Mudslide Cupcakes

Name: Mudslide Cupcakes
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda; 3/4 cup coffee, at room temperature; 3/4 cup Kahlua; 3 large eggs, separated, at room temperature; 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 1/2 cup (1 stick, 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 1 cup packed light brown sugar; 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks, 12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 6 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted; 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted; 1/2 cup Kahlua; 2 tablespoons coffee, at room temperature

Recipe By Tessa Arias

October 14th, 2011

15 Comments

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Mudslide Cupcakes are the perfect treat for any coffee or chocolate lover! Wait until you bite into the soft and light cake and the luscious, rich, chocolate-y buttercream frosting.

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Cook: 45 minutes

Mudslide Cupcakes

Back when I made my Cappuccino Fudge Cheesecake, I had quite a bit of leftover Kahlua. I remembered a recipe my blogger-buddy Tracey had posted for Mudslide Cupcakes and immediately put a pot of coffee on. Those cupcakes were happening. Now.

If you like coffee, chocolate, cupcakes (or booze!), you’ll like this recipe.

Recipe Rundown

Taste: The coffee and Kahlua combined with the chocolate is pure bliss.
Texture: The buttercream is magnificently lush, rich, and chocolatey. The cake is light and soft.
Ease: This recipe is a little more complicated than other cupcake recipes. It involves whipping egg whites, making coffee, and dirtying a few dishes. Don’t let that scare you though! Just read the recipe completely before beginning and organize yourself.
Appearance: The best part of cupcakes is how cute they are.
Pros: Adorable, delicious, perfect for parties.
Cons: Dirties a few dishes.
Would I make this again? Absolutely.

How to make

Mudslide Cupcakes

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Mudslide Cupcakes are the perfect treat for any coffee or chocolate lover! Wait until you bite into the soft and light cake and the luscious, rich, chocolate-y buttercream frosting.

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 cup coffee, at room temperature
3/4 cup Kahlua
3 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick, 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar

For the Kahlua Buttercream:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks, 12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 cup Kahlua
2 tablespoons coffee, at room temperature

Directions

For the cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
Whisk together the flour, cocoa, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Combine the coffee and Kahlua in a liquid measuring cup.
Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-low speed until foamy. With the mixer still running, gradually add the granulated sugar. Once incorporated, increase the mixer to medium-high speed and continue beating until stiff peaks form. The egg whites should be glossy, not dry.
Transfer the egg whites to another bowl and clean our the mixer bowl (or use a second bowl, or use a hand-held electric mixer). With the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time. With the mixer on low speed, alternatively add the flour and the coffee-Kahlua mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Use a rubber spatula to fold in egg whites.
Divide batter evenly between cupcake pans, filling each about 2/3 - 3/4 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cupcakes cool for 5 minutes then remove to rack to cool completely.

For the buttercream:

Beat the butter and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the cocoa powder, Kahlua, and coffee and beat to incorporate. Once the frosting comes together, increase speed to medium-high and beat until smooth and fluffy. Spread or pipe with a decorative tip onto cooled cupcakes.

Recipe Notes

Adapted from Tracey's Culinary Adventures, Originally from Worth the Whisk

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram with #handletheheat so we can all see!

Recipe by Tessa Arias

About Tessa...

I share trusted baking recipes your friends will LOVE alongside insights into the science of sweets. I'm a professionally trained chef, cookbook author, and cookie queen. I love to write about all things sweet, carb-y, and homemade. I live in Phoenix, Arizona (hence the blog name!)

Find Tessa on

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All Comments Questions I Made This

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[email protected] — October 14, 2011 at 4:15 pm

It's posts like this that keep me a chocoholic 🙂

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[email protected] — October 14, 2011 at 6:28 pm

love cupcakes, esp when they have alcohol in them 🙂 tracey's recipes are always great!

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foodie @ tastingspot — October 14, 2011 at 9:08 pm

love the cupcakes… definitely a great treat for chocoholics

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Tracey — October 15, 2011 at 7:44 pm

Yours are so gorgeous Tessa! I'm glad you enjoyed them 🙂

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Deb — October 15, 2011 at 11:12 pm

The mudslide cupcakes look scrumptious! What an all grown up recipe for such a fun dessert that everyone enjoys! Cheers!

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[email protected] — October 16, 2011 at 9:08 pm

I haven't had a Kahlua in years. Having it in butter-cream on top of a chocolate / coffee cupcake sounds simply divine. Beautiful photo too! YUM.

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blondie — October 21, 2011 at 6:37 pm

these were the BOMB, omg chocolate and coffee heaven…as an aside, since i was making these for kids…i only used kahlua in the cake part and used 1/2 cup plus the 2 Tbsp of coffee in the icing….mocha bliss…perfect crumb to the cake, fluffy, no grit icing. definitely a winner. thank you so much for sharing this!

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  handleheat — October 23, 2011 at 4:54 pm
  
  Glad you liked it!
  
  Reply
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jamie — October 22, 2011 at 11:15 am

These look amazing. I think I have to get some Kahlua and try them. DO you think a coffee flavored cream filling would be to overpowering?

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  handleheat — October 23, 2011 at 4:54 pm
  
  I think that would be ridiculously indulgent, in the best way! 🙂
  
  Reply
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Vera — October 23, 2011 at 2:35 am

Would Bailey's be an okay substitute for Kahlua? Just because that's what I have around here…

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  handleheat — October 23, 2011 at 4:55 pm
  
  I think that would work just fine!
  
  Reply
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Lisa — November 9, 2011 at 5:48 pm

Goodness – mudslide cupcakes, are you serious?? I'm mean honestly these looked so good that I literally went to the store with the print out of what I needed the very day I found it! I made them that very night!! lol I couldn't resist. They were great but of course, I could not stop at just one – luckily I had plenty of people that helped me polish them off!! 🙂

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Teri — November 9, 2011 at 6:21 pm

Wow….these look so good. I am going to make these for a Christmas party at work next month. I know everyone will love them and that way they are not sitting in my kitchen where I can just keep grabbing one! lol Thank you for sharing it…I hope my come out as good as your photo!

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Susan — September 2, 2019 at 5:25 pm

Would coffee brandy work instead of Kahlua? And would it taste ok to have a caramel center in the cupcake?

Reply

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