top of page

Fudge-y Chocolate Cupcakes with Brown Butter Buttercream

  • Writer: Tanisha Jain
    Tanisha Jain
  • Jan 19, 2024
  • 4 min read

Over winter break, I set out on a mission to spice up my chocolate cupcake game. You see, my mom is a chocolate fanatic, and every time I come home from college, she expects some kind of chocolatey treat. The only hitch? I tend to get bored with my desserts I make, especially cupcakes.


Most cupcakes turn dry and overcooked when made eggless, I've also never found a buttercream recipe that tastes exactly like the store bought cupcakes without being overly sugary. So, I decided to shake things up. I merged my love for brown butter with a classic vanilla buttercream, aiming to take the cult-classic chocolate cupcake to a whole new level.


And guess what? The experiment was a wild success! Picture a soft, fudge-y chocolate cupcake teaming up with a sweet, slightly nutty buttercream. It's the dessert dreams are made of. And the best part? Even after three weeks of devouring it non-stop, I'm still not tired of this delicious combo! I hope you guys give it a try, it won't disappoint!


Now the one hiccup I've had while testing this recipe is that I've never tried it without Egg Substitution Powder, meaning that I'm not sure if my usual egg replacement hacks will work just as well as they usually do. However, when I get the time I will definitely remake these and update my post with my results. For now I would advise anyone who is making this recipe to use Egg Replacer, my personal favorite is the Bob's Red Mill brand, which I have linked here.


When it comes to preparing the buttercream, making brown butter for the first time might seem a bit intimidating. The key is to be cautious as the butter can quickly go from browning to burning. In my experience, watching a video is the easiest way to grasp the process and understand the desired color without the risk of burning. I have linked a helpful video here.


So lets dive into the recipe!



Fudge-y Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Makes one dozen cupcakes


Ingredients & Equipment:

DRY:

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1 tsp espresso powder

  • 1/2 cup cocoa Powder

  • 1/2 tsp baking powder

  • 1/2 tsp baking soda

  • 1/2 tsp salt

WET

  • 1/2 cup boiling water

  • 1/2 cup full fat or greek yogurt

  • 1/3 cup canola oil

  • 2 eggs (from egg replacer powder)

  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

  • 12 cupcake liners

  • 1/3 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips


Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit, and line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake liners

  2. Place the water on the stove to boil. I recommend boiling about 3/4 of a cup and measuring out 1/2 a cup after it boils, since some of the water will evaporate

  3. In a large bowl sift and combine the dry ingredients: Flour, Sugar, Cocoa Powder, Espresso Powder, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, and Salt

  4. Read the directions on how to make "fake" eggs using the egg replacing powder, and set those aside.

  5. In another bowl mix together the wet ingredients: Boiling Water, Vanilla, Oil, Yogurt, and the Fake Eggs.

  6. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix slowly until there are no more lumps.

  7. Mix in the chocolate chips slowly.

  8. Fill each cupcake liner up 2/3 of the way will the chocolate batter.

  9. Place the cupcakes in the oven for 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean with minimal crumbs.

  10. Once out of the oven, let the cupcakes cool in the tray until warm to the touch, then place on a wire rack for 5 minutes to cool for frosting.

  11. Frost and ENJOY!


Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting:

Frosts 6 cupcakes


Ingredients & Equipment:

  • 8 tablespoons (one stick) of room temperature salted butter

  • 2 cups of powdered sugar

  • 1 tsp of vanilla extract

  • 1/2 tsp of salt

  • A splash of milk


Directions:

  1. Browning Butter: Take 4 of the 8 tablespoons of butter and melt them in a saucepan on medium-low heat. Let it simmer for a few minutes while continually stirring. As you keep on stirring the butter, the fat should start to sepparate and it will start foaming up. Turn the heat down and contintuously stir until the butter becomes a light golden brown color. Then immediately take it off the heat and let it cool. This video linked here may make it easier to visualize what to look for.

  2. After browning the butter, let it cool in the fridge or freezer until it is the consistency of softened butter.

  3. With the remaining 4 tablespoons, use a handheld or stand-mixer to whip the butter for 3-4 minutes on a medium setting until the butter is almost white in color, and aerated.

  4. Add in the brown butter and vanilla extract, and mix on medium for another 2 minutes

  5. Slowly mix in the salt and powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time on a low speed, make sure to let all the powdered sugar get incorporated before adding more.

  6. After adding 1 cup of powdered sugar add a splash of milk to make the buttercream extra creamy

  7. When the buttercream has reached your desired sweetness, it is ready to be frosted on top of the cooled chocolate cupcakes, or any other desert of your choosing! ENJOY!


I hope you guys try out this recipe and enjoy it as much as I have. Never hesitate to email or DM me with any questions, I'd be glad to help!






 
 
 

Comments


SUBSCRIBE VIA EMAIL

© 2023 by Salt & Pepper. Proudly created with Wix.com

bottom of page