Made from scratch these Dark Chocolate Cafe Mocha Cupcakes will be your go to recipe for entertaining at home.  Easy to make recipe features special dark cocoa, sugar, eggs, flour, mini chocolate chips, vanilla and little bit of strong coffee. After baking the cupcakes, liquid espresso coats the tops with fresh whipped cream espresso piped high and swirled. Garnished with chocolate covered coffee beans adds the finished touch.  This recipe was inspired by Beth at Entertaining with Beth.

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Needless to say, these mocha cupcakes will satisfy your deepest chocolate needs. The cupcake batter is a basic chocolate cake recipe with add ins that makes a perfect cupcake. The rise is low, meaning no dome on the top which makes it perfect for frosting.  If you do’t want to make fresh whipped cream as the frosting you could make a mocha buttercream, however the whipped cream makes the cupcake light and has the right amount of sweetness.

Making the whipped cream starts with a chilled mixing bowl and whisk attachment.  Heavy whipping cream is added to the chilled bowl and whipped on low to create movement in the cream.  Liquid espresso and confectioner’s sugar flavors and thickens the frosting.

Bake these cupcakes at 350 for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Prick tops of cupcakes with a fork and brush each cupcake with a mixture of strong coffee and warm water.  Allow the liquid to soak in to the cupcake before frosting with whipped cream.

Easy fun recipe, takes 20 minutes to mix up by hand, no mixer needed.  It’s all ingredients that you have in your pantry, flour, sugar, eggs, cocoa powder, baking soda, mini chocolate chips.

Cupcake Tips: 

1. Don’t over mix the batter.
2. Use room temperature eggs
3. Dissolve cocoa powder in hot water  to enhance cocoa flavor.
4. Use ice cream scoop to fill cupcake liners in cupcake pan. Fill half full.
5. Use preheated oven. Bake cupcakes in middle rack in oven.

Dark Chocolate Cafe Mocha Cupcake Recipe

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• Author: Liz Bushong
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 18-20 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 18 standard cupcakes 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup special dark cocoa

1 tablespoon chocolate ice cream topping- optional

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Espresso Wash for Cupcakes

2 tablespoons warm water

2 tablespoons espresso or dark roast instant coffee

(*Reserve 1/2 tablespoon Espresso liquid for Mocha Whipped Cream Frosting)

(*Reserve 1/2 tablespoon Espresso liquid for brushing baked cupcake tops)

Mocha Whipped Cream Frosting

1–1/4 cups heavy whipping cream

3–4 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

1/2 tablespoon Espresso liquid*

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Lightly spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In medium mixing bowl, whisk together cocoa and hot water. Stir until smooth. Mixture will be thick.  Add 1 tablespoon of chocolate sauce/ice cream topping.
3. Add sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, stir blend, but do not over mix.
4. Add flour, baking soda and salt to sifter, sift over batter.  Gently blend flour into cake batter.
5. Add mini chocolates, stir to mix one or two strokes.
6. Using ice cream scoop, fill cupcake liner with batter, filling half full.
7. Bake in 350 degree oven for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean after inserting into middle of cupcake.
8. Remove from oven, gently prick tops of cupcake with fork.  Brush *reserved espresso liquid over each cupcake using all the liquid.  Set aside to make frosting.

Frosting:  In large chilled mixing bowl with whisk attachment add heavy whipping cream, whip on medium speed until cream starts to thicken. Add confectioners’ sugar beat 1 minute. While mixer is beating on medium speed, slowly add remaining *reserved espresso liquid.  Whip cream mixture on high until medium stiff peaks are formed.

Decorating Cupcakes

Pipe cakes right before serving. Fill pastry bag fitted with tip # 1 M with whipped espresso/mocha frosting. Pipe a center dollop, then pipe around the dollop stacking cream to make a high tower.  Add chocolate covered coffee bean to top of each cupcake.

Store cupcakes in refrigerator up to 6 hours.  They are fragile and perishable so probably not a good cupcake to take for bake sales or packed lunches.

*If you want a frosting recipe for longer shelf life, make Chocolate Buttercream Frosting and add espresso liquid to the mix.

Notes

Batter is very thin. Filling cupcake liners half full will be enough for smooth top cupcakes.

Enjoy this sweet little cupcake!  You will love it! 

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