Double Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes
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Easy, addictive, and moist, these Double Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes are nothing short of mind-blowing, perfect for the chocolate lover!
All images and text ©Jenny DeRemer for Not Entirely Average, LLC
SOUR CREAM. And this recipe uses a half cup of full fat sour cream which, when combined with the butter used to melt the chocolate, will result in a luxurious and silky crumb.
I love cupcake cases for this one reason; that they are an airtight container. They keep the crumb moist and the integrity of a frosted cupcake in-tact.
Cupcakes should be completely cooled on a cooling rack prior to being loaded into a cupcake case so they do not become soggy. Stored properly, your perfect fluffy chocolate cupcake will remain as fresh as it was the day it was baked for about 5 days.
Double Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes
These are the most amazing chocolate fudge cupcakes that I have ever made, so I am sharing. They are moist with a fine crumb and are topped with a frosting of your choice.
Today, I’m going old school and whipping together a traditional cream cheese frosting. The tanginess of the cream cheese makes the bittersweet chocolate pieces I am using in the cupcake batter to stand out.
Personally, I will say that I feel these are more intense in terms of chocolate than a traditional chocolate cupcake recipe because I am using two types of chocolate: bittersweet and Dutch process cocoa.
Do You Have What’s Needed to Bake These Double Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes? Check the List!
- unsalted butter
- bittersweet chocolate
- Dutch process cocoa (may substitute natural unsweetened cocoa powder)
- all-purpose flour
- baking soda
- room temperature large eggs
- granulated sugar
- vanilla extract
- table salt
- room temperature full fat dairy sour cream
How Do I Know These Cupcakes Will Turn Out Right?
There are a few small things you can do to ensure the success of this bake. First, you will want a few of the ingredients from the list at room temperature before you begin.
Next, decide what flavor frosting you’d like to finish with. In my photos, I have opted for a basic cream cheese frosting, but peanut butter or a buttercream chocolate frosting would also compliment these.
I like to make my frosting an easy task, so I go offset spatula. If you want to use a piping bag for a frilly and whimsical frosted top, by all means go for it.
Always, always, always have quality cupcake liners on hand. They may not be fancied up with designs or necessarily be your color, but the good ones will always be grease-proof.
Grease-proof means that you will not lose crumb when peeling back the paper. I cannot think of anything that drives me more bonkers than losing out on morsels of cupcake that stick to the paper liner…grrr.
Measure all of your dry ingredients before beginning. The last thing you want is for productivity to come to a screeching halt because you have to stop mid-recipe to hunt down an ingredient.
Do I Have to Use Full Fat Sour Cream?
The fat in the dairy plays a big, huge roll in this method, so it’s not advisable to substitute. If you are considering substituting, it may be best to find a chocolate cake or cupcake recipe that specifies a different fat percentage.
The test batches we made using yogurt, fat free sour cream, and lite sour cream each yielded edible cake. However, the consensus went from outstanding with full fat to meh with the others.
Do I Have to Use Bittersweet Chocolate?
Again, if the notion arises and you are thinking about substituting semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate, it’s not advisable. The batches we tested baked with both dark chocolate and separately a semi-sweet chocolate both fell flat, the semi-sweet seemingly tasting like it was all sugar.
The recipe works exactly the way it is because of a combination of bittersweet melted chocolate being combined with Dutch process cocoa. Merging any other chocolate means you are no longer baking this recipe the way it’s intended.
How to Make Double Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes
Anytime I make these delicious chocolate fudge cupcakes, I gather all of my ingredients and measure flour, sugar, and cocoa before beginning. The last thing you want is for productivity to come to a screeching halt because you have to stop mid-recipe to hunt down an ingredient.
Adjust your oven rack to where it’s in the middle position. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Next, grab a large bowl, a medium bowl, and cupcake tin liners. Fit a 12-cup muffin pan with the liners and set aside.
I also ready a medium saucepan with about 2 inches of tap water. The medium mixing bowl should rest comfortably inside the saucepan but must not be in contact with the water.
Melting and Combining the Two Chocolates
Place the saucepan with the water on a burner over medium heat. Your goal is hot water, however you do not want boiling water. A hot simmer is perfect.
To the medium bowl, add some butter, some bittersweet chocolate pieces, and some Dutch process cocoa. Place the bowl over the saucepan and heat until the butter and chocolates are melted and very well combined.
I find it easier to use a rigid plastic spatula to keep the chocolate moving. Set the chocolate mixture aside to cool slightly while you mix together the dry ingredients.
Combining Wet Ingredients with Dry Ingredients for A Thick Batter
In the large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Briefly set this aside while you whisk together 2 room temperature eggs along with granulated sugar and some salt.
Now, I never actually ‘whisk’ here, rather I reach for the electric mixer. Do whatever gets the job done to where the eggs and sugar are very light, lofty, and fluffy.
Add the cooled chocolate to the egg mixture, stirring, then some sour cream. Stir again until this is well combined.
Sifting in one third of the flour mixture at a time, whisk briskly ensuring the batter is smooth after each addition. Divide the batter evenly into your prepared cupcake pan.
Baking the Cupcakes
Bake for 18-20 minutes, then remove from the oven. Pop the cupcakes out and onto a wire rack to cool.
Allow the cakes to cool completely, about 1 hour. Only completely cooled cupcakes should be frosted whether you opt for cream cheese frosting, chocolate ganache, or some sort of chocolate fudge icing.
Does This Recipe Double Well?
If I am honest, I feel like it loses something. A trick I learned from a downtown cupcake shop owner, is to grab an additional 6-cup muffin pan (standard sizes only, not jumbo) and lessen the amount of batter in each paper liner to then evenly fill 18 cups.
When it comes time to frost this chocolate fudge cupcake recipe, emphasize the rich chocolate flavor by piling chocolate fudge frosting (or any frosting) high atop the crowns. This way, you’ve assembled one batter, yielded 18 cakes, and have a now 50/50 ratio of cake to frosting.
Double Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes
Equipment
- 12-cup cupcake tin
- medium mixing bowl
- stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- quality cupcake liners preferably grease-proof per manufacturer labeling
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into individual tablespoons
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate pieces
- ½ cup Dutch process cocoa (or natural unsweetened cocoa)
- ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs brought to room temperature
- ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup full fat dairy sour cream
basic cream cheese frosting
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese brought to room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter brought to room temperature
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Adjust your oven rack to where it's in the middle position. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Fit a 12-cup muffin pan with the liners and set aside.
- Fill a medium saucepan with about 2 inches of tap water. Over medium heat, bring to a hot simmer. Rest a medium mixing bowl comfortably inside the saucepan. The bottom of the bowl should be above the water but NOT touching the water.
- To the medium bowl, add butter, bittersweet chocolate, and Dutch process cocoa. Heat until the butter and chocolates are melted, whisking briskly, and very well combined. Once silky and smooth, set the chocolate mixture aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs with the granulated sugar and salt. This mixture should be very light, lofty, and fluffy. Add the cooled chocolate to the egg mixture, stirring, then some sour cream. Stir again until this is well combined.
- Sifting in one third of the flour mixture at a time, whisk briskly ensuring the batter is smooth after each addition. Divide the batter evenly into your prepared cupcake pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes, then remove from the oven. Pop the cupcakes out and onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
basic cream cheese frosting
- Beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Increase speed to medium-high, and beat until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Refrigerate 10 minutes to stiffen before frosting with offset spatula or load immediately into a piping bag without refrigeration.
The nutrition value can vary depending on what product(s) you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use a calorie counter you are familiar with.
Please note that table salt and iodized salt are NOT substitutions for Kosher salt. Do not deviate unless otherwise specified.
Nutrition
If You Like This Recipe…
…you might also like:
- Berry Good Cornmeal Streusel Muffins
- Bailey’s Irish Cream Cupcakes
- Pineapple and Rum Cupcake Recipe with Boozy Buttercream
- Sweet Lavender Cupcakes with Sugared Flowers and A Honeyed Cream Cheese Frosting
