The Best Coffee Frosting
This really is The Best Coffee Frosting you’ve ever tasted. Infused with the perfect amount of coffee flavor, this homemade buttercream frosting is super delicious and so easy to make!
If you love a great cup of coffee, our The Best Coffee Frosting recipe is the homemade buttercream that you have been searching for. Infused with exactly the right amount of coffee flavor, this easy-to-make and super yummy-to-eat icing has to be tried to be believed! Light and creamy and not too sweet, this coffee-flavored frosting would be amazing on any chocolate or vanilla baked good. We don’t like to pick favorites amongst our Frosting Recipes but this one is definitely Top Five! Give it a try, you won’t be sorry!
How to Make
Step 1: After a lot of trial and error, we discovered that the best way to infuse this frosting with coffee flavor was to add Dark Roast Instant Coffee dissolved in vanilla. (We tried using brewed coffee but the coffee flavor was too subtle.) Measure 2 teaspoons of Vanilla Extract into a small bowl and then add the instant coffee. We used Starbucks French Roast Instant which comes in pre-measured packets. If you can’t find that, you can substitute 2 tablespoons of any other Dark Roast instant coffee. Stir until the instant coffee has dissolved in the vanilla. Allow the vanilla and coffee to steep for at least 15 minutes.
Step 2: Add the butter and the coffee/vanilla mixture to a mixing bowl. The butter needs to be what we call “slightly softened” which is somewhere between straight out of the refrigerator and room temperature. If the butter is too cold it will be hard to mix with the coffee flavoring. If it is too soft, it will start melting during the mixing process and your frosting consistency will be off.
Step 3: Mix the butter and the coffee together on medium speed until thoroughly combined (about 2 minutes.) You really want the coffee/vanilla flavors to meld with the butter to enhance the flavor of the frosting.
Step 4: Use a spatula to scrape the butter mixture down from the sides of the bowl.
Step 5: We use a food scale to measure 1 Pound of Powdered Sugar. If you don’t have a food scale, measure 4 cups instead. We normally do not sift the powdered sugar and instead rely on the mixer to do that work for us.
Step 6: Add the powdered sugar to the butter mixture in the mixing bowl.
Step 7: Here is a Two Sisters Tip – cover the mixer with a towel during this part of the mixing process to keep the powdered sugar from flying out of the mixer.
Step 8: Start your mixer (or electric beater) on the lowest setting and keep it on low until the butter and sugar are incorporated (about 30 seconds). Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and then increase the speed to medium-high and mix for another 30-45 seconds so the frosting gets light and fluffy.
Step 9: This is the fun part of the recipe where you get to taste your frosting. You are trying to determine if the consistency is correct or if it needs more milk or maybe a little more vanilla extract. If it tastes great, test the consistency. Too thick? Add some milk and mix again to check to see if it is now the right consistency. The amount of milk to use depends on the state of your frosting and sometimes the time of year (if it is a hot humid day, you might not need to add any milk.) A good rule of thumb is to add the milk a teaspoon at a time. You can check out our FAQ section below to see some other advice on making the perfect batch of frosting.
How to Serve
How much frosting will you need? That always depends on how thick or thin you apply the frosting or how much decorating you do but here are a couple of guidelines. Our Coffee Buttercream Recipe should make enough icing to cover a 9″ x 13″ sheet cake or a two-layer 8″ cake. If you are making cupcakes, you should be able to frost 24 cupcakes if you apply the frosting with a knife. If you swirl on the frosting with a pastry bag and a decorating tip you should be able to frost 15-18 cupcakes depending on the size of the swirl.
Expert Tips and FAQs
No, the frosting does not need to be refrigerated. For example, brownies frosted with this Coffee Frosting would be fine left out on the counter for 2-3 days if the pan was tightly covered with aluminum foil. That said, we usually refrigerate our frosted desserts to keep the baked good from going stale even if the frosting would be fine. We think frosting tastes best at room temperature so we will then remove the item from the refrigerator a couple of hours before we will serve them.
Frosting stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator should be good for up to a week. If you carefully wrap the frosting in order to avoid freezer burn, the frosting should be fine in the freezer for 3-4 mon
Add another teaspoon of milk and mix again. Continue to add the milk, a teaspoon at a time, until the frosting is the consistency that you like it
Temperature plays a big part in the consistency of frosting. A thin frosting could mean that the butter has gotten overworked and is too melted. The first thing to do is refrigerate the frosting for an hour and then check to see if the frosting has set back up again. If not, the next step is to add more powdered sugar or cornstarch. Start with either 1/2 cup of Powdered Sugar or 1 tablespoon of Cornstarch. Mix again and see if the consistency is better.
Yes. You can use Half n’ Half or Whipping Cream or even almond milk or another milk substitute.
IIf you are looking for dessert ideas, don’t miss these yummy recipes that would taste great frosted with our Coffee Frosting: Chocolate Chip Cupcakes, Fudge Brownies, and Brownie Cookies.
Other Frosting Recipes You Will Love
Did you Make This Recipe? Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @twosisterscrafting on Instagram so we can see it!
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The Best Coffee Frosting
This really is The Best Coffee Frosting you've ever tasted. Infused with the perfect amount of coffee flavor, this homemade buttercream frosting is super delicious and so easy to make!
Ingredients
- 1 packet Starbucks French Roast Instant Coffee (or 2 tablespoons)
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Butter (Slightly Softened, We use Salted Sweet Cream Butter)
- 1 pound Powdered Sugar (or 4 cups)
- 1-2 tablespoons Milk (as needed)
Instructions
- Measure 2 teaspoons of Vanilla Extract into a small bowl and then add the instant coffee. We used Starbucks French Roast Instant which comes in pre-measured packets. If you can’t find that, you can substitute 2 tablespoons of any other Dark Roast instant coffee. Stir until the instant coffee has dissolved in the vanilla. Allow the vanilla and coffee to steep for at least 15 minutes.
- Add the butter and the coffee/vanilla mixture to a mixing bowl. The butter needs to be what we call "slightly softened" which is somewhere between straight out of the refrigerator and room temperature.
- Mix the butter and the coffee together on medium speed until thoroughly combined (about 2 minutes.)
- Use a spatula to scrape the butter mixture down from the sides of the bowl.
- We use a food scale to measure 1 Pound of Powdered Sugar. If you don’t have a food scale, measure 4 cups instead. We normally do not sift the powdered sugar and instead rely on the mixer to do that work for us.
- Add the powdered sugar to the butter mixture in the mixing bowl.
- Start your mixer (or electric beater) on the lowest setting and keep it on low until the butter and sugar are incorporated (about 30 seconds). Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and then increase the speed to medium-high and mix for another 30-45 seconds so the frosting gets light and fluffy.
- Taste your frosting. You are trying to determine if the consistency is correct or if it needs more milk or maybe a little more vanilla extract. If it tastes great, test the consistency. Too thick? Add some milk and mix again to check to see if it is now the right consistency. The amount of milk to use depends on the state of your frosting and sometimes the time of year (if it is a hot humid day, you might not need to add any milk.) A good rule of thumb is to add the milk a teaspoon at a time.
Notes
How much frosting will you need? That always depends on how thick or thin you apply the frosting or how much decorating you do but here are a couple of guidelines. Our recipe should make enough icing to cover a 9″ x 13″ sheet cake or a two-layer 8″ cake. If you are making cupcakes, you should be able to frost 24 cupcakes if you apply the frosting with a knife. If you swirl on the frosting with a pastry bag and a decorating tip you should be able to frost 15-18 cupcakes depending on the size of the swirl.
Did you Make this Recipe? Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @twosisterscrafting on Instagram so we can see it!
If you are looking for more tips and tricks for making that perfect batch of homemade frosting we have a few other posts you might want to check out:
