe began. Mocha cupcakes. Espresso hot fudge. Whipped Mascarpone buttercream. Hazelnut brittle.
Sounded good, and I knew the cupcake and hot fudge recipes were solid.
We did a timed practice run exactly one time, dividing and conquering and nailing it with minutes to spare. She was feeling pretty confident, despite never making hot fudge or brittle, getting both perfect on the first try. And the finished cupcakes were actually super delicious! They passed the work critique test, so I knew we had a contender.
On stage during the competition, Lara had a tiny hiccup with the brittle; the sugar overcooked and crystallized. We had to scrap it and start again,. By some miracle, we made it work and had our batch of pretty cupcakes ready before the buzzer went off.
These are winning cupcakes, folks. Just ask Justin Willman.
Ingredients
These mocha cupcakes are a little bit…involved, to say the least. Mis en place it up, friends, I promise they’re worth the effort! Many of these components share the same pantry ingredients, so get shopping!
For the mocha cupcakes…
- Unsalted butter – room temperature
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Large eggs – room temperature
- Vanilla extract
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – your favorite kind, but Dutch process or dark is best
- Espresso powder – optional; can also use instant espresso coffee powder
- Baking powder & baking soda
- Salt
- All-purpose flour – or 1:1 gluten-free flour
- Sour cream – or Greek yogurt
- Hot espresso – or hot coffee
For the espresso fudge sauce…
- Heavy cream
- Light corn syrup
- Brown sugar
- Instant espresso coffee powder
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Salt
- Fine-quality bittersweet chocolate
- Unsalted butter
- Vanilla extract
For the hazelnut espresso brittle…
- Hazelnuts – toasted and chopped
- Roasted coffee beans
- Granulated sugar
For the mascarpone buttercream
- Powdered sugar – aka confectioner’s sugar or icing sugar
- Unsalted butter – softened
- Vanilla extract
- Mascarpone cheese – softened
How to make mocha cupcakes
I swear, someday soon I will photograph all these steps for ya! And while Lara and I managed to make these come together in 45 minutes, it may take you a little longer. That’s okay – the only real competition is who can eat the most!
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 standard cupcake pans with 18 liners. Set aside.
- In a mixer, cream butter until smooth. Add the sugars, eggs, and vanilla and mix until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the cocoa, espresso powder, baking soda, powder, and salt; mix well. Add one cup of flour, then half the sour cream and mix. Repeat with the remaining flour and sour cream.
- Slowly add the hot coffee and mix until smooth. The batter will be thin.
- Fill cupcake liners ⅔ of the way. Place tins in the oven and drop the temperature to 350 degrees. Bake 15-16 minutes, checking at 15 for proper doming.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then move to cooling rack. When cool, use a cupcake corer or small knife to make a well in the center of each cupcake.
How to make espresso fudge sauce
- Bring cream, corn syrup, brown sugar, espresso powder, cocoa, salt, and half of chopped chocolate to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until chocolate is melted.
- Reduce heat and cook at a slow boil, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, butter, and remaining chocolate until smooth. Cool to warm. Fill cored cupcakes with fudge sauce.
How to make mascarpone buttercream
- Beat powdered sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until thick and creamy, 4 to 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla.
- Add mascarpone cheese, and beat on low speed just until combined, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. (Do not overmix!)
- Top filled cupcakes with buttercream. Drizzle thin lines with fudge & top with brittle pieces.
How to make hazelnut espresso brittle
- Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle nuts & coffee beans evenly down the middle of the sheet.
- Place sugar in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat, and cook until sugar dissolves, stirring gently as needed to dissolve sugar evenly (about 2 minutes). Continue cooking 1 minute or until golden (do not stir).
- Drizzle thin ribbons of caramelized sugar over nuts. Let stand 10 minutes or until firm; break into small pieces.
FAQ
How should mocha cupcakes be stored?
Mocha cupcakes can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for a few days. If frosted, they need to be store in the refrigerator due to the dairy in the buttercream.
You can also freeze unfrosted cupcakes by wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap or placing them in a freezer bag. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before frosting and serving.
More mocha flavored treats to love!
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Mocha Cupcakes with Mascarpone Buttercream
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour sifted
- ⅔ cups sour cream
- ¾ cup hot espresso
Espresso Fudge Sauce
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 6 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 6 tablespoons dark brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup instant espresso coffee powder
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- Pinch kosher salt
- 7 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Hazelnut Espresso Brittle
- ¼ cup hazelnuts toasted and chopped
- 3 tablespoons roasted coffee beans
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
Mascarpone Buttercream
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese softened
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 standard cupcake pans with 18 liners. Set aside.
- In a mixer, cream butter until smooth. Add the sugars, eggs, and vanilla and mix until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the cocoa, espresso powder, baking soda, powder, and salt; mix well. Add one cup of flour, then half the sour cream and mix. Repeat with the remaining flour and sour cream.
- Slowly add the hot coffee and mix until smooth. The batter will be thin.
- Fill cupcake liners ⅔ of the way. Place tins in the oven and drop the temperature to 350 degrees. Bake 15-16 minutes, checking at 15 for proper doming.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then move to cooling rack. When cool, use a cupcake corer or small knife to make a well in the center of each cupcake.
Espresso Fudge Sauce
- Bring cream, corn syrup, brown sugar, espresso powder, cocoa, salt, and half of chopped chocolate to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until chocolate is melted.
- Reduce heat and cook at a slow boil, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, butter, and remaining chocolate until smooth. Cool to warm. Fill cored cupcakes with fudge sauce.
Hazelnut Espresso Brittle
- Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle nuts & coffee beans evenly down the middle of the sheet.
- Place sugar in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat, and cook until sugar dissolves, stirring gently as needed to dissolve sugar evenly (about 2 minutes). Continue cooking 1 minute or until golden (do not stir).
- Drizzle thin ribbons of caramelized sugar over nuts. Let stand 10 minutes or until firm; break into small pieces.
Mascarpone Buttercream
- Beat powdered sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until thick and creamy, 4 to 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla.
- Add mascarpone cheese, and beat on low speed just until combined, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. (Do not overmix!)
- Top filled cupcakes with buttercream. Drizzle thin lines with fudge & top with brittle pieces.
Mary says
This is my dream cupcake, I can just taste it – coffee and chocolate. Definitely a winning cupcake! How I would love to reach out and take one of these from the plate. Mmmmmmmmmm
Karly says
Espresso hot fudge?! Mascarpone buttercream?! Hazelnut brittle?! Girl you are speaking my foodie-loving language!
Chrisy says
Love the story behind these cupcakes! And I can totally tell why they won – they look DIVINE! 😀