Key Info

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Servings: Frosts 12 cupcakes or one 2-layer 8-inch cake
Difficulty level: Beginner-friendly
Dietary tags: Vegetarian

Equipment Needed

• Stand mixer or hand mixer (stand mixer makes life easier)
• Large mixing bowl
• Small bowl for coffee
• Rubber spatula
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Sifter (or a fine-mesh strainer works)

Don’t have a stand mixer? A hand mixer works perfectly fine—your arm will get a workout, but the frosting will still be gorgeous.

Ingredients

For the frosting:

• 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3½-4 cups (420-480g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder or instant coffee
• 3 tablespoons boiling water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream (add as needed for consistency)

Substitutions:

• No instant espresso? Regular instant coffee works (use 2½ tablespoons for stronger flavor)
• Heavy cream → whole milk (frosting will be slightly less rich)
• Can’t find instant coffee? Use ¼ cup cooled strong brewed coffee (reduce cream accordingly)

Method

1. Dissolve the coffee

Stir instant espresso powder into boiling water until completely dissolved. No graininess should remain—this takes about 30 seconds of vigorous stirring. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Why this matters: Hot liquid + butter = soupy mess. Let it cool.

2. Beat the butter

Place room temperature butter in your mixer bowl. Beat on medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes until it turns from yellow to pale, almost white.

This isn’t optional. This is where the fluffiness comes from. The butter should look like whipped clouds.

3. Add sugar gradually

Turn mixer to low speed. Add half the powdered sugar (about 2 cups). Mix on low until it stops looking like a sugar storm, about 1 minute.

Increase to medium-high speed and beat for 2-3 minutes until smooth. Add remaining sugar in two additions, beating well between each.

Scrape down the bowl between additions—there’s always butter hiding on the sides.

4. Add coffee and flavorings

With mixer on low, pour in:

• Cooled coffee mixture
• Vanilla extract
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.

5. Adjust consistency

Too thick? Add cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition.

Too thin? Add powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time.

Perfect consistency: Spreadable but holds its shape. Think soft-serve ice cream texture.

6. Final whip

Increase speed to high and beat for 2 more minutes. The frosting will lighten in color and become impossibly fluffy. Done.

Crucial Tips

Room temperature butter is non-negotiable. It should dent easily when you press it, but your finger shouldn’t sink through. If your butter is cold, you’ll get lumpy frosting. If it’s too warm, you’ll get soup.

Instant espresso powder > instant coffee. The flavor is more concentrated and less acidic. I use instant espresso powder every single time now.

Sift your powdered sugar. I resisted this for years because I’m lazy. Then I made lumpy frosting for a friend’s birthday cake. Never again.

Taste as you go. Start with 2 tablespoons espresso powder. If you want more coffee punch, dissolve an extra teaspoon in 1 teaspoon hot water and mix it in.

The creaming stage matters. When you beat the butter alone for 5 minutes, you’re incorporating air. Skip this and your frosting will be dense and heavy.

Storage & Make-Ahead

• Counter: Use within 2 hours of making (butter starts to soften in warm kitchens)
• Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Before using, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then re-whip for 1-2 minutes.
• Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bring to room temperature and re-whip.

Pro tip: I always make this the night before I need it. Store it in the fridge, pull it out an hour before decorating, and give it a quick re-whip. The flavor actually deepens overnight.

Scaling Tips

• Half batch: Halve everything. Great for 6 cupcakes or a small 6-inch cake.
• Double batch: Double everything, but you might need to make two separate batches if your mixer bowl isn’t huge. My stand mixer can barely handle a double batch.
• For a 3-layer cake: Make 1.5x the recipe.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Adding hot coffee to the butter
Result: Melted butter soup
Fix: Always cool the coffee mixture completely

Mistake #2: Using cold butter
Result: Lumpy, grainy frosting
Fix: Let butter sit out for 1-2 hours before making frosting

Mistake #3: Not beating the butter long enough
Result: Dense, heavy frosting
Fix: Set a timer for 5 minutes and walk away

Mistake #4: Coffee granules didn’t dissolve
Result: Gritty, sandy texture
Fix: Use boiling water and stir thoroughly. If you forgot, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve.

Mistake #5: Adding all the cream at once
Result: Frosting too thin to pipe
Fix: Start with 2 tablespoons, add more only if needed

Variations

• Mocha buttercream: Add 3 tablespoons cocoa powder with the powdered sugar. Chocolate + coffee is magic.
• Irish cream frosting: Replace 2 tablespoons of the cream with Bailey’s or Irish

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