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vanilla cupcakes with coffee soak and coffee buttercream with a bite taken
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Vanilla Latte Cupcakes Recipe

4.65 from 28 votes
prep 45 minutes
cook 18 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
total 1 hour 33 minutes
Serves 13 cupcakes
Vanilla latte cupcakes are my cupcake dreams come true! The best vanilla cupcake soaked in sweetened coffee and frosted with a silky espresso French buttercream.
Author: Bernice Baran
Servings 13 cupcakes

Equipment

Ingredients

Coffee Soak

  • 240 mL coffee, hot
  • 25 grams granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste, or extract

Vanilla Cupcake

  • 180 grams cake flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 200 grams granulated sugar
  • 60 mL canola oil
  • 56 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 80 mL whole milk, room temperature
  • 113 grams sour cream

Coffee Buttercream

  • 4 large egg yolks, room temperature
  • 200 cup granulated sugar
  • 60 mL water
  • 227 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 tsp espresso powder, or 1 Tbsp instant coffee dissolved in equal amounts of water
  • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste, or extract
  • tiny pinch fine sea salt
  • Cocoa powder for topping

Method

Coffee Soak

  1. While the coffee is still hot, mix the sugar in it until it's completely dissolved. Set aside to cool while you make the cupcakes. Once it's cooled, add the vanilla bean paste.
    240 mL coffee hot, 25 grams granulated sugar, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract

Vanilla Cupcakes

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F/177C and line 13 muffin tins with cupcake liners (preferably a light colored pan).
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar.
    180 grams cake flour spooned and leveled, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 200 grams granulated sugar
  3. Add the oil and butter to the dry ingredients and beat together until they're combined. Add the egg whites and vanilla extract and mix until they're fully combined. Then add the milk and sour cream, mixing just until the batter is smooth. 
    60 mL canola oil, 56 grams unsalted butter room temperature, 2 large egg whites room temperature, 2 tsp pure vanilla extract, 80 mL whole milk room temperature, 113 grams sour cream
  4. Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3-3/4 full. Bake for 16-18 minutes. The cupcake should no longer look wet and when you press on the center of the cupcake it should spring back or once a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  5. Remove them from the oven and let them cool in the cupcake pan for 10 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.

Coffee Buttercream*

  1. Place the sugar and water in a medium saucepan and swirl the pan until the sugar is fully immersed in water. Place the saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and comes to a gentle simmer. Lower the heat to low and place the lid on the pan and allow the mixture to simmer for a couple minutes.. Once the buttercream is done, add the dissolved coffee and vanilla and mix until combined.
    4 large egg yolks room temperature, 200 cup granulated sugar, 60 mL water, 227 grams unsalted butter room temperature
  2. Meanwhile, place the egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, and turn the mixer up to high speed. Let it whip while the sugar is done cooking.
  3. Use a candy thermometer to see when the sugar reaches 240F (116C), then lower the mixer to medium speed and slowly drizzle the hot sugar syrup into the thick and foamy egg yolks, while they are whipping.
  4. Turn the mixer back up to high speed and let it whip for 5-10 minutes, until the yolk mixture is very pale and fluffy and is cool to the touch or no longer warm.
  5. Turn the mixer back down to medium speed and add in the butter, 2 Tbsp of butter at a time, mixing until each chunk is fully combined and the buttercream looks smooth and creamy.
  6. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, add in the dissolved espresso, vanilla and salt and turn the mixer up to high speed for 1-2 minutes.
    1 tsp espresso powder or 1 Tbsp instant coffee dissolved in equal amounts of water, 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract, tiny pinch fine sea salt

Assemble

  1. Once the cupcakes and the coffee soak are completely cooled and the buttercream is done, you can begin assembling.
  2. Use a fork to poke a bunch of holes in the top half of the cupcakes. Use a spoon or a pipet to drizzle the coffee over each cupcake, slowly, giving it time to soak into the cake. I did about 1-2 Tbsp of coffee per cupcake.
  3. Use a piping bag, fitted with a round tip to pipe the coffee buttercream on the cupcake.
  4. Top each cupcake with a dusting of cocoa powder.
    Cocoa powder for topping

Notes

*If the buttercream is ever too soft, just refrigerate it for 10-20 minutes and proceed.
If you don't have a candy thermometer, you can also make Swiss meringue buttercream which uses egg whites (I would then replace the egg whites in the cupcake with 1 whole egg so you don't use as many egg whites in the whole recipe). 
Or you can use American buttercream. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 435kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 5gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 129mgSugar: 34g
Course: Cakes
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cappuccino cupcakes, coffee cupcakes, cupcakes, vanilla cupcakes, vanilla latte, vanilla latte cupcakes