Cappuccino Cupcakes

Coffee lovers will enjoy these cappuccino cupcakes for sure. But because they’re actually quite mild, most non-coffee lovers will like them too. They’re made with a light wholemeal spelt flour sponge mix and a creamy mascarpone and white chocolate topping. Dust them with a little cocoa powder and they resemble a cappuccino – sort of!

Post Update June 2024 – I’ve made these cakes many times over the last couple of decades. They’re always popular at parties. Most recently I made a batch for my sister in law’s sixtieth birthday. And it’s these ones that you can see in the images in this updated post.

Dive Right In

• Why Make Cappuccino Cupcakes?
• Cappuccino And Espresso Cupcakes
• Honey Bees
• Cappuccino Cupcakes
• Ingredients
• How To Make Cappuccino Cupcakes
• Other Coffee Bakes You Might Like
• Keep In Touch
• The Recipe

Why Make Cappuccino Cupcakes?

The only answer to this question is why not make cappuccino cupcakes? They’re fairly quick and simple to make and they taste delicious.

• Cute Look – These cupcakes not only taste amazing but also look cute. They’re made to resemble a cup of cappuccino and are ideal for special occasions, potlucks and other gatherings.
• Digestive Benefits – Spelt is easier to digest than regular wheat, which is often beneficial for those with mild gluten sensitivities.
• Easy-to-Follow Recipe – The recipe is straightforward and easy to follow, even for those who are new to baking.
• Healthier Choice – These cappuccino cupcakes are made with wholemeal spelt flour. This is rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals, making these cupcakes a healthier alternative to those made with white flour.
• Nutty Flavour – Wholemeal flour is not only healthy, but it adds a delightful, nutty flavour that complements the coffee and white chocolate, enhancing the overall taste experience.
• Perfect for Coffee Lovers – The combination of coffee-infused sponge and creamy white chocolate mascarpone icing is perfect for coffee enthusiasts.

Cappuccino And Espresso Cupcakes

In June 2012 I had the combined incentives of a visit from a coffee loving friend and coffee chosen as that month’s We Should Cocoa ingredient. It was time to revive a couple of bakes I used to make regularly when hosting a party: Nigella’s Espresso and Cappuccino Cupcakes from How to be a Domestic Goddess. I hadn’t made either of them since I started this blog over three years earlier. I’m not sure why. Ahh, is it because I don’t like coffee?

If truth be told, coffee is not a flavour I’m particularly fond of. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee I find most tempting, but unfortunately, not the taste. CT on the other hand, whilst not particularly fond of the drink, likes the flavour in bakes and chocolates. Guess who always gets passed the coffee chocolates?

Lucy, blogging at The KitchenMaid, hosted that month’s We Should Cocoa and chose coffee. I could hardly demur.

Although I made a few changes to Nigella’s recipe, I can’t for the life of me remember what I did. It was, after all a few days earlier and I foolishly didn’t write the recipe down whilst baking. I remember using half spelt flour and adding yogurt to the cake mix to lighten them a bit and some maca powder for its health benefits. So I am, sadly, unable to tell you exactly how I made them. I do, however, remember using lots of dark chocolate as well as white chocolate and I only made six of each.

Anyway, reports were good and despite my lack of enthusiasm for coffee, I did try them both. The espresso cakes were dark and bitter and gave a real jolt from the combination of dark chocolate and strong coffee. The rich espresso ganache topping and chocolate covered coffee bean on top added to the indelible stamp of a good espresso – so I’m told.

The cappuccino ones, I found more palatable. They tasted of coffee for sure, but not as strongly and the creamy mascarpone and white chocolate top helped calm things down a bit. The cream and dark coffee colours looked quite spectacular together, although, due to the bad weather, my photographs don’t capture this very well.

Honey Bees

The cakes were enjoyed after a session with the bees. Yes, that’s right, bees. Three years after having a top bar hive built for my mother, we have finally sourced some bees. They arrived less than two weeks ago and this was the first time the lid was taken off to check that all was OK – a momentous occasion.

We were somewhat concerned as a) the weather has been atrocious and b) there was the possibility of the comb being built the wrong way. When I say session, I mean CT and my mother; both I and our friend kept a wary distance. As it happened, all seemed absolutely fine. A comb had been built and in the right place too (we think)!

Cappuccino Cupcakes

Now, a few years down the line, I make cappuccino cupcakes with one hundred percent wholemeal flour. I also generally omit the maca powder as I don’t always have it to hand. And in any case, it’s not intrinsic to the recipe.

I tend to use kefir rather than yoghurt as I usually have a surplus and I use instant coffee rather than espresso powder. I also use less of it. The flavour is milder, but still noticeable.

Ingredients

There’s nothing unusual in the ingredients needed to make cappuccino cupcakes. You should have most of what’s needed in your store cupboard or fridge.

Coffee

You need dissolvable coffee powder for this recipe. It doesn’t really matter what type you use and by all means go for decaf if you prefer.

I actually used coffee granules, but they still dissolved in the kefir. I just had to leave them a few minutes before stirring.

Kefir, Buttermilk, Sour Milk or Watered Down Yoghurt

Some sort of sour dairy liquid is particularly good for baking cakes. It works much better than plain milk as it reacts with the baking soda and helps the cakes to rise. The sour notes also help to give the bakes more flavour and help to temper anything that’s overly sweet.

I use kefir because, as we make our own, we always seem to have some lurking in the fridge.

Mascarpone

Mascarpone is the king of cream cheeses when it comes to cake toppings. It’s rich, mild and super creamy. Mix it with melted white chocolate and you have an instant light and not too sweet icing, filling or fruit topping.

White Chocolate

It’s best to use white chocolate that is meant for baking or melting. If you buy a bar of normal white chocolate, you might have problems melting it as it generally contains less cocoa butter.

Wholemeal Flour

As with many of my bakes, I like to use wholemeal spelt flour for these cappuccino cupcakes. You can find out the reasons why if you click on the previous link.

However, wholemeal flour is fine as is half wholemeal and half plain if you feel a bit nervous about using a hundred percent wholegrain.

How To Make Cappuccino Cupcakes

These cappuccino cupcakes are quite straightforward to prepare and bake. The topping is a super simple one, but also super delicious.

Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions, timings and quantities of ingredients used.

Step 1. Before You Start

Ensure you’ve taken your butter out of the fridge a good hour before you need it for this recipe. The softer the butter, the easier it is to cream it and mix in the other ingredients.

Line a twelve hole muffin tin with paper cases. Two six hole ones are fine too. I use two six hole silicone moulds.

Set the oven to 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4).

Step 2. Prepare Sponge Batter

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light in colour and fluffy in texture. I do this by hand with a wooden spoon, but feel free to use an electric mixer instead.

Beat in the eggs, one by one. If the mixture curdles, mix in some of the flour. Then beat in the vanilla extract.

Sieve the flour and baking powder into the bowl and stir to combine. Use a wide gauge sieve and if there are any pieces of bran left behind, either tip them into the bowl or discard. If I ever discard bran, I either scatter it around slug sensitive plants or add it to the compost.

Dissolve the coffee in the kefir by giving it a good stir, then pour it into the bowl. If you’d prefer a stronger coffee flavour, add an additional teaspoon. Stir until just combined.

Divide the sponge batter between the paper cases. It’s about two tablespoons per cupcake case. Bang the tin down hard on the countertop a couple of times to release any air bubbles and flatten the tops a little.

Step 3. Bake Cakes

Bake on the middle shelf of your oven. It’s ready when the sponge is well risen and firm to the touch.

Transfer the cakes to a cooling rack. Leave them in the tin for a couple of minutes, then turn them out onto the wire rack to cool completely.

Step 4. Prepare Icing

Melt the chocolate in a bowl suspended over a pan of hot, but not boiling water. Take off the heat as soon as it’s melted.

Allow to cool for a few minutes, then whisk in the mascarpone until you have a smooth and light, almost mousse-like icing.

Step 5. Ice Cakes

Spread the icing generously over the cooled cakes with a small palette knife. Or just use the back of a spoon.

Using a tea strainer, dust the tops with a little cocoa powder so they sort of resemble a cup of cappuccino. Serve and enjoy.

Storage

Once iced the cakes will keep for a couple of days in an airtight container. Best left in a cool place, but not as cold as the fridge. If the fridge is your only option, take them out a good hour before serving so they can come up to room temperature.

Other Coffee Bakes You Might Like

• Coffee biscuits sandwiched with whipped coffee chocolate ganache
• Coffee brownies
• Coffee praline cake
• Coffee shortbread biscuits
• Coffee and walnut cake
• Tiramisu cake

Keep in Touch

Thank you for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make these cappuccino cupcakes, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Do you have any recommendations or advice for making these cupcakes?

Please rate the recipe. If you post pictures of your creations on social media, use the hashtag #tinandthyme so I can see them.

For more delicious and nutritious recipes follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard or Pinterest. And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my weekly newsletter. Or why not join the conversation in our Healthy Vegetarian Whole Food Recipes Facebook Group?

If you’d like more cupcake recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.

Choclette x

Cappuccino Cupcakes. PIN IT.

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5 from 3 votes

Cappuccino Cupcakes

Coffee lovers will enjoy these cappuccino cupcakes for sure. But because they're actually quite mild, most non-coffee lovers will like them too. They're made with a light wholemeal spelt flour sponge mix and a creamy mascarpone and white chocolate topping. Dust them with a little cocoa powder and they resemble a cappuccino – sort of!

Cook ModeToggle to keep screen awake

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Course: Afternoon Tea

Cuisine: British

Keyword: cakes, coffee, cupcakes, mascarpone, white chocolate

Servings: 12 people

Calories: 270kcal

Author: Choclette @ Tin and Thyme

Ingredients

Sponge

• 150 g unsalted butter softened
• 150 g golden caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 150 g wholemeal spelt flour can use ordinary wholemeal wheat
• 1¼ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 2 tsp instant coffee powder
• 4 tbsp kefir, buttermilk, sour milk or watered down yoghurt

Icing

• 60 g white chocolate
• 125 g mascarpone cheese
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp cocoa powder for dusting

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

Sponge

• Set the oven to 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4).
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light in colour and fluffy in texture.
  150 g unsalted butter, 150 g golden caster sugar
• Beat the eggs into the mix, one by one. Then beat in the vanilla extract.
  2 large eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Sift in the dry ingredients. You can either discard any large pieces of bran left in the sieve, or tip them into the bowl. Stir until just combined.
  150 g wholemeal spelt flour, 1¼ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• Dissolve the coffee in the kefir, then pour it into the bowl. Stir until just combined.
  2 tsp instant coffee powder, 4 tbsp kefir, buttermilk, sour milk or watered down yoghurt
• Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases. I use 2 x 6 hole silicone moulds.
• Divide the sponge batter between the cases – roughly 2 tbsp each.
• Bake on the middle shelf of your oven for 20-25 minutes. The cakes are done when they’re well risen and firm to the touch.
• Leave the cakes to cool in the tin for a couple of minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Icing

• Whilst the cakes are cooling, melt the chocolate in a bowl suspended over a pan of hot, but not boiling water.
  60 g white chocolate
• Allow to cool for a few minutes, then whisk in the mascarpone and vanilla until you have a smooth, light, almost mousse-like icing.
  125 g mascarpone cheese, ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• Spread the icing over the cooled cakes with a small palette knife. Or just use the back of a spoon.
• Dust the tops with a little cocoa powder to finish. The idea is that the cakes resemble a cup of cappuccino.
  ¼ tsp cocoa powder

Notes

Once iced the cakes will keep for a couple of days if left in a cool place. Store in an airtight container.

For a party, these look stunning with a batch of dark espresso cupcakes.

You’ll find additional tips and info about this recipe in the main body of the post.

Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on serving size and exact ingredients used. Please refer to my nutrition disclaimer for further information.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 48mg | Potassium: 122mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 511IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below letting us know how you got on and do share a photo on Instagram. Tag @choclette8 or use hashtag #tinandthyme.

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Not having taken part in the Forever Nigella challenge, the brainchild of Sarah of Maison Cupcake, for a while, I thought it was about time I did. And guess what? Turns out that this month’s theme, guest hosted by Homemade by Fleur, is Afternoon Tea.

Well, what a relief for those tea sceptics to find some very welcome coffee. So please find my espresso and cappuccino cupcakes sitting demurely at the afternoon tea table. But be warned, they are anything but demure.