Devil's Food Cupcakes with Mocha Buttercream Frosting

The last time I made cupcakes was in...January?! The last cupcakes I remember making were for New Years so it was about time to whip up another batch! Although I love Sweetapolita's chocolate cake recipe,  I have been meaning to try David Lebovitz's recipe for devil's food cake and I must say, it is equally as good if not better! At Craftenhagen last month, we decorated cupcakes and one of the frostings we used was this mocha buttercream. It is so good, I have been thinking about it the last 3 weeks!

Devil's Food Cake (adapted from David Lebovitz)
Makes 12 cupcakes

4.5 tbsp cocoa powder
3/4 cup cake flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp baking powder
56g unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/4 cup strong coffee
1/4 cup milk

To start, preheat the oven to 350F or 175C and line a cupcake tray.

Sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl.

In a larger bowl, cream together butter and sugar with a mixer or by hand until smooth. Add the egg and mix until fully incorporated.

Mix the coffee and milk. Stir half of the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture. Pour in the coffee and milk and stir again. And lastly, stir in the last half of the flour mixture.

Spoon about 2 tablespoons of batter into each cupcake liner. Bake for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool before frosting.

Mocha Buttercream (adapted from Ghiradelli)

151g unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g dark chocolate, melted and slightly cooled (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
2 tsp granulated instant coffee
2 tbsp boiling water

Melt chocolate over a double broiler and set aside to cool. Dissolve coffee with boiling water.

Beat butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add the icing sugar and vanilla extract to the butter and whip until smooth. Pour melted chocolate and coffee into the frosting and mix until combined.

*I found that the buttercream was a little too runny for my liking and as I was out of icing sugar, I just stuck it in the fridge for about 15 minutes before re-whipping it. The buttercream turned out fine, but you may want to either increase the amount of butter or add about 1/4 cup more icing sugar!

Pipe or spread frosting onto the cupcakes and cover with sprinkles! I used confetti quins, nonpareils, and some silver flakes on these babies.


These cupcakes are the perfect midweek pick-me-up! Especially as it's snowing in Copenhagen again! (Ah! Where are you spring?)