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Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes

These are moist chocolate cupcakes with serious coffee flavor and whipped chocolate ganache frosting. The ganache takes about an hour to cool but only 2 minutes to whip - way better than buttercream.
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 17 minutes
Cooling Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 47 minutes

Ingredients

Ingredients (~18 cupcakes)

  • 1 lb bittersweet chocolate chips
  • 1 1/3 cups heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup hot espresso or strong coffee
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup natural cocoa powder not Dutch process
  • 2 tsp espresso powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup neutral oil
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 3/4 cup espresso or strong coffee cooled
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • Chocolate espresso beans for topping
  • Chocolate jimmies for sprinkling

Instructions

  • Place chocolate chips in microwave-safe bowl. Heat cream in saucepan until simmering, then pour over chips with hot coffee. Let sit 5 minutes, stir until smooth, and cool 1 hour at room temperature, stirring every 15 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350F and line 18 muffin cups with paper liners.
  • Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt.
  • In separate bowl, whisk sugar, oil, eggs, cooled coffee, and vanilla until smooth.
  • Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir just until combined.
  • Divide batter between muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.
  • Bake 15-17 minutes until tops spring back when pressed.
  • Cool in pans 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
  • Transfer cooled ganache to stand mixer with whisk attachment and beat on medium-high 1-2 minutes until thickened and slightly paler.
  • Pipe or spread ganache onto cooled cupcakes and top with chocolate espresso beans and jimmies.