These decadent chocolate fudge cupcakes have a soft and moist chocolate cake base topped with a rich and shiny real chocolate fudge frosting! These cupcakes are so chocolatey and indulgent, and you don't even need a mixer to make them.
These are the best ever chocolate fudge cupcakes! If you have a chocolate lover in your life, you have to make these for their birthday or just as a sweet treat for yourself.
Like my chocolate ganache cake, chocolate mascarpone cake, and chocolate truffle cake, the cupcakes are super moist and tender. They have a deep chocolate flavor from coffee and Dutch-processed cocoa powder. You'll never buy boxed mix again after making these, they're so easy!
Lots of chocolate fudge cupcakes are frosted with ganache or chocolate buttercream, but these are adorned with real chocolate fudge! The frosting is made by melting down the ingredients just like hot fudge sauce. Once it cools, the sauce thickens into a beautiful shiny pipeable frosting chocoholics will love.
If you love chocolate cupcake recipes, try chocolate banana cupcakes, Nutella cupcakes, chocolate caramel cupcakes, small batch chocolate cupcakes, or chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Moist and fluffy chocolate cupcakes- These might be the most moist fudgy cupcakes ever. They're made with oil instead of butter, which keeps them moist for almost a week! The buttermilk and coffee also make them extra tender.
- Real fudge frosting- The chocolate fudge frosting boasts a rich, velvety texture with a glossy sheen achieved by melting down powdered sugar, butter, chocolate, and sweetened condensed milk. This is the same way hot fudge sauce it made, so this frosting is totally different than your typical chocolate buttercream or chocolate ganache!
- No mixer required- You don't need a mixer for the cupcakes or frosting! You just need a whisk and a rubber or silicone spatula. So easy!
Ingredient Notes
Here are notes about some of the ingredients used. Quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card below.
For the cupcakes.
For the frosting.
- All purpose flour- Flour gives the cupcakes structure. For best results, measure it in grams using a digital kitchen scale.
- Granulated sugar- Sweetens the cupcakes and helps retain moisture.
- Cocoa powder- Opt for either Dutch-processed or unsweetened natural cocoa powder. Natural cocoa powder offers a bright, acidic taste, whereas Dutch-processed cocoa powder has a deeper, richer chocolate flavor.
- Baking powder and baking soda- These leaveners react with heat and acid to make the cupcakes rise and get fluffy in the oven. Make sure they're fresh!
- Salt- A pinch of salt activates the leavening agents and offsets the sweetness.
- Egg and egg white- A large egg holds the ingredients together, and the additional egg white makes the cupcakes extra fluffy.
- Oil- Flavorless oil keeps cupcakes moist for days. Use neutral oil like vegetable or canola oil.
- Buttermilk- Buttermilk's acid tenderizes the gluten stands, creating super soft cupcakes.
- Vanilla extract- Add pure vanilla extract for the best taste.
- Coffee- Adding hot coffee to the batter blooms the cocoa powder and releases its full spectrum of flavor! You can also use decaf coffee or hot water.
- Powdered sugar- For the frosting, I opt for powdered sugar because it dissolves smoothly without leaving a grainy or gritty texture.
- Unsalted butter- Butter contributes to the frosting's richness and glossy texture. Opt for unsalted butter to prevent the frosting from becoming overly salty.
- Chocolate chips- I suggest semi-sweet or even dark chocolate chips to balance the sweetness of the frosting. You can use chopped chocolate bars or melting wafers as well.
- Sweetened condensed milk- Sweetened condensed milk makes the frosting creamy and easy to pipe onto your treats.
Substitutions and Variations
- Buttermilk substitute: The best substitute for buttermilk is plain kefir. If you don't have that, you can make your own buttermilk by mixing 1 cup of cow's milk (whole or 2%) with 4 teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar. Let it sit and curdle before using.
- Try a different frosting like whipped chocolate ganache, dulce de leche buttercream, strawberry cream cheese frosting, Swiss meringue buttercream, or brown butter cream cheese frosting.
- Garnish the cupcakes with chocolate truffles, chocolate jimmies, rainbow sprinkles (for a hot fudge sundae vibe), or drizzle them with chocolate ganache or homemade salted caramel sauce. They're delicious filled with ganache, caramel, or strawberry sauce too.
Helpful Equipment and Tools
To make the cupcakes, you need a 12-well cupcake pan filled with liners. Make sure to use a light colored metal pan, not glass or silicone. Metal distributes heat more evenly than other materials.
For the frosting, I recommend combining the ingredients in a nonstick medium saucepan. Hot fudge is obviously sticky, and this helps make clean up a breeze.
To decorate, I recommend a piping bag fitted with a large star piping tip. If you don't have one, you can spread the frosting on with a butter knife or the back of a spoon. Another option is to make a homemade piping bag by filling a Ziplock bag with frosting and snipping off one of the corners with scissors.
Step by Step Instructions
Before you start, first preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Line a 12-well cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.
Step 1: Begin by whisking the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl until combined. Set aside.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk the egg, egg white, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
Step 3: Carefully pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk or fold with a rubber spatula until the batter is smooth with a few lumps. It'll be a bit thick.
Step 4: Slowly whisk the hot, freshly brewed coffee into the batter until smooth. The batter will be quite thin and runny but will bake up to be moist and fluffy!
Step 5: Evenly distribute the cupcake batter between the liners using a cookie scoop, filling each โ full. Bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.
Step 6: Remove the cupcakes from the oven. Let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully take them out and transfer to a wire cooling rack. Make the fudge frosting as they cool.
Step 7: For the frosting, add the powdered sugar, butter, chocolate chips, condensed milk, and vanilla to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt everything together, stirring constantly. Don't let boil or simmer.
Step 8: Pour the hot fudge into a heat proof bowl and cover with plastic wrap touching the surface. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. After that, give a frosting a good mix. It should have a thick yet flexible consistency.
Step 9: Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool, then fit a piping bag with a piping tip (I used the Wilton 1M) and fill it with frosting.
Frost your cupcakes, decorate with sprinkles or chocolate curls, and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. The egg, egg white, and buttermilk all need to be room temperature so they mix together evenly. Pull them out of the refrigerator 1-2 hours before baking.
- Measure the flour correctly. Flour is super easy to overmeasure, especially if you're using measuring cups. Packing the flour into the measuring cup will make your cupcakes tough and dry! Use the spoon and sweep method, or weigh the flour in grams with a food scale for the best results.
- Use an oven thermometer. Don't assume your oven is accurate just because it's set to 350ยฐF! Without recent calibration, it could be off by as much as 30 degrees, which can greatly impact your baked goods. Using an oven thermometer is the best way to make sure your oven is at the right temperature.
- Don't overfill the cupcake liners. If you overfill the liners, the cupcakes might overflow in oven and make a huge mess. Fill them only โ full.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely. If you try frosting the cupcakes while they're even slightly warm, the frosting will melt and slide off.
Storage and Freezing
Store the cupcakes with or without frosting in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They taste best at room temperature, so let them warm up on the counter for an hour before serving.
Freezing
I recommend freezing the chocolate fudge cupcakes without frosting. Freeze them on a baking tray until frozen solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or Ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. This is also a great way to make them ahead of time; make the cupcakes, freeze them, and then make the frosting right before serving!
Let the cupcakes thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then on the counter for an hour before decorating and serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have not tested this recipe with any egg substitutes. If you try one, let me know how it goes!
Yes they can! You can follow this recipe for mini chocolate cupcakes. Bake the mini cupcakes for 8-10 minutes and check for doneness. I'm not exactly sure how many mini cupcakes this recipe will yield, but I'm guessing close to 50!
If your cupcakes didn't rise, your baking powder or baking soda may be expired. Make sure to check the date before you use them! If that's not the case, you probably used cold ingredients or overmixed the batter.
The longer you cool the fudge frosting, the firmer it will get. To return it to a soft, spreadable consistency, microwave at 10 second intervals, stirring between each until the desired consistency is reached.
Other Cupcake Recipes to Try
๐ Recipe
Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes
Equipment
- 1 cupcake pan with liners
Need Metric or US Customary Measurements?
Use the buttons below to toggle between grams and cups!
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 160 grams all purpose flour
- 290 grams granulated sugar
- 75 grams cocoa powder
- 1 ยฝ teaspoon baking powder
- ยพ teaspoon baking soda
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 egg white room temperature
- 130 grams oil
- 225 grams buttermilk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 200 grams brewed coffee hot
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- 200 grams powdered sugar
- 198 grams unsalted butter ยฝ cup + 6 tbsp
- 250 grams semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 396 grams sweetened condensed milk 1 14 ounce can
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF/180ยฐC. Line a cupcake pan with 12 liners and set aside.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl until combined and set aside.160 grams all purpose flour, 290 grams granulated sugar, 75 grams cocoa powder, 1 ยฝ teaspoon baking powder, ยพ teaspoon baking soda, ยฝ teaspoon salt
- Whisk the egg, egg white, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla together in a separate bowl until smooth.1 large egg, 1 egg white, 130 grams oil, 225 grams buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold them in with a rubber spatula until combined.
- Pour in hot coffee. Whisk until the batter is smooth and thin.200 grams brewed coffee
- Evenly divide the batter between the cupcake liners, filling each โ full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan, transfer to a wire cooling rack, and let cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- Add the powdered sugar, butter, chocolate chips, condensed milk, and vanilla to a medium sauce pan. Melt the ingredients together over medium heat stirring occasionally.200 grams powdered sugar, 198 grams unsalted butter, 250 grams semi-sweet chocolate chips, 396 grams sweetened condensed milk, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Once fully melted and combined, transfer the fudge to a shallow bowl. Cover with plastic wrap that touches the surface of the frosting and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Remove the plastic wrap and give the frosting a good mix. It should have a thick, flexible consistency.
- Prepare a piping bag with a large star tip and fill it with frosting. Pipe a swirl on top of each cupcake. Garnish with sprinkles or chocolate shavings if desired and enjoy!
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