Name: Vanilla Fudge Cupcakes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 175 g slightly salted butter (softened); 200 g white caster sugar (superfine sugar); 3 medium eggs; 2 tbsp whole milk; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 tsp baking powder; 200 g white self-raising flour (self rising flour) (plus a little to dust); 40 g fudge (chopped into ½cm (¼ inch) pieces); 250 g slightly salted butter (softened); 500 g icing sugar (powdered sugar); 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 tbsp whole milk; 1 tbsp hot water; 20 g fudge (chopped into ½cm (¼ inch) pieces)

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The flavoursome and tender vanilla fudge cupcakes are dotted with fudge chips and topped with delicate vanilla buttercream.

Vanilla fudge cupcakes topped with vanilla buttercream and small fudge chips on a wire rack.

To make them, you'll start by beating butter and sugar together until smooth and fluffy, then whisk in eggs, milk and vanilla extract. Fold in flour and baking powder and your batter is ready!

Fudge chips have a habit of sinking to the bottom of cupcakes, so I have a clever trick for you. Instead of folding them into the batter, you'll scoop the batter into cupcake cases, sprinkle with a layer of flour and then scatter some fudge chips on top.

a vanilla fudge cupcake topped with vanilla buttercream and fudge pieces cut in half.

While they bake and cool, pale make the frosting by whisking butter, icing sugar, vanilla and milk together until really light and creamy. The gorgeous frosting can then be piped onto the cakes in tall swirls and finished with a final scattering of fudge pieces.

Here's how to make them.

Ingredients

For the sponges

175 g (1½ sticks) slightly salted butter softened
200 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
3 medium eggs
2 tbsp whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
200 g (1½ cups) white self-raising flour (self rising flour) plus a little to dust
40 g (1½ oz) fudge chopped into ½cm (¼ inch) pieces

For the frosting

250 g (2 sticks + 4 tsp) slightly salted butter softened
500 g (4 cups) icing sugar (powdered sugar)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp whole milk
1 tbsp hot water
20 g (1 oz) fudge chopped into ½cm (¼ inch) pieces

Equipment

Instructions

Make the cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan).

Put the butter and sugar in a bowl.

Whisk together until light and creamy.

whisked butter and sugar in a large clear bowl.

Add the eggs, milk and vanilla extract.

whisked butter and sugar mixture topped with milk, eggs and vanilla in a large clear bowl.

Whisk together.

Sift in the flour and baking powder.

whisked yellow vanilla cake batter in. large clear bowl topped with baking powder and flour.

Fold through.

Vanilla cake batter mixture in a large clear bowl.

Line a 12 hole muffin tray with paper cases. Spoon the batter evenly into the cases.

12 bun cases in a metal bun tray filled with vanilla cake batter.

Dust a thin layer of flour on top of the cakes.

12 bun cases in a metal bun tray filled with vanilla cake batter topped with a light dusting on flour

Scatter the fudge pieces on top.

12 bun cases in a metal bun tray filled with vanilla cake batter topped with a light dusting on flour and fudge chips.

Bake the cakes for 20 minutes until just firm on top.

12 baked vanilla fudge chip cupcakes in a bun tray.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the frosting

Place the softened butter in a bowl and beat until creamy.

softened and beaten butter in a large clear bowl.

Sift in the icing sugar, then add the vanilla and milk.

softened and beaten butter in a large clear bowl topped with icing sugar.

Whisk starting slowly until just combined. Add the hot water and whisk again, building up to full speed and beating for several minutes until pale, fluffy and considerably increased in volume.

whisked buttercream topping in a large clear bowl.

Transfer the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe high swirls, keeping the bag upright to give lovely frilly swirls, then scatter the fudge pieces you reserved over the top.

a hand picking up a vanilla fudge cupcake with vanilla buttercream and fudge chips.

Are you tempted to bake these cupcakes at home?

Here's that salted caramel surprise cupcakes recipe again in a printable format.

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4.8 from 4 votes

Vanilla Fudge Cupcakes

The flavoursome and tender vanilla fudge cupcakes are dotted with fudge chips and topped with delicate vanilla buttercream.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: cakes and bakes

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: 12 cupcakes

Author: Emily Leary