This 6-ingredient coffee frosting has a robust coffee flavor with a perfectly balanced sweetness (hint: it’s not too sweet!). Pair it with chocolate cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, brownies, or banana cake!
6-Ingredient Coffee Buttercream
Today’s coffee frosting was highly requested (note: keep the recipe requests coming, I keep a running list and love being able to deliver something that’s been specifically asked for!). With subtly bitter undertones and bright coffee flavor, it’s the perfect combo of sweet and bitter and a lovely complement to just about any baked good. It pairs well with so many different flavors of cake, cupcakes, and more (you can even spread it over cinnamon rolls–yum!).
Why you’ll love this coffee buttercream:
- Easy to make with simple ingredients (only 6!).
- Distinct coffee flavor from a quick homemade coffee concentrate.
- Not too sweet, which is a common complaint with buttercreams.
- Pipes well and looks so pretty on cupcakes!
- Versatile! I include instructions in the recipe card to transform this recipe into a mocha frosting (which I honestly prefer, because coffee and chocolate together is one of my favorite combos).
I can think of so many uses for this coffee frosting, from filling chocolate macarons and whoopie pies to topping donuts and even brownies! I have a feeling you are really going to love it 💜
What You Need
As I mentioned in yesterday’s Oreo frosting, I’m a flag-waving fan of fuss-free buttercreams that are simple in terms of ingredients yet complex in the flavor department. Today’s recipe fits the mold nicely, with just 6 basic ingredients:
- Instant coffee. You might have some of this lying around if you’ve made my devil’s food cake, double chocolate chip cookies, or cheesecake brownies. We’ll be mixing this with a small amount of water to create a coffee concentrate. Make sure you let this mixture cool completely before adding it your buttercream (hint: pop it in your fridge to speed up the process)!
- Butter. Grab some unsalted butter and let it sit at room temperature until it is fully softened (but not melty) before getting started. If you’d prefer to use salted butter, you can just skip the additional salt in the recipe.
- Salt. Just a pinch balances the sugar and brings out the flavor of this coffee buttercream.
- Vanilla extract. A splash of vanilla extract goes SO well with the coffee flavor; it smooths everything out.
- Powdered sugar. I was very careful to make sure this coffee buttercream wasn’t too sweet! As a result, it’s a bit of a softer texture (totally pipeable and stable, though!). You can make it sturdier by adding more sugar if you’d like, just note it’ll be a bit sweeter.
SAM’S TIP: Want to make mocha frosting? Add a bit of cocoa powder! I included notes for making a mocha version of this coffee buttercream in the recipe below. It has a subtle chocolate flavor (and is honestly my favorite version of this recipe!).
As usual, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Coffee Frosting
- Add the instant coffee to a liquid measuring cup, then pour the hot water overtop. Stir well until the coffee dissolves, then let cool completely before proceeding. You can place this mixture in the fridge to speed up the chilling process!
- Cream the butter with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar with your mixer on low speed, then stir in the vanilla and salt.
- Finally, drizzle in the coffee while stirring. Stop to scrape the bowl to make sure everything is combined, then use as desired.
SAM’S TIP: If you plan to use this coffee buttercream for an 8 or 9″ layer cake, you may want to consider increasing the recipe by 50%, since this recipe will make just enough frosting for that size cake. I’d especially recommend this if you plan to decorate your cake with some extra swirls on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Using instant coffee really is best here because it allows us to quickly create a very concentrated coffee flavor (almost like an extract would!). Your regular cup o’ Joe isn’t quite as concentrated, so spooning a couple of Tablespoons out of that would not give us as intense of a flavor as I was seeking.
I especially love this coffee buttercream with ice cream cake, donuts, brownies, chocolate cupcakes, banana cupcakes, homemade Oreos, cinnamon rolls, or even my Frappuccino cupcakes!
If you plan to enjoy your frosting within two days of preparing it, you will be fine to leave it out of refrigeration. If you want it to last longer, keep it in the fridge. Like most buttercreams, this coffee frosting will not hold up in the direct summer heat.
Easy breezy. I can’t wait to hear how you like this one, and don’t hesitate to send more recipe requests my way!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Coffee Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons instant coffee
- 2 Tablespoons very hot water
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened
- 3 ½ cups (440 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon table salt
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Place instant coffee in a measuring cup and pour hot or steaming water overtop. Whisk until smooth. Allow to cool completely before proceeding (may pop it in the fridge to speed up the process).2 Tablespoons instant coffee, 2 Tablespoons very hot water
- Place butter in a large mixing bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until smooth and creamy.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- With mixer on low-speed, gradually add powdered sugar and stir until completely combined. Stir in vanilla extract and salt.3 ½ cups (440 g) powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon table salt
- Gradually drizzle in cooled coffee mixture, while stirring. Stir until completely combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure ingredients are well incorporated.
- Spread or pipe as desired.
Notes
Mocha Frosting
For a mocha-flavored frosting, add 3 Tablespoons of natural cocoa powder with the powdered sugar.Yield
Recipe makes 2 ½ cups/646 grams of frosting. Will easily cover 12 cupcakes or one 13×9 cake. Will be just enough to cover a 2-layer 8” or 9” cake.Storing
Once piped or used for decorating, the frosting will be stable at room temperature for up to 2 days or will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. Store unused frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Will need to soften a bit at room temperature and be stirred again before being used.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Ella
This is the best coffee icing ever!! I used it so often and it’s a huge hit. Multiple people have told me that this is their favorite dessert they’ve ever had. I usually pair it with a vanilla cupcake. Literally the best icing ever. Usually I add extra coffee to make it stronger. Still great!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoy it so much, Ella! 🙂
Cecelia Buskirk
Am wondering , if after piping on cake, if the frosting will set, or if it will stay soft.
Sam
Hi Cecelia! It’s similar to a buttercream where you will get a little crusting on the outer edges but it should remain soft. 🙂
danica222
this came out perfect. i had a betty crocker cake mix but no icing, so decided to make this coffee flavoured icing, and it’s lovely and tastes really lush. i used a little less icing sugar than the recipe called for but still came out perfect. thank you!! 🙂
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Olga
If I dont have instant coffee can I use instant espresso powder and how much?
Sam
Hi Olga! It could work. Espresso powder is much more potent so you’ll need less. I think I would dissolve a tablespoon of espresso powder into a tablespoon of water and add that to taste. 🙂