Description
Rich and moist hot chocolate cupcakes filled with homemade hot fudge sauce and topped with creamy vanilla buttercream, decorated with mini marshmallows and candy sticks for a delightful treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Cupcake
- 120 g boiling water
- 160 g all-purpose flour
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 50 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp instant espresso powder
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 120 g sour cream, 18% (room temperature)
- 75 g vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Hot Fudge Sauce
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 25 g agave syrup
- 60 g whole milk
- 100 g semi-sweet chocolate
- 10 g cocoa powder
- 15 g butter (cold)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
Vanilla Buttercream
- 200 g butter (room temperature)
- 330 g powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp whole milk (room temperature)
Decoration (optional)
- Mini marshmallows
- Candy stick
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 160ºC (conventional). Line a cupcake tray with 12 cupcake liners to prepare for baking.
- Boil Water: Boil water and set aside to cool slightly while gathering and preparing other ingredients.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, sift together the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, instant espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to ensure even mixing.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate mixing bowl, add the sour cream, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and the boiled water. Whisk gently by hand until combined, taking care not to overmix the eggs.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients while gently stirring until the batter is smooth and lump-free.
- Fill Cupcake Liners and Bake: Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cupcake liners. Bake for 20-23 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then gently remove and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Prepare Hot Fudge Sauce: While cupcakes bake, heat agave syrup, granulated sugar, and milk in a small saucepan until sugar dissolves and milk bubbles. Pour this hot mixture over semi-sweet chocolate and cocoa powder in a bowl. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Add cold butter, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt, stirring until butter is fully incorporated. Cover with cling film touching the surface and let cool to room temperature.
- Make Vanilla Buttercream: Beat room temperature butter with a stand mixer or hand mixer at medium/high speed for 4 minutes. Scrape bowl sides and beat an additional 2 minutes. Sift powdered sugar. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk in three additions, mixing thoroughly after each. Scrape sides and beat buttercream a final 2 minutes until fluffy.
- Prepare for Assembly: Transfer buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a star tip (e.g., Wilton 1M).
- Core Cupcakes and Fill: Using the end of a piping tip or similar tool, carefully remove the center of each cupcake to create a cavity. Fill the cavity with hot fudge sauce, reserving some for topping.
- Pipe Buttercream and Decorate: Pipe vanilla buttercream over each cupcake in a decorative swirl. If the reserved hot fudge sauce has thickened, gently warm it for 5-10 seconds in the microwave to loosen, then drizzle over the buttercream using a piping bag with a small opening. Optionally, garnish with mini marshmallows and candy sticks.
Notes
- Ensure eggs and sour cream are at room temperature to achieve a smoother batter.
- Do not overmix the wet ingredients to prevent dense cupcakes.
- To keep hot fudge sauce smooth, cover with cling film touching the surface to avoid a skin forming.
- If fudge sauce thickens too much before decorating, warm slightly to regain a drizzle-able consistency.
- Use high-quality semi-sweet chocolate for the best flavor in the fudge sauce.
- Oven temperatures may vary; test cupcakes for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 23 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: hot chocolate cupcakes, chocolate cupcakes, hot fudge sauce, vanilla buttercream, cupcake recipe, homemade cupcakes
