Quick and easy mocha buttercream frosting recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Rich and creamy. Full of cocoa powder and espresso powder, this icing really packs a coffee punch. Great for cake decorating, piping swirls on cupcakes or just spreading on top of other desserts.
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If you’re a fan of Mocha Lattes and rich chocolate, this is about to become your new favorite frosting. It’s rich, bold, slightly bittersweet, and well balanced — especially when swirled into a silky, cloud-like buttercream. It is a perfect match for my delicious Coffee Cupcakes as well as this Chocolate Coffee Cake (Mocha Cake).
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Key ingredients
- Cocoa powder- I suggest using a higher quality cocoa for best flavor.
- Butter- Be sure it is unsalted and at room temperature.
- Espresso powder- Made from brewed espresso and dissolves instantly in liquids.
- Powdered sugar- Also known as confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar.
- Milk- I like use a higher fat content for creamier results.
- Vanilla extract- Adds a nice warm flavor that pairs nicely with the espresso.
Variations for espresso coffee frosting
- Swap out regular cocoa powder- For Dutch-processed or dark cocoa powder for a deeper, richer chocolate flavor.
- Melt in a bit of cooled dark chocolate- This will make an ultra-decadent finish.
- White Mocha- Skip the cocoa powder and mix in melted, cooled white chocolate along with espresso powder. This creates a creamy, sweeter buttercream with a subtle coffee flavor and a lighter color.
- Add a pinch of fine sea salt- To balance the sweetness and intensify the chocolate. For extra flair, sprinkle flaky sea salt over frosted cupcakes.
- Try some spices- Add a pinch of cinnamon, a dash of cayenne, or even a hint of cardamom for a warm, café-style flavor profile reminiscent of Mexican hot chocolate.
- Vegan friendly option- Use plant-based butter and a splash of dairy-free milk.
How to make easy mocha buttercream frosting recipe from scratch?
1. Cream butter- Until light and smooth.
2. Add ingredients- This includes cocoa powder, espresso powder, vanilla extract and milk.
3. Mix added ingredients- until fully combined.
4. Add in- Half the powdered sugar.
5. Mix- Until only partially combined.
6. Add remaining powdered sugar- Adding milk as needed.
7. Combine- Until smooth and creamy.
8. Fill piping bags- Decorate desserts and enjoy.
What to pair with this icing?
- Cakes- This would taste lovely on Chocolate Pound Cake (With Cake Mix), Mexican Chocolate Cake (With Cake Mix), or even this Best Vanilla Cake (From Scratch).
- Cupcakes- Swirl it on top or Learn How to Make Filled Cupcakes (Stuffed Cupcakes) and us inside. This would compliment Best Easy Vanilla Cupcakes (Soft & Moist), Easy Pumpkin Cupcakes, or Easy Nutella Cupcakes (Cake Mix).
- Cookies- Use it as a topping or dip for Best shortbread Cookies (3 Ingredients), Easy Butter Cookies (Piped Cookies), or even Italian Almond Cookies {Ricciarelli}. You can also us as a filling in cookie sandwiches using White Chocolate Chip Cookies (With Cake Mix) or Best Chocolate Chip Cookies (Soft, Chewy, Jumbo).
- Brownies and bars-
Tips and techniques
- Espresso powder substitute- Instant coffee is the only other thing that I have been able to use that worked in a very similar way. It dissolves with the other ingredients perfectly.
- Learn how to use this on a cake properly- By checking out my post on How to Frost a Cake Smoothly. You can also learn How To Make a Naked Cake.
- Increase the coffee flavor- By upping the amount of espresso powder. Or you can dissolve it in a teaspoon of hot water before mixing it in.
- Use room temperature ingredients- Butter that’s too cold won’t whip properly, and butter that’s too warm can lead to a greasy, overly soft frosting.
- Sift powdered sugar and cocoa powder- Before mixing to prevent lumps.
- Be sure to beat the butter first- This incorporates air and creates a lighter, fluffier base for your frosting.
Recipe FAQs
Too much liquid. This can be easily fixed by mixing in more powdered sugar and cocoa powder until it reaches a more desired consistency.
You may have used ground coffee beans which does not dissolve or the ingredients have not been mixed long enough and haven't had a chance to incorporated together. You also want to be sure that you sift the powdered sugar so there are no lumps that make for an odd texture.
Yes, you can use it instead of milk but it doesn't add a strong coffee flavor like espresso.
No, because they do not dissolve fully, leading to an undesirable gritty texture.
Over mixing is the most common reason for this. Another reason could be temperature differences in ingredients like using very cold butter with room temperature or warm ingredients. Many times, this can be fixed by warming the stainless steel bowl slightly with a kitchen torch while mixing.
Storage
- Refrigerate- Place in a sealed container for up to 1 week.
- Freeze- Place in a sealed container for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge, mix, and use as needed.
- Room temperature- This should be kept away from direct sunlight and can last about 3-5 hours before needing to refrigerate.
- Make ahead- You can easily make this 1-2 days in advance. Simply keep in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use. May require some additional mixing.
More frosting recipes
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Maraschino Cherry Frosting (Pink)
- Black Buttercream Icing
- Easy Mint Frosting
- Easy Funfetti Frosting (Sprinkle Frosting)
Recipe
Mocha Buttercream Frosting (Espresso Coffee Icing)
Video
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Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter Unsalted. Room temperature
- ¼ cup Cocoa powder
- 1.5 tablespoon Espresso Powder You can increase the quantity to 2 tablespoon for an even stronger coffee flavor.
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2-4 tablespoon Milk Start with 2 tablespoon and add more if necessary. Preferably whole but 2% can be used. Room temperature
- 5-6 cups Powdered sugar
Instructions
- Cream butter in a large mixing bowl until it's light and smooth.
- Add cocoa powder, espresso powder, vanilla extract, 2 tablespoon milk and mix until combined.
- Add half the powdered sugar and mix until partially combined.
- Add remaining powdered sugar and additional milk, as needed. I only add 5 cups powdered sugar. For those of you who like a sweeter frosting, you can add 6 cups but then you may have to add a little more milk to get the desired "pipeable" consistency.
- Mix until smooth and creamy.
- Fill your piping bags with this icing and decorate your desserts. Enjoy.
Notes
- If frosting is too thick, mix in some more milk.
- If frosting is too thin, mix in some more powdered sugar and cocoa powder.
- All ingredients must be at room temperature because this allows them to blend together smoothly and evenly.
- Please use full fat milk for maximum richness and creaminess.
- Only use unsalted butter in this recipe because the salted one made this a little too salty for my liking.
- I used vanilla extract but you can get creative with other extracts of your choice like maple or almond.
- The only substitute for espresso powder that's still not perfect and identical is instant coffee mix powder.
- You cannot use ground coffee beans because that will not dissolve with the other ingredients.
- Read additional tips and variations above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.
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