Brownie Cupcakes Recipe

Brownie cupcakes on a wooden background garnished with purple flowers.

4.97 from 57 votes

These brownie cupcakes are fudgy and rich, just like brownies. They are topped with the silkiest dark chocolate buttercream that literally melts in your mouth. You only need a few ingredients and little prep time to make a batch of these. Be prepared for them to disappear quickly as they are a huge crowd pleaser.

Prep Time25

Cook Time25

Total Time50

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: - 14 cupcakes

Calories: 639kcal

Author: Also The Crumbs Please

Ingredients

Cupcakes

1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 cups granulated white sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder, spooned and leveled
1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon salt

Frosting

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar sifted
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate bars, melted and cooled

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line two 12 cup muffin pans with 12-14 cupcake liners and set aside.

Cupcakes

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well combined. Sift in the flour, cocoa and salt and stir just until combined. Using an ice cream scoop, spoon the batter into the prepared liners. Fill them about ¾ to almost full.
Bake for 22-26 minutes until the tops look crinkly and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out slightly dirty. Do not overbake them or they will become cakey. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Then remove from the pan and transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat butter on medium-high speed until soft and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Sift in the powdered sugar and mix until fully combined and smooth. Add the chocolate and mix until well combined and creamy.
Pipe or spread onto the cooled cupcakes and serve. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes

Do not use an electric mixer. An electric mixer will bring too much air into the batter resulting in cakey cupcakes instead of fudgy. All you need is a whisk or spatula to stir the ingredients together.

Do not overfill the muffin pan. Fill them about three-quarters to almost full so they don't spill over the sides.

Check for doneness. Use a toothpick to check if they are done. It should come out lightly dirty with a few moist crumbs. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cupcakes are over-baked. They're still delicious, but the texture is more like chocolate cake.

Do not use chocolate chips. Chips have additives which help them maintain their shape when baked and may make the buttercream grainy and less creamy.

Cool the melted chocolate. If it's too warm when making the buttercream the butter could become too soft. In turn this may affect the creamy texture and make the cupcakes difficult to frost.

Nutrition