These chocolate fudge cupcakes are fluffy chocolate cupcakes filled with fudge and topped with whipped chocolate ganache. They’re the perfect dessert recipe for Valentine’s Day.
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Chocolate fudge cupcakes are soft chocolate cupcakes with a rich fudge filling. They’re topped with a ganache drip and thickened chocolate ganache!
These chocolate and fudge cupcakes are a chocolate lover’s dream! The cupcakes, filling, and topping are all super chocolatey!
For more cupcake recipes, try my chocolate flourless cupcakes, strawberry filled cupcakes, and cupcakes with hearts in the middle.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- These fudge chocolate cupcakes have a thick fudge filling. They’re topped with a ganache drip and whipped chocolate ganache!
- The fudge filling is made with just 2 ingredients. You only need 2 ingredients for the ganache too! Ganache makes the cupcakes super decadent just like my chocolate mini cake recipe
- The chocolate cupcakes are fluffy and delicious. If you love these, you’ll also enjoy my heart shaped cake.
Ingredient Notes
Here are some useful notes on some of the ingredients for this chocolate fudge cupcakes recipe.
- Flour– Use all-purpose flour.
- Eggs- Use 1 large, room temperature egg. The egg adds structure, flavor, and moisture to the cupcakes.
- Oil-Vegetable, canola or olive oil all work.
- Cocoa powder- I recommend using Dutch process cocoa powder or unsweetened cocoa powder. For another delicious cocoa based dessert, try my raspberry chocolate cake and flourless chocolate cake recipe!
- Sour cream- Use full fat, room temperature sour cream. If you have leftover sour cream, be sure to try my chocolate blueberry cake.
- Dark chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate: I dark chocolate for the fudge filling and semi-sweet chocolate for the ganache. Chocolate bars melt better than chocolate chips. Chop the chocolate into small, even pieces to help it melt faster and more evenly.
- Heavy Cream or Heavy Whipping Cream: Makes the ganache rich and spreadable. Do not use half and half or whole milk as a substitute.
Substitutions & Variations
- Instead of sour cream, use buttermilk, full fat plain milk yogurt, or Greek yogurt.
- Use hot coffee instead of hot water. It won’t make the cake taste like coffee. It will intensify the chocolate flavor!
- I don’t recommend making the ganache with white chocolate or milk chocolate. The ganache would turn out too soft.
Instructions
Here are the directions on how to make this recipe for chocolate fudge cupcakes.
Step 1: (Photo 1 above)Whisk together the eggs, yolk, oil, sour cream, milk and vanilla. Add the hot water.
Step 2: (Photo 2 above) Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Step 3: (Photo 3 above) Line a muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners. Fill 2/3 of the way with cupcake batter. Bake at 350°F for about 16-21 minutes.
Step 4: (Photo 4 above) Next, make the ganache. Place the chopped semisweet chocolate in a bowl. Bring the heavy cream to a simmer. Pour it over the chocolate. Let stand 3-4 minutes then stir until the chocolate has melted. Leave 1/4 cup of the chocolate ganache at room temperature for the glaze. Place the rest of the ganache in the fridge to thicken.
Step 5: (Photo 5 above) Make the fudge filling. Stir together the sweetened condensed milk and dark chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat til melted. Allow to cool.
Step 6: (Photo 6 above) Use a cupcake corer to remove the center of each cupcake. Fill each cupcake with 1-2 teaspoons of the chocolate fudge filling. Spoon a little of the room temperature ganache over each cupcake. Allow the rest of the ganache to firm up.
Step 7: (Photo 7 above) Once cooled, the ganache will be thick enough to be spread or piped. For a lighter, more mousse-like texture, you can whip the ganache. Beat ganache until the ganache is a lighter shade and has also lightened in texture.
Step 6: (Photo 6 above) Spread the thickened or whipped ganache on each cupcake with an offset spatula or pipe a rosette using a Wilton 1M tip. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
Cupcake batter: If there is extra cupcake batter, discard it. Do not overfill cupcake pan. Use an ice cream scoop to evenly and neatly fill muffin pan.
Chocolate: Use chopped chocolate baking bars. They melt more evenly than chocolate chips. I don’t recommend using chocolate chips for the ganache or the fudge filling.
Chopping chocolate: Chop the chocolate into small, even pieces to help it melt faster and more evenly.
Recipe FAQs
No. Ganache is made with chocolate and heavy cream. Frosting is usually made with butter and powdered sugar.
Insert a toothpick into the center of a cupcake. If it comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached, the cupcakes are done. You can also press gently on the middle of a cupcake. If it springs back, they’re done baking.
Store cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Allow to sit at room temperature for an hour before serving.
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Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup sour cream room temperature
- ¼ cup whole milk room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Chocolate Fudge Filling
- 3½ ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 3 ounces dark chocolate finely chopped
Chocolate Ganache
- 7 ounces semi-sweet chocolate finely chopped
- 7 ounces heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin pan with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt then whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, sour cream, milk and vanilla extract until combined.
- Use a rubber spatula to gradually stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined, being careful not to over mix.
- Pour about ¼ cup of batter into each cupcake liner (they should be between ½ and ⅔ full). Bake at 350 F for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of a cupcake.
- Remove cupcakes from the pan. Set them on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, use a cupcake corer (or use the wide end of a large piping tip to carve out a hole on top and to remove the center of each cupcake.
- Fill each cupcake with 1-2 teaspoons of the chocolate fudge filling.
Chocolate Fudge Filling
- Combine the finely chopped dark chocolate and sweetened condensed milk in a small saucepan over low heat.
- Stir until chocolate has melted. Allow to cool.
Chocolate Ganache
- Finely chop the chocolate and place into a large heat proof bowl.
- In a small saucepan on medium heat, bring the heavy cream to a simmer. Do not let it get to a boil. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate. Do not stir. Let stand 3 minutes.
- After 3 minutes, slowly with a metal spoon until the chocolate has melted and is completely combined with the heavy cream.
- Scoop out about 1/4 cup of the chocolate ganache for the drip or glaze on the top of the cake. Set aside at room temperature. Place the rest of the ganache in the fridge for about 30-45 minutes to firm up.
- Spoon a little of the room temperature ganache (the reserved 1/4 cup of ganache) over each cupcake. Allow ganache to set while you wait for the ganache in the fridge to firm up.
- Once cooled, the ganache will be thick enough to be spread or piped. For a lighter, more mousse-like texture, you can whip the ganache. Beat ganache with an electric mixer until the ganache is a lighter shade and has also lightened in texture.
- Spread the thickened or whipped ganache on each cupcake with an offset spatula or pipe a rosette using a Wilton 1M tip. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
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