Coffee Buttercream Frosting

No ratings yet

Made with a creamy vanilla buttercream base and fragrant espresso powder, this delicious coffee buttercream recipe will make your favorite desserts taste just like an iced latte!

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 299kcal

Author: Katalin Nagy

Equipment

Stand mixer

Ingredients

Coffee Buttercream Frosting

226 g Unsalted butter 82% fat content European-style butter, use it softened
240 g Powdered sugar
1 teaspoon Espresso powder
3 tablespoons Heavy cream 36% fat content
½ tablespoon Vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon Salt

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Buttercream can be prepared with softened butter, so first, bring your butter to room temperature. In the meantime, prepare a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Alternatively, use your electric hand mixer.
Cream the room-temperature butter at medium-high speed for 3 minutes until it becomes light in color and fluffy in texture.
Add in the powdered sugar tablespoon by tablespoon on low speed, then turn the mixer back on medium-high speed and whip it for another 4 minutes or until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and increases in volume.
Mix the espresso powder with the heavy cream until fully dissolved.
Then, add the espresso powder cream mixture, vanilla extract, and salt into the mixer and continue whipping for another minute until the buttercream is smooth and silky.
This coffee frosting should have the perfect pipeable fluffy texture, but if, for some reason, it is too thick, add some more cream (1 tablespoon at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar (1 tablespoons at a time).
Note that the coffee buttercream texture is best straight after making it when the butter is at the right temperature (room temperature), and the mixture is freshly whipped. I like to use the frosting immediately or store it at room temperature in a piping bag for a few hours. If stored in the refrigerator, you will need to bring it back to room temperature before using it and might need to give it another minute or two to whip in the stand mixer to increase the volume again.

Notes

The recipe above is enough to frost 12 coffee cupcakes generously.

To frost cakes, you will need approximately 2x for a 6-inch cake, 2.5x for a 7-inch cake, and 3x for an 8-inch cake (depending on how much frosting vs. sponge ratio you prefer on your cakes and whether you are using any other filling in between the layers).

Ingredient notes:

Measure your ingredients with a digital scale for accuracy.
Use high-fat (36%) heavy cream and good quality high-fat (82%) butter for making buttercream.
Alternatively, the recipe can be made with high-fat vegan butter and vegan cream, however, the taste will be different vs using dairy products.
It is key to use high-quality vanilla for the best flavor, feel free to try my homemade vanilla extract.
Espresso powder, also known as instant espresso, comes from darkly roasted espresso beans that undergo a process of grinding, brewing, drying, and a subsequent fine grinding process. This creates a concentrated powder that easily dissolves in liquid. Alternatively, use one of these espresso powder substitutes.

Technique notes:

Make sure you read my Expert tips section above to maximize your success. A short recipe alone is not able to cover all the necessary details, and science behind baking.
The temperature and texture of the butter are key when making buttercream. Wait until it is soft, however, avoid last-minute microwaving.
When adding the powdered sugar, reduce the speed of the mixer to avoid creating a huge powder sugar cloud.
I recommend the paddle attachment to avoid unnecessary air bubbles. To get your buttercream fully silky, without air bubbles, mix the cream at the end by hand with a rubber spatula for a few minutes.

Nutrition