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Frosting & Fettuccine

Home » Recipe Search » Frosting

Nov 15, 2021(last updated October 13, 2022)

5-Minute Coffee Buttercream Frosting Recipe

4.84 from 12 votes
BySam Adler
Jump to Recipe
Coffee frosting dumped on top of a single chocolate cake layer

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This coffee buttercream frosting is fluffy, delicious, and amazingly easy to make at home. The recipe uses instant coffee, softened butter, powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp of milk. It’s packed with coffee flavor is perfect for cakes, cupcakes, and more.

Coffee frosting in a small bowl on a marble backdrop

Is it just me or do you love all the coffee flavored things too? From coffee cookies to coffee blondies, I cannot stop putting coffee into my desserts.

Especially chocolate desserts! Coffee is used a lot in chocolate desserts because it brings out the chocolate flavor even more. I love frosting my small 6 inch chocolate cake recipe with this icing!

Coffee icing is one of my favorite homemade frosting recipes to make! It was the first frosting recipe I made when I was in pastry school at Le Cordon Bleu. I know you will love it too!

If you love decadent frostings as much as I do then definitely check out my Mascarpone frosting– it will make you feel so fancy! Oh also YOU NEED this 5 minute chocolate brownie frosting in your life!

Ingredients needed:

Ingredients for coffee frosting
  • Instant coffee- were using this twice in the recipe. Once in the dissolved form, and then again by throwing some instant coffee ground into the mix! If you don’t have instant you can also use whatever coffee grounds you have.
  • Butter– It is essential that you use softened butter. The butter needs to be soft so that it creams well with the powdered sugar. Learn how to soften butter quickly.
  • Milk or cream– These are interchangeable in this recipe, you can even use a dairy free milk or even water if you want!

If you don’t have instant coffee you can use brewed coffee. You will need 1 tbsp. You can still use the dry granules as well to throw in the buttercream.

How to make coffee buttercream frosting

  • Start by adding butter and sifted powdered sugar to the bowl of a hand or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. To cream butter and sugar well, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until fluffy and pale yellow in color.
  • Add in the dissolved instant coffee and beat again for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl then add the cream and dry instant coffee grounds and mix again for 30 seconds.
Confectioners sugar softed on parchment paper
Sifted confectioners sugar
Whipped butter and confectioners sugar in a steel mixing bowl
Butter and sugar mixed

How to store and freeze buttercream frosting

Store- Store the frosting in an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap lined directly over the frosting. This helps the buttercream from forming a crust.

You can also rip a piece of plastic wrap and dump the frosting on top of it. Wrap it up and store it in the fridge.

Freezing– Yes, you can even freeze it for up to 2 months! Wrap the frosting in plastic wrap and seal well or place in a zip top bag then place in the freezer.

Make Ahead- You can make the buttercream ahead too. Store it in the fridge if it’s a week out, or on the counter top if it’s just a couple of days.

Tips for recipe success

  • Sift the confectioners sugar so that the frosting will be smoother and you wont have any clumps. This is not a necessary step but it does help!
  • There really is no way to mess up this homemade frosting. If the frosting is too thick, then add 1/2 tbsp milk or cream at a time to loosen it.
  • If the frosting is too thin, add a little more confectioners sugar (1/4 cup at a time) until it thickens.
Coffee frosting frosted on a cake

You can adjust the coffee flavor by adding in more or less of the dry instant coffee granules, and remember the flavor will deepen over time!

That’s what I love about DIY frosting recipes, you can really play with the flavors depending on what you like.

You can also leave out the dry granules if you prefer.

Recipe FAQ

Is it okay to add dry coffee grounds in icing?

Yes of course! That’s what this recipe calls for. You can also leave them out if you prefer.

Do I have to use instant coffee?

Nope! I use it for ease but you can use whatever kind of coffee you have on hand. You can even use decaf coffee.

Yield

This homemade icing will fill and frost a 2 layer, 8″ cake or 12 cupcakes.

Desserts to top this with

  • Chocolate cake!! This frosting works well in between layers and also to frost an entire cake with.
  • Sandwich it between chocolate brownie cookies.
  • Top this over these espresso cupcakes.
  • Frost between these coffee cookies.

More of our favorite frosting recipes

  • Orange frosting in a bowl next to fresh orange slices.
    5 Minute Fluffy Orange Buttercream
  • Whipped chocolate frosting in 3 small glass jars.
    3 Ingredient Light Whipped Chocolate Frosting
  • A cupcake with Oreo buttercream frosting swirled on top.
    5 Minute Fluffy Oreo Buttercream Frosting
  • White chocolate cupcakes stacked on a few white plates.
    Light And Fluffy White Chocolate Cupcakes
Coffee frosting in a small bowl on a marble backdrop

5-Minute Coffee Buttercream Frosting Recipe

This homemade coffee buttercream frosting is fluffy, delicious, and amazingly easy to make. The recipe uses instant coffee, softened butter, powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp of milk. It’s packed with coffee flavor is perfect for cakes, cupcakes, and more.
4.84 from 12 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
Course: Cakes
Cuisine: American
Diet: Kosher
Keyword: coffee buttercream frosting, coffee frosting from scratch, DIY frosting, Homemade frosting
Prep Time: 0 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 3 cups
Calories: 202kcal
Author: Sam Adler

Equipment

  • Stand or Hand mixer

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 3 cups confectioners sugar sifted
  • 1 1/2 tsp instant coffee granules divided
  • 1/2 tsp milk or cream

Instructions

  • Add the 1 cup softened butter to the bowl of a hand or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the sifted 3 cups of confectioners sugar and beat on low speed working up to medium for 2 minutes.
  • Dissolve 1 tsp of the instant coffee granules in 1 tbsp of water. With the mixer on medium speed add the coffee to the bowl. Stop and scrape down the bowl. Add the 1/2 tsp cream and the remaining 1/2 tsp dry instant granules to the frosting and mix on low speed until combined, about 1 minute.
  • Spread all over cakes and cupcakes!

Notes

If you dont have instant coffee you can use the kind you use for the coffee machine, you will just have to brew it instead of adding the hot water to it. You will beed 1 tbsp of brewed coffee.
You can still use the dry coffee grounds to add to the buttercream.
Espresso powder works as a substitute too.
If the frosting is too thick, add 1/2 tsp milk until you reach the desired consistency. If the frosting is too thin, add 1/4 cup confectioners sugar until thickened. 

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
5-Minute Coffee Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 202 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Cholesterol 33mg11%
Sodium 2mg0%
Potassium 7mg0%
Carbohydrates 24g8%
Sugar 23g26%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 378IU8%
Calcium 4mg0%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

I love when you share my recipes!!

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Filed Under: Frosting Tagged With: Coffee

About Sam Adler

Sam Adler is a Le Cordon Bleu professionally trained pastry chef, Saveur Blog Award winner, food photographer, and food blogger over on FrostingandFettuccine.com. She has been featured in numerous online and in-print publications including Taste of Home Magazine, Saveur Magazine, The Feed Feed, and Food Blogger Pro. Sam lives in Hollywood florida with her husband, two young kids, and french bulldog. When she’s not baking and dancing in her kitchen you can find her at her favorite yoga spot.

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Hi! Im Sam Adler,

I'm a professionally trained pastry chef and food photographer.
This is a place where you will find easy yet impressive looking desserts. I also share a ton of food photography resources too! What can I say, I love pretty & delicious baked goods! Learn more about me!

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Logo images of media places Sam Adler has been featured in
Saveur Blog award winner for best food Instagram

samadlerphotography

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Find the recipe below!

#ALDILove
Prep time: 1 hr 45 mins
Cook time: 1 min
Yield: 40 donut fries
2 pack Baker’s Corner Active Dry Yeast
1 1/2 cup warm water
1/3 cup Sugar
2 Simply Nature Grade A Organic Cage Free Brown Eggs
2 tbsp Stonemill Pure Vanilla Extract
1/3 cup Carlini Pure Vegetable Oil
5-6 cups Baker’s Corner All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Kosher salt
½ cup Baker’s Corner Powdered Sugar
For Dipping:
1 cup Baker’s Corner Dark or Milk Chocolate Morsels
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Method:
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sugar, eggs, vanilla, and oil to the bowl and mix until well combined.
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fitted with the dough attachment for 5 minutes until a soft, non-sticky dough forms. If the
dough seems sticky, add ¼ cup flour to the dough until it no longer sticks to the bowl when
mixing.
•Let the dough rest in the bowl for an hour to double in size. 
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fries 30 seconds per side, then drain on a paper towel.
•Dust the donut fries with powdered sugar and set aside.
•Microwave 1 cup of dark or milk chocolate for 30 seconds at a time until melted. Scoop
jelly into another bowl. Dip the fries in the chocolate or jelly!
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