Chocolate fudge cupcakes recipe

Our gooey chocolate fudge cupcakes are full of rich chocolate flavour. Topped with a creamy and light Swiss meringue buttercream, these tempting cakes melt in the mouth. 

The sour cream and light brown sugar form a fudge-like texture to the chocolate sponges. The buttercream is made with melted chocolate, which means it’s extra sweet and chocolaty in flavour too. This indulgent cupcake recipe (opens in new tab) takes just 25 minutes to bake.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 140g plain flour
• 100g soft light brown sugar
• 20g good quality cocoa powder
• ½tsp baking powder
• ¼tsp bicarbonate of soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 large egg
• 50ml sour cream
• 1tsp vanilla bean paste
• 60g melted butter, cooled
• 2 ½tbsp vegetable oil
• 100ml water

For the buttercream:

• 3 egg whites
• 225g caster sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 300g unsalted butter, cubed
• 150g melted chocolate
• 1tsp vanilla bean paste
• Chocolate sprinkles

You will also need:

• 12 regular cupcake cases
• Wilton 1M nozzle with piping bag
• Sugar thermometer (optional)

Method

1. For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F/Gas Mark 3 and line a muffin tray with paper cases. Sift all the dry ingredients into a large bowl.
2. With an electric whisk, mix the cooled melted butter, oil and water until smooth and stir into the dry ingredients.
3. Add the sour cream, egg and vanilla and beat until smooth - but make sure you don’t over beat.
4. Divide the mixture between the 12 cases and bake for 25 mins. Remove and cool on a wire rack
5. For the buttercream: Melt the chocolate in the microwave on 30 second bursts until smooth, leave to cool.
6. Add the egg whites, salt, and sugar to a large heat-proof bowl and heat over a pan boiling water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. If you have a sugar thermometer, the sugar will be dissolved when it gets to between 140-160°F or when it doesn’t feel gritty any more. Be very careful as melted sugar is extremely hot.
7. When the sugar has dissolved, beat with an electric whisk until you have stiff peak consistency, this should take about 8 mins. Once you have stiff peaks, and the bowl is cool to touch on the outside, add in the butter one cube at a time and mix, repeat until all the butter has been mixed in. It may look like the buttercream has split, this is normal, keep beating until you hear a slapping sound, this means it’s ready.
8. Add the cooled melted chocolate and vanilla and beat again for about 2 mins. Make sure you scrape the bowl round with a spatula to get all the chocolate mixed in.
9. Add to a piping bag and pipe a swirl onto the cakes - or use a palette knife to spread the buttercream instead. Top with the chocolate sprinkles.

Top tips for making chocolate fudge cupcakes

To store the leftover buttercream, pop in an air-tight container and it will last in the fridge for one week. You can also freeze it for up to one month. To defrost, leave on the counter until it’s room temperature, then beat until it’s fluffy again.

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