Coffee Buttercream
This coffee buttercream frosting tastes just like your favorite cup of coffee and is the perfect way to step up your frosting game.
This recipe uses my American buttercream recipe as a base and adds a generous amount of instant coffee to give this frosting an incredible flavor.
How to Make Coffee Buttercream
To make sure this coffee frosting turns out as amazing as possible, let’s walk through each step together.
I’ve also included a video tutorial of the process below.
Step 1: Beat the Butter
Beat the unsalted butter on a medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes with a paddle attachment until smooth and lighter in color.
Step 2: Mix in All the Good Stuff
In a small container, mix together 3 Tbsp of heavy cream and 3 Tbsp of instant espresso or instant coffee until combined.
Add the espresso mixture, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1/2 tsp of salt into the butter. Mix on a low speed until combined.
Slowly mix in the powdered sugar on a low speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
Step 3: Make Your Frosting Extra Smooth
Beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached.
This buttercream will crust if it’s left sitting out, so I recommend covering it with plastic wrap or immediately placing it in a piping bag.
Substitutions & Swaps: Coffee Buttercream
Some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this frosting recipe include:
- Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the salt that this frosting recipe calls for.
- Instant Coffee or Espresso – You can use either 1/4 cup of cooled, strongly brewed coffee or 2 shots of chilled espresso in place of the heavy cream and instant espresso if needed. However, this will give the frosting a slightly looser consistency.
- Heavy Cream – Whole milk or alternative milk (soy, almond, oat) can also be used to make the frosting. However, I would recommend using less (2 Tbsp) as it has a tendency to thin out the frosting a lot more than cream.
How Much Frosting Does this Recipe Make?
This recipe makes about 6 cups of frosting. If needed, this recipe can be halved, doubled, or tripled.
A double batch will fit and can be made in a 5 qt Kitchen Aid Mixing bowl.
I usually make 1 batch of frosting to stack and frost a seven- or eight-inch layer cake.
If I’m frosting a dozen cupcakes with big swirls, I make a half batch of this frosting recipe.
What Can I Frost with this Coffee Buttercream Frosting?
The sky’s the limit when it comes to using this frosting. Cakes, cupcakes, cookies, macarons, you name it!!
I’ve used it to frost my chocolate layer cakes, chocolate cupcakes, coffee macarons, and even my buttercream cookies!
Paddle Attachment vs. Whisk Attachment
Now that we’ve covered troubleshooting, the last thing to discuss is our equipment. You can make this frosting with a paddle or whisk attachment and a stand mixer or a hand mixer.
I like to use my paddle attachment when making frosting for a cake to minimize the amount of air that is incorporated into the frosting. This makes silky smooth frosting, which is easier to smooth onto cakes.
I use my whisk attachment when making frosting for cupcakes, which I like to be light and fluffy! I like to incorporate air into frosting for cupcakes because I usually pipe massive swirls onto each cupcake.
These are just my personal preferences, though, and you can use whatever attachment or mixer you have. They’ll all get the job done!
Does Coffee Buttercream Need to be Refrigerated?
Below are some tips for storing this coffee frosting in case you make it in advance or have leftovers:
- Make this frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.
- This frosting can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months! Just be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to make it nice and smooth again.
- A frosted cake can last in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for a month. The buttercream locks in the moisture and keeps the cake fresh and delicious!
Tips for Making the Best Coffee Buttercream
- Make sure your butter is at room temperature before making this frosting.
- If your powdered sugar contains cornstarch (most brands in the US do) there’s no need to sift the powdered sugar.
- Use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream rather than normal milk. The higher fat percentage helps give this frosting the perfect consistency.
- If you are making frosting for a cake, mix the buttercream on the lowest speed at the end of the process for a couple of minutes. This helps remove any extra air that might have been incorporated during the mixing process.
Coffee Buttercream
Ingredients
Coffee Buttercream Frosting
- 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature 454g or 1 lb.
- 3 Tbsp heavy whipping cream, room temperature 45ml
- 3 Tbsp instant espresso or coffee 15g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4ml
- 1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
- 7 1/2 cups powdered sugar 904g or a 2 lb. bag
Instructions
Coffee Buttercream
- Beat the unsalted butter on a medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes with a paddle attachment until smooth and lighter in color.
- In a small container, mix together 3 Tbsp of heavy cream and 3 Tbsp of instant espresso or instant coffee until combined.
- Add the espresso mixture, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1/2 tsp of salt into the butter. Mix on a low speed until combined.
- Slowly mix in 7 cups of powdered sugar on a low speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
- Beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached. If the frosting is too thick, add an extra Tbsp of heavy cream. If it's too thin, add another 1/4 cup of powdered sugar.
- Stir by hand with a rubber spatula to get the frosting SUPER smooth. Then either cover with plastic wrap to prevent crusting, or place in a piping bag.
- Use this buttercream to frost your favorite cakes, cupcakes, or cookies.
Video
Notes
Yield
This recipe makes about 6 cups of frosting. If needed, this recipe can be halved, doubled, or tripled. A double batch will fit/can be made in a 5 qt Kitchen Aid Mixing bowl. I usually make 1 batch of frosting to stack and frost a seven- or eight-inch layer cake, and a half batch to frost a dozen cupcakes with large swirls.Tips for Making the Best Coffee Buttercream
- Make sure your butter is at room temperature before making your frosting.
- If your powdered sugar contains cornstarch (most brands in the US do) there’s no need to sift the powdered sugar.
- Use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream and not normal milk! You need the higher fat percentage for the frosting to have the right consistency.
- If you are making frosting for a cake, mix the buttercream on the lowest speed at the end of the process for a couple of minutes to get out any extra air that might have been incorporated during the mixing process.
Making This Coffee Buttercream in Advance and Storage Tips
Make this frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month. This frosting can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months! Just be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to make it nice and smooth again. A frosted cake can last in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for a month. The buttercream locks in the moisture and keeps the cake fresh and delicious!Nutrition
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I made this and it is !scrumptious! I added just a tiny bit of cocoa powder.
Thank you so much!
So happy to hear that Kristen!! 🙂 Happy baking!!
Hi, I love coffee but hate instant coffee. Do you have recipe with aero press. coffee? If not can you tell me how to substitute the espresso n mix with real coffee? And please don’t say just get fancy instant coffee, it ticks me off! Ps I LOVE your baking xxx do you know how to make flay sided cakes btw and how much icing I’ll need to ice a 4 layer 8” cake? Laura xx
Hi Laura,
I’m laughing reading this comment! You can use either 1/4 cup of cooled, strongly brewed coffee or 2 shots of chilled espresso in place of the heavy cream and instant espresso if needed. However, this will give the frosting a slightly looser consistency.
I would make 1.5 batches of this buttercream for a 4 layer, 8-inch cake. I think that should be the right amount to fill, crumb coat, and frost the cake, plus pipe big swirls on top. Happy baking!
@Chelsweets,
Hi! I am up late making my husband’s birthday cake last minute 😀
I do not have heavy cream, but I do have light cream. I was going to give that a try , but I ~think~ I see you say one can replace the HWC & espresso power mixture with cooled brewed espresso. Are you saying I can skip the cream entirely and just use liquid espresso in place of the powdered variety? Thanks!
Hi Jenny,
So sorry for the late response! Great question—and yes, you’ve got it right! You can absolutely skip the heavy cream and espresso powder mixture and just use cooled brewed espresso instead. Just be sure it’s strong and cooled completely before adding it to the buttercream.
Start by adding it a tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired flavor and consistency. It’ll give you that lovely coffee flavor and help smooth out the texture—no cream needed!
Hope your buttercream/husband’s cake turned out delicious that this helps for the future <3 Happy baking!
Made this exactly as described and it was a hit! Delicious and not hard to make. Thanks!
Yay!! So happy to hear that Eve, thank you for sharing 🙂
This coffee buttercream is absolutely wonderful- and I am not even a coffee drinker!! The texture is stable but creamy and I used a bit less espresso powder for not quite such a strong punch of coffee flavor. I paired it with my fudgy brownies and received many compliments. Thanks for yet another great recipe!!
Yummy frosting. A half recipe made just enough to pipe swirls on a dozen cupcakes.
Hi Lacey,
Perfect! I’m so glad the half batch was the perfect amount 🙂 Thanks for sharing how it turned out!
My husband’s birthday is coming up and he always talks about a coffee flavored cake with coffee frosting and toffee bits that he had as a child. I want to use this frosting to frost a two layer 9″ cake. Should I make a full batch or a half? Thank you!
Hi Margaret,
That sounds like such a delicious (and nostalgic!) birthday cake idea! For a two-layer 9? cake, I’d recommend making a full batch of the frosting. That way you’ll have plenty to fill the middle, cover the outside generously, and do a little piping or extra decorations if you want. If you end up with a bit extra, it keeps well in the fridge for up to several weeks, or you can freeze it for later. Hope that helps, happy baking!
This buttercream is DELICIOUS! I use it to make mocha brownies and they are everyone’s favorite! Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipes, each one I’ve tried has been so yummy!
Those sound amazing!! Thanks for putting my recipes to good use, and thanks for sharing Chelsea 🙂
hi there! this recipe sounds amazing! i was wanting to add maple to this coffee buttercream and was wondering what you think would be the best way to incorporate it?
Hi Youri,
That sounds delicious! I would add a tsp of maple extract, or you could add some maple syrup! I usually like using maple extract best, because it gives it a stronger flavor. Hope that helps, happy baking!