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    Home » Dessert » Sauces, Frostings & Toppings

    Coffee Buttercream

    Published: Apr 9, 2018 · by Elizabeth Waterson · This post may contain affiliate links, which may pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Confessions of a Baking Queen!

    Jump to Recipe
    on a light grey surface with a blue linen

    Coffee buttercream takes any dessert to the next level. Made with instant coffee granules this recipe is easy and delicious!

    coffee cake cut into pieces on a white plate on a white surface with a white and blue stripped linen

    Generally, I am not so much of an American Buttercream fan, but Coffee Buttercream is a whole different story. This lush, soft, pillowy frosting is flavored with coffee creating an incredibly delicious frosting that is not too sweet!

    Perfect on my Coffee Layer Cake! Or on top of brownies!

    Jump to:
    • ☕ What are the Ingredients for Coffee Buttercream
    • 📖 How to Make Coffee Buttercream
    • ⏲️ Can I make coffee frosting ahead of time
    • Recipe Card
    • Recipe Ratings & Comments

    ☕ What are the Ingredients for Coffee Buttercream

    • Butter, at room temp.
    • Powdered/ Icing Sugar, sifted
    • Instant coffee or espresso powder (adjust the amount to your preference less or more)
    • Hot water to liquefy the coffee granules
    • Heavy Cream / Double Cream 

    Baking is a science and to really achieve the best results I highly recommend investing in a kitchen scale. This OXO Kitchen Scale is the one I use and is also the number one recommended kitchen scale by Cook's Illustrated. Think about it -what one person scoops into a "cup" is completely different from what someone else scoops!

    📖 How to Make Coffee Buttercream

    You can, of course, make frosting in a bowl with a hand mixer but for the sake of my arm and time, I prefer to use an electrical stand mixer.

    To achieve a silky soft frosting you need to let the mixer run for a long time to really let the butter soften and whip up.

    In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large bowl with a handheld mixer add the butter and beat a full five minutes, until light and fluffy.

    butter beat until light and fluffy in a metal mixing bowl on a light grey surface with a blue linen

    Sift the powdered sugar to prevent any lumps and then add half of the sugar to the butter. Mix the sugar in on low until all incorporated then increase the speed to high.

    sieve full of powdered sugar sitting on top of a metal mixing bowl on a light grey surface with a blue linen

    Beat for another 5 minutes then add the remaining powdered sugar (again mixing on low to incorporate then increasing the speed) and mix for 3 more minutes.

    coffee liquid, heavy cream, and vanilla extract added to a buttercream in a metal mixing bowl with a spatula on a light grey surface with a blue linen

    While the powdered sugar is mixing into the butter, in a small bowl add instant coffee and hot water. You can use more coffee or less depending on how strong you want the coffee flavor.

    Add the coffee mixture to frosting with heavy cream and beat for another 3 minutes.

    coffee frosting in a metal mixing bowl on a light grey surface with a blue linen

    Now you are ready to spread or pipe the coffee frosting.

    ⏲️ Can I make coffee frosting ahead of time

    Store frosting in the fridge for up to 7 days, let come to room temperature and mix before using.

    Store frosting in the freezer for up to 1 month, place in the fridge overnight to defrost and let come to room temperature then mix before using.

    ★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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    Recipe Card

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    on a light grey surface with a blue linen

    Coffee Buttercream

    ★★★★★

    5 from 40 reviews

    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Coffee buttercream takes any dessert to the next level. Made with instant coffee granules this recipe is easy and delicious! 

    • Total Time: 10 minutes
    • Yield: Enough to frost a 2 layer 8 inch cake

    Ingredients

    Units Scale

    Coffee Buttercream

    • 8oz (1 Cup) Butter, at room temp.
    • 438-500 grams (3 ½-4 Cups) Powdered Sugar, sifted, depending on how sweet/thick you want
    • 1 Tablespoon Instant coffee (adjust amount to your preference less or more)
    • ½oz Hot water (more or less depending on how strong you want the coffee flavor)
    • 1oz (2 Tablespoons) Heavy Cream / Double Cream

    Instructions

    1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or large bowl with a hand held mixer beat the butter for 5 full minutes, until light and fluffy. 
    2. Sieve the powdered sugar to prevent any lumps and add half to butter. Beat for another 5 minutes then add the remaining powdered sugar and mix for 3 more minutes.
    3. While powdered sugar is mixing into butter, in a small bowl add instant coffee and hot water. Add the coffee mixture to frosting with heavy cream and beat for another 3 minutes. 
    4. Spread or pipe frosting. Store in the fridge for up to 7 days, let come to room temperature, and mix before using. 

    Equipment

    kitchen aid cordless hand mixer

    Cordless Hand Mixer

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    kitchen aid stand mixer

    KitchenAid Stand Mixer 6 Quart

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    oxo food scale

    OXO Kitchen Scale

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    • Author: Elizabeth Waterson I Confessions of a Baking Queen
    • Prep Time: 10
    • Category: Dessert
    • Method: Mix
    • Cuisine: American

    Keywords: coffee frosting, frosting recipe, buttercream

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @confessionsofabakingqueen on Instagram and hashtag it #cbqbakes

    Recipe Card powered byTasty Recipes

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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    1. HoneyBunny20 says

      July 17, 2021 at 6:45 am

      You saved my cake! Made a coffee cream filled cake from another recipe site and the filling was an epic fail. The cake was supposed to be finished with a coffee glaze biUt didn’t trust the recipe and searched instead for a coffee buttercream and found yours. This is superb and saved the day, Thank you for salvaging my cake. Will make this again to use on a chocolate cake. I’m sure it will be divine!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Elizabeth Waterson says

        July 17, 2021 at 8:28 am

        This is so wonderful to hear, thank you so, so much for coming back to review the recipe. I truly appreciate it! I Am sure that you will love this frosting with chocolate cake! Take care. XX Liz

        Reply
    2. Shelly says

      October 18, 2021 at 6:39 am

      I don’t have instant coffee. Can I use real coffee instead?

      Reply
      • Elizabeth Waterson says

        October 18, 2021 at 11:04 am

        Hi Shelly, thanks for reaching out. You can use a very concentrated amount of real coffee. If I were you I would simmer some on the stove to reduce to get a more concentrated flavor to flavor the buttercream. Please let me know if you have any other questions or if you try the recipe! Thank you!! XX Liz

        Reply
        • Shelly says

          October 18, 2021 at 1:03 pm

          Thank you, Liz!

          I caved and bought instant. But I may try this next time! 🙂

          Reply
          • Elizabeth Waterson says

            October 19, 2021 at 11:22 am

            Ah no worries, let me know how you like the frosting! 🙂

            Reply
    3. BakerStar89 says

      October 31, 2021 at 12:20 pm

      Chocolate cake and this, is delectable!!! Thanks for the awesome recipe I’m saving this!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    4. Laura says

      December 21, 2021 at 11:13 am

      This recipe is simply amazing!It is simple and super good!I loved it!!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    5. Richelle says

      January 17, 2022 at 7:57 pm

      I doubled the recipe for the chocolate cake I made, and the flavours went well with eachother. This recipe I feel like was too sweet, so measure your sugar to your liking. I used 7 cups of sugar which was too much for me. If you've made the same mistake in adding too much sugar, i suggest adding salt to balance it more, or beat it for longer. Otherwise, not too bad.

      ★★★

      Reply
      • Elizabeth Waterson says

        January 18, 2022 at 7:52 am

        Hi Richelle, sorry you felt it was too sweet for your taste, you can definitely adjust as necessary! Take care. XX Liz

        Reply
    6. Julie says

      March 31, 2022 at 6:31 am

      This is honestly the most amazing buttercream I've ever tasted. I made my own coffee & walnut sponge then filled and topped it with this. Wow, just wow! My family claims it's the best cake I've ever made & I'm known for giving good cake. Thank you for taking my baking to the next level.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Elizabeth Waterson says

        March 31, 2022 at 12:50 pm

        Aww Julie, thank you so much for the lovely review. I am so pleased you enjoyed the frosting!!! My favorite way to have it is with a coffee walnut spone too!! Take care. XX Liz

        Reply
    7. Saraya says

      April 25, 2022 at 9:30 am

      I think it was absolutely amazing it was soft and perfect for my sisters birthday
      Even though she didn’t want to share with the rest of us

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Elizabeth Waterson says

        April 26, 2022 at 10:19 pm

        Hi Saraya, thank you so much for the lovely review! I am glad you enjoyed the frosting! Take care. XX Liz

        Reply
    8. Callie says

      May 03, 2022 at 3:37 pm

      Can I use half and half instead of heavy cream? It doesn't seem worth buying for such a small amount. Any suggestions? Thank you.

      Reply
      • Elizabeth Waterson says

        May 04, 2022 at 7:52 am

        Hi Callie, yes you totally can! Please let me know if you try the recipe I would love ot know what you think! XX Liz

        Reply
    9. Kael Brown says

      May 20, 2022 at 7:33 pm

      Ohmygoodness so so delicious! I made a vanilla cake filled with chocolate mousse and the coffee buttercream for the frosting for my best friend’s birthday. To. Die. For. My friend is diabetic so I cut the sugar a tad but I like less sweet desserts anyway so it turned out perfect. Will definitely make again this is now my go-to! Thank you ☺️

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    10. Destiny says

      June 16, 2022 at 1:59 am

      How many cupcakes would this frost?

      Reply
      • Elizabeth Waterson says

        June 16, 2022 at 2:24 pm

        Anywhere from 12-24 depending on how much frosting you like on them! Please let me know if you try the recipe! XX Liz

        Reply
    11. Jill says

      June 23, 2022 at 8:01 am

      Yummy recipe! Wow!
      How long can the frosted cake be out of the refrigerator?

      Reply
      • Elizabeth Waterson says

        June 23, 2022 at 10:27 am

        Hi Jill! Thanks for the review, the cake can stay out at room temperature since it's buttercream but keep in mind room temperature is about 68°F and in the summertime, most rooms are warmer than that. Since it's primarily compromised of butter just think would a stick of butter melt in the room? If so, the cake probably will. I would suggest keeping it stored in the fridge up until about 30 minutes to an hour before serving so it has time to take the chill off and avoid direct sunlight. Please let me know if you have any other questions. And if you did make the recipe if you could please leave a review with a star rating I Would be so grateful!! XX Liz

        Reply
    12. doris says

      June 29, 2022 at 12:03 pm

      sorry but you can have your cake and anything else with coffee and this chick wont since I don't drink coffee and don't like the taste of anything with coffee cuz to me its nasty

      Reply
      • Elizabeth Waterson says

        June 30, 2022 at 9:57 pm

        Hi Doris, that is fine you don't need to make this recipe. Try something else you actually like. Take care. XX Liz

        Reply
      • Giuseppe says

        December 24, 2022 at 7:07 am

        Why are people so stupid???
        I find it amazing that you would actually read a recipe for "Coffee Buttercream" when you don't like coffee. Who cares what you like.

        ★★★★★

        Reply
    13. Corbin makes cornbread says

      July 10, 2022 at 8:16 am

      I am making a cake for my dad and me and my brother had the idea for a chocolate cake with coffee buttercream and yours was suburb I loved it and all of the others weren't good and then I stumbled across your 5 stars

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Elizabeth Waterson says

        July 11, 2022 at 8:31 am

        Hi Corbin, thank you so much for the lovely review! I hope your cake turns out fabulous! Take care. XX Liz

        Reply
    14. Anush says

      July 17, 2022 at 10:46 pm

      Hi does this buttercream hold up fondant

      Reply
      • Elizabeth Waterson says

        July 19, 2022 at 10:51 pm

        Hi Anush, I am so sorry I do not know I have never used it with Fondant 🙁 Please let me know if you try and if it works well or not! XX Liz

        Reply
    15. Linda Metzger says

      July 31, 2022 at 4:58 am

      Hello all!
      This is my 2nd time using this superb icing recipe!
      It is yummy ecstasy...purely Heaven!!
      I made cupcakes then made this recipe only I doubled the amount of Taster Choice instant coffee~
      Everyone raved. This may be my 2nd time making it but it will not be the last!
      Thee BEST icing I have ever tasted~

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Elizabeth Waterson says

        August 03, 2022 at 7:38 am

        Aww you are so sweet Linda, thank you for the lovely review. Take care. XX Liz

        Reply
    16. Vanessa Boon says

      August 16, 2022 at 10:05 pm

      Hello 🙂 This recipe looks great. I’m wondering if you think using baileys in place of the water for the coffee granules would work okay? For example, would using 1oz baileys be an okay substitute, and do you think the flavour would shine through against the coffee?
      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Elizabeth Waterson says

        August 17, 2022 at 6:09 pm

        Hi Vanessa, Baileys sounds great! I am not sure though that it would shine through against the coffee flavor, coffee is so overpowering. I would add less coffee and more Baileys if that makes sense. Let me know if you have any other questions or if you try the recipe I would love to know what you think! XX Liz

        Reply
    17. Tina says

      March 14, 2023 at 1:32 pm

      I just made this and it is amazing thank you.

      Reply
      • Elizabeth Waterson says

        March 14, 2023 at 7:06 pm

        Hi Tina, thank you so much for the lovely review, next time could I ask a huge favor please would you leave a star rating too? I am so pleased that you enjoyed the frosting! Take care. XX Liz

        Reply
    « Older Comments

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    Waterson, Elizabeth Cropped Size Photo CAke copy 2

    Hiya! I am Elizabeth Waterson, welcome to my treat-filled site. After spending 15 years in the restaurant industry and growing up baking, I wanted to share my love of baking with you all. My step-by-step tutorials will help you learn how to bake at home. Confessions of a Baking Queen (CBQ) has been featured in CBS LA, HuffPost Taste, BuzzFeed, Taste of Home, and more! Here you will find loads of sweet recipes with a few savory ones for good measure. Feel free to message me with any questions! Happy Baking! 

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