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The Best Mocha Buttercream Frosting is a delicious blend of chocolate and coffee in one creamy and easy-to-make homemade buttercream frosting.

Closeup on three cupcakes topped with The Best Mocha Buttercream Frosting sitting in front of a glass bowl filled with coffee beans.

Ahhh Mocha … how we love you.  Not completely chocolate and not completely coffee but instead a wonderful blend of these two amazing flavors.  We worked long and hard on our The Best Mocha Buttercream Frosting recipe until we achieved what we think is the perfect combination of chocolate and coffee and buttercream frosting.  This yummy frosting would be great on so many things. If you are looking for a creamy and delicious chocolate frosting with a hint of coffee, this frosting is for you!

How to Make

Instant coffee crystals dissolving in vanilla in a white ramekin.

Step 1: You want a strong coffee flavor to blend with the chocolate in this Mocha Frosting and we found that the best way to achieve that is to use instant coffee versus a brewed cup of coffee.  We used a strong French Roast Instant Coffee but let your taste buds be your guide on this. Another trick to is dissolve the Instant Coffee in the vanilla that you use for the recipe instead of water. We mixed one packet of Starbucks Instant French Roast Coffee with 2 teaspoons of Vanilla Extract.  (If you can’t find this brand of instant coffee, you can substitute 2 tablespoons of any other Dark Roast instant coffee.) Stir until the coffee crystals are completely dissolved and then allow them to steep in the vanilla for at least 15 minutes.

Collage image showing how to mix together the butter and the coffee mixture for the best flavored frosting.

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/vanilla mixture together on medium speed until thoroughly combined (about 2 minutes.)  You really want the 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.  

Collage image showing how to add the powdered sugar to the mocha frosting.

Step 5: Measure 1 pound of Powdered Sugar. (If you don’t have a food scale the equivalent is 4 cups.) 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 along with 1/8 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder.
Step 7: Two Sisters Tip – cover the mixer with a towel during this part of the mixing process to keep the powdered sugar/cocoa 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. If the frosting is too dry, add 1 teaspoon of milk and mix again.

Closeup on a glass mixing bowl filled with Mocha Icing and a white spatula.

Step 9: Taste your frosting! Do not skip this step! You want to see if the taste is right and if the consistency is correct. For taste, do you need a little extra vanilla or cocoa powder? 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

Closeup on a decorating bag filled with Mocha Frosting sitting in front of a batch of unfrosted chocolate cupcakes.

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 Mocha 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 you should be able to frost 15-18 cupcakes depending on the size of the swirl.

Expert Tips and FAQ’s

How do I store any leftover frosting?

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 months.

Does the frosting need to be refrigerated?

No, the frosting does not need to be refrigerated. For example, brownies frosted with this Mocha 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.

What should I do if my frosting turned out too thick?

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

What should I do if my frosting turned out too thin?

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.

IIf you are looking for dessert ideas, don’t miss these yummy recipes that would taste great frosted with our Mocha Frosting: Coffee Cookies with Mocha Buttercream Frosting, Frosted Brownies, Mocha Cupcakes or Brownie Cookies.

Closeup on a chocolate cupcake topped with The Best Mocha Buttercream Frosting sitting on a cutting board next to a glass bowl filled with coffee beans.

Other Frosting Recipes You Will Love

The Best Mocha Buttercream FrostingPrint

The Best Mocha Buttercream Frosting

Yield 2 1/2 cups
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

The Best Mocha Buttercream Frosting is a delicious blend of chocolate and coffee in one creamy and easy to make homemade buttercream frosting.

Ingredients

  • 1 packet Starbucks Instant French Roast Coffee (or 2 tablespoons of any Dark Roast Instant Coffee)
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
  • 1 cup Butter, slightly softened (We use Salted Sweet Cream Butter)
  • 1 pound Powdered Sugar (or 4 cups)
  • 1 /8 cup Cocoa Powder

Instructions

  1. Dissolve the Instant Coffee in 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Stir until the coffee crystals are completely dissolved and then allow them to steep in the vanilla for at least 15 minutes.
  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. 
  3. Mix the butter and the coffee/vanilla mixture together on medium speed until thoroughly combined (about 2 minutes.)
  4. Use a spatula to scrape the butter mixture down from the sides of the bowl.  
  5. Measure 1 pound of Powdered Sugar. (Equivalent is 4 cups.) 
  6. Add the powdered sugar to the butter mixture in the mixing bowl along with 1/8 cup of Unsweetened Cocoa Powder.
  7. 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. If the frosting is too dry, add 1 teaspoon of milk and mix again.
  8. Taste your frosting! You want to see if the taste is right and if the consistency is correct. For taste, do you need a little extra vanilla or cocoa powder?  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. 

Did you Make this Recipe? Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @twosisterscrafting on Instagram so we can see it!

© Two Sisters Crafting
Cuisine: American / Category: Frosting

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: