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Where are my fellow Kahlua lovers?

I was definitely in my mid+ 20s before I tried Kahlua for the first time. Curiosity got the better of me one day, and I bought a bottle to try a Kahlua cheesecake recipe I found on Pinterest. And since that day......hooked! That coffee liqueur combo is hard to beat. This cupcake recipe idea grew directly out of that flavor addiction! 😉

I remember searching for an actual coffee-flavored cupcake recipe online, and being irritated at the number of "coffee cake" recipes getting in my way. I get it; I love coffee cake too. But I wanted an actual 'coffee-flavored cupcake,' and finally just decided I was going to come up with my own recipe!

Why you'll love these Kahlua Coffee Cupcakes -

These Kahlua Coffee cupcakes feature an espresso cupcake base that's packed with coffee flavor, and simple to make!
Vanilla bean Kahlua filling is simple to make (thank you, pudding mixes), and adds even more flavor to the cupcake
A gorgeous swirl of Kahlua coffee swirled frosting and a chocolate covered espresso bean top the cupcakes off gorgeously! Enjoy!

FAQs

"How should these cupcakes be stored?"

Store in a cupcake carrier or sealable container; I often put a layer of plastic wrap over the top between the container and lid for a better seal. Cupcakes will keep really well in the fridge for 3-5 days - and the filling flavor really gets into the cupcakes after a couple days! They just need to be protected from the airflow in the fridge so that they don't dry out.

“Really looking to save some time and steps here - do I have to make the frosting from scratch?”

Absolutely not if you don't want to! Store bought frosting is usually thinner than my recipe; add a 1/4 cup of extra powdered sugar at a time until you reach a consistency that is pipeable and stays in place on the cupcakes well. Divide frosting in half and add Kahlua and espresso powder to half the batch - follow the rest of the instructions below in the recipe card.

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Don't forget to pin for later!

Print Recipe

Kahlua Coffee Cupcakes

Baked, filled, and frosted with a delicious Kahlua and espresso flavor combination - here's a delicious recipe for Kahlua Coffee cupcakes!

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Decorating time20

Total Time1 5

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Kahlua Coffee Cupcakes, Kahlua Cupcakes, Kahlua Espresso Cupcakes

Servings: cupcakes

Calories: 324kcal

Author: Sarah H

Equipment

2 Cupcake pans (24 cups total)
24 Cupcake liners
1 large cookie scoop (optional, but makes transferring cupcake batter much easier)
large piping bag + star tip

Ingredients

Kahlua Coffee Cupcakes

1 boxed white cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup Kahlua (or other coffee liqueur)
½ cup butter (1 stick; melted and cooled)
4 eggs
¼ cup vanilla bean pudding mix (1/2 package; save the rest for the filling)
1-2 Tablespoons Instant espresso granules (Save and add later! I recommend powder rather than instant coffee crystals as they may not dissolve when you swirl them into your batter!)

Kahlua Vanilla filling

¼ cup vanilla bean pudding mix (remaining 1/2 package)
½ cup milk (yes, less than the box calls for)
¼ cup Kahlua

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese (one package; softened)
1 cup butter (two sticks, softened)
5-6 cups powdered sugar
2-3 Tablespoons Kahlua liqueur (to taste)
4-5 Tablespoons instant espresso powder (to taste)

Decorations

24 chocolate covered coffee beans (optional; to decorate)

Instructions

Kahlua Coffee Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 325℉. Line cupcake pans with liners.
Combine buttermilk, Kahlua, melted butter, and eggs in a bowl, and blend in packaged cake mix and vanilla pudding mix. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, and beat for about 2 minutes.
Divide into cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 full. Sprinkle 1/8-1/4 teaspoon espresso granules over each cupcake (to taste), and swirl the granules in with a toothpick or skewer.
Bake for time specified on box; mine took about 15-18 minutes. Cool completely before decorating. (This is a great time to make your filling and frosting!)

Kahlua Vanilla filling

Meanwhile, make your filling. Combine pudding mix with cold milk and beat with a wire whisk until combined. Whisk in Kahlua and refrigerate until set.

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

To make the frosting, beat together softened cream cheese and butter; slowly add in powdered sugar alternating with Kahlua until frosting reaches an even, pipeable consistency.
Divide the frosting in half, and mix espresso granules into one half of the frosting. Add additional powdered sugar if needed to offset the Kahlua and keep your frosting at a pipe-able consistency.

Assembly

Once the cupcakes have cooled, you're ready to core them. There are a few ways you can do this....you can buy a cupcake corer, you use the back end of a large piping tip, or....you can do what I do and cut a
cone-shaped core out with a plastic knife. Up to you!
Transfer filling into cored cupcakes - this can be done with a piping bag or a spoon.

Decorating

Transfer your frosting to your piping bag. As best you can, add one color frosting to each side of your piping bag - I usually turn the bag almost all the way inside out and start adding frosting near the piping tip so I don't have so much extra bag to fight with.
Pipe frosting in large swirls onto your cupcakes. Top each one with a chocolate covered espresso bean. Done and done! Enjoy! 🙂