The flavoursome and tender vanilla fudge cupcakes are dotted with fudge chips and topped with delicate vanilla buttercream.
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.
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) 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) self-raising white 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) 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.
Add the eggs, milk and vanilla extract.
Whisk together.
Sift in the flour and baking powder.
Fold through.
Line a 12 hole muffin tray with paper cases. Spoon the batter evenly into the cases.
Dust a thin layer of flour on top of the cakes.
Scatter the fudge pieces on top.
Bake the cakes for 20 minutes until just firm on top.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting
Place the softened butter in a bowl and beat until creamy.
Sift in the icing sugar, then add the vanilla and milk.
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.
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.
Are you tempted to bake these cupcakes at home?
Here's that salted caramel surprise cupcakes recipe again in a printable format.
Vanilla Fudge Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
For the sponges
- 175 g (1½ sticks) 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) self-raising white 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) 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
- Cupcake cases
- Star piping tip
Instructions
Make the cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan / 360F).
- Put the butter and sugar in a bowl. Whisk together until light and creamy.
- Add the eggs, milk and vanilla extract. Whisk together.
- Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold through.
- Line a 12 hole muffin tray with paper cases.
- Spoon the batter evenly into the cases.
- Dust a thin layer of flour on top of the cakes.
- Scatter the fudge pieces on top.
- Bake the cakes for 20 minutes until just firm on top.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting
- Place the softened butter in a bowl and beat until creamy.
- Sift in the icing sugar, then add the vanilla and milk. 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.
- 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.
- Scatter the fudge pieces you reserved over the top.
Video
Nutrition
Pin this vanilla fudge cupcakes recipe
More cupcakes to try
Don't forget to check out my other cupcake recipes. Here are some of my favourites!
Have you got my book?
'This is a great kids cookery book. Emily is a star' - Simon Rimmer
'The book I'd like to force into any mother's kitchen' - Prue Leith
"A fab book with a plan." - Jane Devonshire, 2016 Masterchef UK winner
'Emily has managed to combine her mummy knowledge and passion for food to make a truly helpful and brilliant cookbook' - Priya Tew, RD, BSc (Hons), Msc
Get Your Kids to Eat Anything is an achievable 'how to' for parents in the battle to overcome picky eating and 'make new the norm'. Emily Leary's unique 5-phase programme looks at the issue of 'fussy eating' in a holistic way that links imagination with food, and which situates parents alongside - not in opposition to - their children.
Colette says
Very pleased, made them for the first time today.
Emily Leary says
Wonderful!
Rachel says
I made these twice and both times they turned out just awful and I am usually a good baker! They had overflown and then sank the first time so I put two eggs in and less milk and they were still really bad now I've wasted a lot of time and money
Emily Leary says
Hi. If they're overflowing it sounds like either your cases were too small or your oven was running too hot. I can't comment as to what happens if you change the recipe.
Sally - My Custard Pie says
Having only just discovered exactly how good salted caramel is, ("I told you so" said veggie teen) these are very appealing :)
Sim says
Yummm!!! Have saved the recipe!!!