
I recently made a batch of my Hot Cocoa Cupcakes and my wife wanted something different for the marshmallow frosting that is included with my recipe. Her love for chocolate and coffee/espresso is well known so I decided to make up a batch of this Awesome Mocha Buttercream Frosting.
Turns out that it’s not that difficult to tweak a simple vanilla buttercream frosting recipe to create a mocha flavored buttercream frosting. All you need is a little cocoa powder and a little espresso powder.
The beauty of this simple recipe is that you can make it as strong or weak as you want by simply adjusting the amount of espresso you add to the frosting mix.

This Mocha flavored frosting goes very well with Chocolate cake but I am sure it is equally as good on different types of cakes. I just haven’t had the opportunity to use it on anything but chocolate cake.
For more fabulous frosting/icing recipes like this one, make sure you check out my collection of Dessert Recipes. You should also check out my awesome collection of Cake and Cupcake Recipes.
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Awesome Mocha Buttercream Frosting recipe (see recipe card for quantities): Powdered Sugar, Salted Butter, Vanilla Extract, Milk, Cocoa Powder and Espresso Powder.
How to Make Mocha Buttercream Frosting
- In a mixing bowl, add softened butter and vanilla extract and mix until completely combined.
- Add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and espresso powder and beat until well combined.
- Slowly add milk until the proper consistency is reached.
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Printable Recipe Card

Awesome Mocha Buttercream Frosting
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Ingredients
- 4 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 Cup Salted Butter
- 2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tbsp Milk
- 2 Tsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 2 Tsp Instant Espresso Powder
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add softened butter and vanilla extract and mix until completely combined.
- Add powdered sugar, cocoa powder and espresso powder and beat until well combined.
- Slowly add milk until the proper consistency is reached.
This recipe is very easy to make. When made it is stiff enough for you to decorate your cake or cupcakes. It is very creamy but stiff enough for decorating.