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Mocha Cupcakes with Cookies ‘n Cream Frosting

Mocha Cupcakes with Cookies ‘n Cream Frosting

First things first with this recipe: I am actually NOT a big coffee drinker! That said, one thing I have been into more recently is the Mocha Cookie Frappuccino from Starbucks. (#NotAnAdButHitMeUpStarbucks!!) The coffee flavor is very subtle, but still gives you that boost of caffeine and energy, and of course, it makes the chocolate taste even more chocolatey. I realized these flavors would be delicious in another form, and thought a cupcake would be the perfect way to combine them! Since I’m not a cake lover, I prefer cupcakes since it’s cake in a smaller dose. The chocolate cake batter has both brewed coffee to bloom the cocoa powder and instant coffee mixed in, so you get an incredibly deep, slightly bitter coffee flavor alongside the rich, intense chocolate flavor. The frosting had to have cookies incorporated somehow, so I took a classic vanilla buttercream and folded in tons of crushed oreos before piling it on each cupcake. The result is a treat that looks absolutely beautiful, will definitely wow your guests, and is a major step up from regular old chocolate cake!


1. What’s Mocha?

Mocha is literally just a combination of coffee and chocolate!


2. No to Cupcake Liners!

Cupcake liners are an absolute no go here. Not only do they hide the beautiful, dark, rich mocha cupcake, but they also just aren’t necessary if you grease and flour your cupcake tin well.

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3. Cocoa Quality Matters

The quality of your cocoa powder really matters in this recipe, so if you’re able to splurge on something more expensive, it will be well worth it! I use hot coffee in this recipe to “bloom,” or intensify, the flavor of the cocoa, so the cupcakes are that much better with high quality cocoa powder!