These chocolate fudge cupcakes are my favorite and most go-to chocolate cupcake recipe. Not only do they yield the most moist, chocolatey centers, they’re topped with a lighter-than-air chocolate French buttercream, and filled with a smooth chocolate ganache. Have I said the word “chocolate” enough yet to convince you that these are a must-bake?

Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes

This chocolate fudge cupcake recipe is really just me paying homage to my deep love for chocolate. I’m the kind of person who could really never have enough chocolate in 1 recipe. Just ask my Chocolate Fudge Mocha Cookies! <– which have 3 different types of chocolate, btw. I’m never the type of person to shy away from chocolate, end of story. Which brings me to these chocolate fudge cupcakes, which are, in my book, some of the best.

I always loved hot fudge sundaes growing up. I’d always get to choose the restaurant location when it came time for my birthday dinner. I’d almost always choose Applebees, and I would never fail to order myself an hot fudge sundae. You know, the kind that has the brownie on the bottom, ice cream, then a delicious layer of hot fudge? That’s the one. And that is the inspiration for these cupcakes. So maybe I could call them hot fudge cupcakes 🙂 I’m so excited to share this moist chocolate fudge cupcake recipe with you guys because I truly think this is a staple recipe for any home baker.

What are Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes?

Picture this: a hot fudge sundae on a hot summer day that takes you right back to your childhood. That was my goal with this recipe. I really wanted to capture the moist, chocolatey centers of a brownie by filling the actual cakes with a rich chocolate ganache. chocolate cupcake bases + chocolate ganache = perfection.

Next, I wanted to capture the creaminess that you get from the scoops of ice cream piled on top of a brownie in an ice cream sundae with this deliciously smooth chocolate French buttercream. So it’s kind of like eating a hot fudge cupcake! I will always and forever be a French buttercream lover – it was truly love at first sight – because it’s just the absolute creamiest, smoothest, most light buttercream out there. Needless to say it goes perfectly on top of these moist chocolate fudge cupcakes.

And you know that if it’s a recipe on Sarah’s Day Off we’re going to add sprinkles. So in true hot fudge sundae fashion, by golly these chocolate fudge cupcakes need some rainbow sprinkles.

Buttercream Options

Ok now I know I just said that I am absolutely head-over-heels for this Chocolate French Buttercream, but I wanted to also let you know that if you don’t want to jump through those hoops you can make this chocolate cream cheese frosting instead! Your cupcakes will still taste delicious with their moist chocolate cupcake centers and rich chocolate ganache, just the frosting will be a tad different!

Here are some other buttercream options if you’d like some:

• How to Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream
• The buttercream from this cupcake recipe
• The buttercream from this cake recipe

Some equipment you may need…

• Stand mixer: this is the one I have and I love it! I’ve had it for years now and I’ve never had any trouble with it. You definitely don’t “need” a stand mixer for this cupcake recipe, but it sure does make life a lot easier.
• Muffin tin: this is a need, and probably one of the most-used items in my kitchen. I bake a lot of muffins & cupcakes (you can check them out here and here), so I put mine to good use. I love this one because the light color prevents things from burning.
• Cupcake liners: always good to have on hand  for any recipe for cupcakes!
• Measuring cups/spoons: I’ve been linking these in all of my posts because I love them SO much! They are beautiful and look just like some other expensive ones on the market (but wayyy cheaper).
• Mixing bowls: I love these glass mixing bowls from Amazon. They’re especially perfect for food photography.

Ingredients for these cupcakes

• All-purpose flour –  I almost always use King Arthur flours, because I think consistency is important when developing recipes. Protein content can vary between brands, so I’d recommend sticking with King Arthur as well!
• Dutch-process cocoa powder
• Cornstarch – I like using cornstarch in a cupcake recipe because I think it lends to a better texture. Just like in my other cupcake recipes, this one uses it for that reason as well.
• Baking powder – this will be our chemical leavening agent in this chocolate fudge cupcake recipe
• Kosher salt – Diamond crystal kosher salt is the brand I always use in my recipes!
• Granulated sugar – for the sweetness factor!
• Vegetable oil – I decided to use oil instead of butter as my fat because I truly wanted this to be an extremely moist chocolate fudge cupcake recipe. If you only have butter on hand, use an equal amount of melted butter, but be warned that it may not be as moist on the inside.
• Large eggs – just make sure they’re at room temp!
• Pure vanilla extract – I’m always using pure vanilla extract in my recipes (emphasis on the pure), and I suggest you do the same. It truly does matter – especially in this chocolate fudge cupcake recipe!
• Whole milk – our liquid for these chocolate fudge cupcakes. Whole milk + sour cream is the best combo!
• Sour cream  – like I said above, this combo is perfect for this chocolate fudge cupcake recipe.
• Heavy cream – we’ll be using this in the chocolate ganache that will go in the center of these chocolate fudge cupcakes.
• Bittersweet chocolate – if you decide to go down the road of the chocolate French buttercream recipe that I’ve included in this post, you’ll want to be sure you have some high-quality bittersweet chocolate on hand. This will go straight into the buttercream, and it will be the only chocolate flavor (we’re not using cocoa powder of any sort). Best to make sure you’re using a high quality for these cupcakes! And ps. if you want to use a different buttercream, try this chocolate cream cheese frosting instead – I LOVE it!

My Kitchen Tips…

1. Read this blog post. If you should decide to go down the road of making this Chocolate French Buttercream, you’ll want to read this post. I’m walking you through step-by-step how I do it! It’s one of my all time favorite buttercreams, and if you make it I think you’ll understand why. It’s the perfect thing to top on these chocolate fudge cupcakes. Because let’s be honest, cupcakes themselves are really just a delivery system for some really great frosting.
2. Use your senses. Anytime you bake anything chocolate related, it can be really hard to tell when they’re done completely just by looking at it. I like to tell people to use all of your senses (smell, touch, sight) to determine whether or not the baked good is done. This is especially important with chocolate. It’s not like something such as a vanilla cupcake or chocolate chip cookie where you can just barely see when it starts to turn golden brown along the edges – you have to use other cues besides sight! Best to touch the center of the cupcake to see if it springs back slightly. If it does, they’re finished!
3. Don’t forget the sprinkles 🙂 you guys know I had to throw this in – it makes anything you bake 1000x better, I swear. It can take any boring old cupcake from boring to exciting with just a little sprinkle of sprinkles.

Recipe FAQs

Can I store these chocolate fudge cupcakes?

Yes, you can absolutely store these cupcakes! I have this airtight container that has a high ceiling on it so that it doesn’t mess up the frosting, but use whatever you have. Just make sure you’re keeping them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They’ll keep for 3 to 5 days that way.

Can I make these in advance?

Yes! I actually make cupcakes a lot of the time in advance. I’ll just bake the entire batch, let them cool completely on a wire rack, and then transfer them to an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can see this in the first photo at the top of the page. Just make sure you eat them within 5 days!

Do I have to make French buttercream?

No, you don’t have to make this chocolate French buttercream. If you do choose to, I promise it will be worth it, but it’s not a requirement. This chocolate cream cheese frosting is another great buttercream to use instead!

I hope you all love this recipe and I hope I’ve inspired you to get in the kitchen and bake! Like anyone ever needed any convincing to bake the best chocolate fudge cupcakes lol.

If you make this recipe, be sure to tag me on socials @sarahsdayoff so I can see them!!! If you have any questions about this recipe or any others on my site, you can reach out to me at sarah@sarahsdayoff.com and I’d be happy to chat with you!

Happy Baking

Love,

Sarah

“We love each other because he loved us first.” -1 John 4:19-

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate cupcake, chocolate cupcakes, chocolate fudge cupcakes, cupcake, french buttercream

Author: Sarah Crawford

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Ganache

• 1 (4-oz) bar bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

For the Chocolate Cupcakes

• 1 1/3 cups (188g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (58g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp instant coffee

For the Chocolate French Buttercream

• 2 Tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tsp instant coffee
• 6 oz bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 3/4 cups (3 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

For the Chocolate Ganache

• I'd recommend doing this before you make the cupcakes so that the ganache will have time to stiffen up before you pipe it into your cupcakes.
• Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Add the cream to a small saucepan set over medium heat.
• Cook the cream, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes or until small bubbles begin to form around the edges. The goal is to warm the cream up without scorching it.
• Remove it from the heat and pour over the chopped chocolate. I like to use a spoon to make sure all of the chocolate is pushed down under the cream.
• Let stand 5 minutes. Use a whisk to stir the cream and chocolate mixture until it is completely smooth. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours or until ready to use.
• If your ganache gets too firm, microwave for 10 seconds to soften and then stir until ganache is the desired consistency.

For the Chocolate Cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, salt in a large bowl until combined.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat sugar and oil together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Add vanilla
• In a small bowl combine the milk and sour cream. Microwave 15 seconds or until warm. Stir in the instant coffee until dissolved.
• Alternately add the flour mixture and the sour cream mixture to the oil mixture, in 3 additions, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat until smooth (do not over mix).
• Fill each cupcake liner 2/3-full and bake 16 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack.
• Use a cupcake corer or the back of a large piping tip to remove part of the center of each cooled cupcake. Spoon about 1 Tbsp of chocolate ganache into each cupcake.

For the Chocolate French Buttercream

• Add the cream to a small bowl and microwave for 15 seconds, just until warm. Stir in instant coffee until completely dissolved; set aside.
• Add chocolate pieces to a small saucepan set over low heat. Stir the chocolate occasionally just until it's fully melted. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Whisk eggs and sugar in a large heat proof bowl 1 minute or until smooth and slightly pale in color.
• Bring 1-inch of water to a simmer in a saucepan set over medium heat. Set the bowl with the egg mixture over the simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water (we're going to use the steam to heat the eggs).
• Heat the eggs and sugar, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 160°F. Remove from heat immediately and cool at room temperature, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.
• Whisk chocolate into egg mixture, being sure to scrape all the chocolate into the bowl. Whisk in the cream/instant coffee mixture, vanilla, and salt. Place the entire bowl in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, beat the butter on high speed in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment 3 minutes or until pale in color.
• With the mixer running on low speed, slowly stream the chocolate and egg mixture into the butter. Increase speed to high and beat an additional 3 minutes, or until light and smooth.
• Transfer buttercream to a piping bag fitted with your desired piping tip and frost each cupcake. You can also just spread the buttercream onto the cupcake with a spoon.

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