March 25, 2020

Hot Fudge Cupcakes

I have always enjoyed making recipes that are favored by members of my family. I like to bake and baking something that I know is someone or everyone’s favorite adds to the joy I feel while baking. Now, more than ever, I find myself trying to bake up something that adds a bright moment of pure joy to our day.

This recipe came about in just that sort of way. I found myself standing over my swollen binder of recipes that are in development. Most of these recipes have been baked a few times in our farmhouse kitchen, but needed a small adjustment or another round of baking to verify that I had the ingredients and timing just right.

As I paged through the binder, I came across all sorts of delicious possibilities. Yet nothing stood out to me. Well, nothing in particular until I came upon my handwritten recipe for hot fudge cupcakes with marshmallow buttercream and sunflower seed buttercream.

Hot Fudge Cupcakes and Buttercream at 1840 Farm

My daughter loves cupcakes: check. I love chocolate: check. While my son isn’t particularly fond of either, he could certainly enjoy a bit of the buttercream frosting spread on top of the sugar cookies that I had made a few days before. With the recipe in hand, it was time to get to baking.

I originally created this recipe to incorporate the hot fudge sauce recipe I shared with you last summer. It adds chocolate flavor and a velvety smooth texture to the batter. I happened to make a batch of hot fudge last week when we needed a bit of comfort and I had plenty of ice cream on hand in the freezer. So, I had just what I needed for these cupcakes waiting in the refrigerator.

Yet, a global pandemic seems like the wrong time to insist that you must have my recipe for homemade hot fudge sauce on hand in order to make a batch of cupcakes. Instead, I’m going to suggest that you use that sauce if you have it or are inclined to make it (it’s really delicious). If you don’t, a store-bought brand of hot fudge sauce would work just as well.

If you don’t have either, simply warm up a tablespoon of heavy cream or half and half, add a few tablespoons of chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, and stir them together until they are smooth. Basically, you’ll make a bit of chocolate ganache and use it to replace the hot fudge. It will bake up just as deliciously. In a pinch, you could even use a bit of chocolate frosting straight from a container you purchased from the store. If you have something thick, chocolatey, and fluid/smooth enough to mix into the batter, go for it. This is no time to be a recipe purist.

No matter how you choose to make these cupcakes, I hope that the baking will provide you with a happy distraction and that the eating will bring a little joy to your day. If you make a fabulous substitution for the homemade hot fudge, I hope that you’ll share it with me. I might just get a great new idea from yours.

I love to top these cupcakes with my favorite flavored buttercream frosting. Here are a few of my favorites:

Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting at 1840 Farm — **Marshmallow Buttercream**

Sunbutter Buttercream on Chocolate Cake at 1840 Farm — **Marshmallow Buttercream**

Visit our Amazon Page to find our favorites for the pantry, Farmhouse Kitchen, studio, garden, farmhouse, and Penny Lane. We only share the products we use and never suggest products we haven’t tried ourselves.

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Hot Fudge Cupcakes

Jennifer from 1840 Farm

Other than measuring the dry ingredients, these cupcakes are every bit as easy to make as a boxed cake mix.

Due to food allergies, it is difficult to find cake flour at the grocery store that is safe for our family. A few years ago, I discovered that I could easily make my own cake flour substitute using All-purpose flour and cornstarch to deliver the benefits of cake flour’s lower protein content without adding allergens. This recipe incorporates that substitution.

If you would prefer to use premixed cake flour, simply use 2 full cups of cake flour instead of the All-purpose flour and cornstarch called for in the recipe. If you only have All-purpose flour on hand, it will create a delicious end result. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, I have included instructions for mixing milk and vinegar as a substitute. The vinegar will add acidity to the milk and it will create a good substitute for buttermilk.

I originally created this recipe to incorporate the

recipe I shared with you last summer. It adds chocolate flavor and a velvety smooth texture to the batter. You can use a store-bought brand of hot fudge sauce or simply warm up two tablespoons of heavy cream or half and half, add a few tablespoons of chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, and stir them together until they are smooth. Basically, you’ll make a bit of chocolate ganache and use it to replace the hot fudge. It will bake up just as deliciously. In a pinch, you could even use a bit of chocolate frosting straight from a container you purchased from the store. If you have something thick, chocolatey, and fluid/smooth enough to mix into the batter, go for it. A global pandemic is no time to be a recipe purist.

Author: Jennifer from 1840 Farm

Ingredients

6 Tablespoons hot fudge sauce , warmed slightly (see note above for substitutions)
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
¼ cup neutral flavored oil (I like to use safflower)
1 ½ cups All-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
1 Tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Prepare the oven and cupcake tins:

Position the racks in your oven to the top and bottom third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line 12-15 cupcake tins with paper or reusable liners. In a pinch, you can also use squares of parchment paper as liners. I cut 5” squares from a sheet of parchment for this batch of cupcakes. I pressed each square down into the compartments of the cupcake tin, pressing the bottom flat and creasing the sides to form to the shape of the cupcake pan.

Prepare the batter:

In a large microwave safe bowl, warm the hot fudge slightly to make it easier to stir. I usually microwave for 10 seconds. It does not need to be very hot, just warm enough to be able to be stirred easily. Add the cocoa powder, buttermilk, and vanilla extract to the hot fudge and stir until smooth.
Add the sugar, eggs, and oil to the bowl and stir until completely smooth. Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt to the bowl and stir until smooth.
Transfer the batter to the prepared cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 full. Transfer the cupcakes to the preheated oven. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, rotating halfway through the baking time. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean or with small crumbs attached.
Remove the cupcakes from the oven to a wire rack to cool. After 10-15 minutes, remove the cupcakes from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container for several days at room temperature.