Coffee Cupcakes with Caramelized White Chocolate Buttercream

Soft and moist coffee cupcakes topped with a silky smooth caramelized white chocolate swiss meringue buttercream.

These sweet little white chocolate coffee cupcakes are for coffee lovers AND white chocolate lovers. The cupcakes are flavored with instant espresso powder and topped with the best caramelized white chocolate buttercream.

The buttercream is just so good you could eat it with a spoon.

a caramel cupcake.

Caramelized white chocolate

If you’ve not tried caramelized white chocolate before, I urge you to give it a try! You can buy it, or make it yourself. It’s made of white chocolate that has been slowly cooked until golden brown.

The sugars in the chocolate caramelize and it adds notes of butterscotch and toffee. This gives amazing flavor to the swiss meringue buttercream.

If you have no chocolate, you could make brown butter Swiss meringue buttercream instead!

an iced espresso cupcake.

The coffee cupcake recipe

The base of the cupcake recipe is similar to vanilla cupcakes but with a light coffee flavor. The cupcake itself is moist and fluffy, made with melted butter for flavor and a little bit of vegetable oil in there too to keep things moist.

The batter is easy to make by hand in a mixing bowl.

Swiss meringue buttercream

Swiss meringue buttercream (SMBC) is made by gently cooking egg whites and sugar in a double boiler until the sugar has melted. The mixture is then whipped into a stiff meringue. Next, lots of room temperature butter is whisked into the meringue, a little at a time, until the mixture comes together into a cloud of delicious frosting. 

Lastly melted and cooled caramelized white chocolate is beaten in until the frosting is thick and silky.

Swiss buttercream can seem like a tricky frosting to make as there are some things that can go a little wrong. The good thing is, that there is usually an easy fix for all of the issues! Read this chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream guide for more details. This recipe makes the perfect amount to generously frost 12 cupcakes.

whipped caramel white chocolate buttercream.

The ingredients

You’ll find all the ingredient amounts for these coffee cupcakes in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. This is just a rundown of the ingredients. You will need –

Cupcakes

  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
  • Large eggs
  • Granulated sugar
  • Melted butter
  • Vegetable oil
  • Vanilla paste or vanilla extract
  • Milk
  • Instant coffee granules (dissolved in hot water)

Caramelized White chocolate buttercream frosting (SMBC)

  • Egg whites
  • Granulated sugar (not powdered sugar)
  • Unsalted butter
  • Caramelized white chocolate
  • Salt

Equipment

You will need a stand mixer to make the caramelized white chocolate buttercream, one with a whisk attachment and a paddle attachment.

For best results, you will also have a kitchen scale. This gives much more accurate results than a measuring cup. If you do choose to measure with cups, note that the cup measurements provided are for US size cups and these are smaller than metric.

Method

The cupcakes

Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 350˚F/ 175˚C and place a rack in the center of the oven. Line a 12 muffin tin with 12 paper cupcake cases.

Step 2 – In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set these dry ingredients aside.

Step 3 – Melt the butter in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove. Let it cool down a bit.

Step 4 – In a large bowl add the eggs, sugar, melted butter, vegetable oil, and vanilla whisk it well to combine.

batter with milk.

Step 5 – Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the bowl of wet ingredients and stir it through, then add in 1/3 of the milk. Continue this, alternating between milk and flour until it’s all combined. Don’t overbeat the mixture.

Step 6 – Mix together the instant espresso granules and hot water. Pour this mixture into the cupcake batter and mix gently to combine.

coffee poured into cake batter.

Step 7 – Scoop the mixture into the 12 cupcake liners. It will be a reasonably thin batter.

Step 8 – Bake the cupcakes for around 18 minutes until golden brown and until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. The tops of cupcakes should spring back when lightly pressed. 

Remove the cupcakes from the muffin pan and let them cool right down to room temperature on a wire rack.

baked cupcakes.

Caramelized white chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream

Eggwhites

Step 1 – Bring a pot of water (with 1 inch of water) to a simmer. 

Step 2 – In the bowl of a stand mixer, add egg whites and granulated sugar. Balance the bowl over this simmering water bath. Whisk continuously as the egg whites warm-up and keep whisking until all the sugar has dissolved or the temperature reads 160°F (71°C) on an instant-thermometer. Don’t stop stirring or some egg whites may overcook on the edges of the bowl. 

Step 3 – Once the sugar has dissolved, place the bowl in your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until a meringue with stiff peaks forms and the meringue has cooled down to room temperature. When you touch the sides of the bowl they shouldn’t feel warm. 

swiss meringue buttercream

Butter and chocolate

Step 4 – While the egg whites are beating, place the caramelized white chocolate in a microwave-proof bowl and melt it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds at a time, stirring after each time.

Once about 2/3 of the chocolate has melted, remove it from the microwave and stir it to further melt it and combine it. Let the chocolate cool to room temperature.

melted caramel chocolate.

Step 5 – With the mixer on medium-high speed, feed in a cube of room temperature butter at a time, allowing it to incorporate fully before adding the next cube. At this point, the frosting can suddenly appear split or curdled and look like cottage cheese. Just keep beating the mixture until it comes together into a thick and cohesive buttercream. This can take a lot of beating so don’t give up if it doesn’t seem to come together – it will. Keep beating it until it no longer looks greasy.

Step 6 – Once the mixture is thick and cohesive, add in the melted chocolate and salt and beat until thick and fluffy.

Step 7 – Switch to the paddle attachment and beat on low speed for 10 minutes to remove some of the larger air bubbles in the buttercream.

caramalised chocolate in buttercream.

Frosting the cupcakes

Scoop the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Ensure the cupcakes are completely cooled, then pipe the frosting on top of each cupcake. 

For decoration, garnish the cupcakes with whole coffee beans or shavings of caramel white chocolate.

a bitten cupcake.

Additions and substitutions

  • Add in chopped walnuts or chopped pecans for a little crunch
  • Chop up some dark chocolate and add to the batter to make chocolate mocha cupcakes
  • The melted butter can be swapped entirely for vegetable oil
  • Use dark or milk chocolate in the SMBC if you’re not a fan of white chocolate.

Storing

Leftover cupcakes can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to two days, or in the fridge for up to 4 days. The frosting will firm up in the fridge, so leave the cupcakes out for 30 minutes before serving if they’ve been refrigerated.

The unfrosted cupcakes can also be frozen for up to three months – Wrap them tightly before freezing and allow them to thaw at room temperature before frosting.

a spoonful of cupcake.

More cupcake recipes and sweet treats

an iced espresso cupcake.

Coffee cupcakes with caramelized white chocolate buttercream.

Yield: 12

Soft and moist coffee cupcakes topped with a silky smooth caramelized white chocolate swiss meringue buttercream.

Ingredients

  • 190g (1 ½ cups*) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 130g (⅔ cup) granulated sugar
  • 113g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
  • 14g (1 Tablespoon) vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
  • 120g (½ cup) milk, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons instant coffee
  • 2 Tablespoons boiled water

Caramalized white chocolate SMBC

  • 2 large egg whites
  • 70g (¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons) granulated sugar
  • 113g (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature.
  • 113g (4oz) caramelized white chocolate
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F/ 175˚C and place a rack in the center of the oven. Line a 12 muffin tin with 12 paper cupcake cases.
  2. In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set these dry ingredients aside.
  3. Melt the butter in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove. Let it cool down a bit.
  4. In a large bowl add the eggs, sugar, melted butter, vegetable oil, and vanilla whisk it well to combine.
  5. Add ⅓ of the flour mixture to the bowl of wet ingredients and stir it through, then add in ⅓ of the milk. Continue this, alternating between milk and flour until it's all combined. Don't overbeat the mixture.
  6. Mix together the instant espresso granules and hot water. Pour this mixture into the cupcake batter and mix gently to combine.
    Scoop the mixture into the 12 cupcake liners. It will be a reasonably thin batter.
  7. Bake the cupcakes for around 18 minutes until golden brown and until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. The tops of cupcakes should spring back when lightly pressed. 
  8. Remove the cupcakes from the muffin pan and let them cool right down to room temperature on a wire rack.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

  1. Bring a pot of water (with 1 inch of water) to a gentle simmer. 
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add egg whites and granulated sugar. Balance the bowl over this simmering water bath. Whisk continuously as the egg whites warm-up and keep whisking until all the sugar has dissolved or the temperature reads 160°F (71°C) on an instant-thermometer. Don’t stop stirring or some egg whites may overcook on the edges of the bowl.
  3. Once the sugar has dissolved, place the bowl in your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until a meringue with stiff peaks forms and the meringue has cooled down to room temperature. When you touch the sides of the bowl they shouldn't feel warm. 
  4. While the egg whites are beating, place the caramelized white chocolate in a microwave-proof bowl and melt it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds at a time, stirring after each time.
  5. Once about ⅔ of the chocolate has melted, remove it from the microwave and stir it to further melt it and combine it. Let the chocolate cool to room temperature.
  6. With the mixer on medium-high speed, feed in a cube of room temperature butter at a time, allowing it to incorporate fully before adding the next cube. At this point, the frosting can suddenly appear split or curdled and look like cottage cheese. Just keep beating the mixture until it comes together into a thick and cohesive buttercream. This can take a lot of beating so don't give up if it doesn't seem to come together - it will. Keep beating it until it no longer looks greasy.
  7. Once the mixture is thick and cohesive, add in the melted chocolate and salt and beat until thick and fluffy.
  8. Switch to the paddle attachment and beat on low speed for 5-10 minutes to remove some of the larger air bubbles in the buttercream.
  9. Scoop the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Ensure the cupcakes are completely cooled, then pipe the frosting on top of each cupcake. 
  10. For decoration, garnish the cupcakes with whole coffee beans or shavings of caramel white chocolate.

Notes

* Cup sizes given are US size which is smaller than metric. For best results use grams.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 328Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 195mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 0gSugar: 22gProtein: 4g

This is an informational estimate only. I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist

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