This brownie cupcakes recipe goes out to all the chocolate lovers! They're so perfectly tender, moist, and most importantly FUDGY. They're topped off with a not sickeningly sweet, glossy and smooth sour cream chocolate frosting to tie everything together.
the inspiration / disaster testing
Soooo these brownie cupcakes went through like 5 mid-life crises before becoming the cuties they are today. These started out as brownie cheesecake muffins, but...
.... yeah, that didn't go as planned.
So I tweaked the recipe and decided to try again to make plain old brownie muffins (because I was out of cream cheese and wasn't in the mood to leave my comfy home). The problem NOW was that they didn't dome up how I wanted them / how you would expect a muffin to. Kind of funny to me that the first batch rose too much and the second batch didn't rise enough. They ended up tasting delicious though and were perfectly tender and moist.
Sooooo we tried AGAIN, but this time the idea was to make cupcakes because of the flat tops. And I finally got the cake part sorted out, but then the frosting decided to join in on annoying me.
My first batch of sour cream frosting was supposed to include melted chocolate (which is pretty traditional in most chocolate sour cream frostings I've seen online). First batch of melted chocolate, I tried to speed up the process of cooling down the mixture by slowly mixing sour cream into it - 1 tablespoon of sour cream later, and my chocolate seized. Fun.
Soooo I melted a new batch of chocolate and decided I would add it to the frosting at the very end - but eventually abandoned the idea of adding melted chocolate altogether because the frosting actually turned out amazing without it! Annnnd I was NOT in the mood to waste anymore ingredients by experimenting further. It was perfect - and not adding melted chocolate helped skip any sort of chill time, making this one of the quickest and easiest frostings to whip up!
Many MANY accidents later, we have a recipe that I actually loved and that kind of sort of maybe made it worth all the trouble...? I mean, I still would've loved it just the same without all the hiccups 🥴
Sorry, I really had to vent. But with that out of the way, we can get to the actual recipe!
sour cream chocolate frosting
If you're not a fan of buttercream, I highly HIGHLY recommend giving this frosting a go! It's very subtly sweet thanks to a lower ratio of powdered sugar and a generous amount of cocoa powder! The tanginess of the sour cream also helps offset the sweetness and it adds a beautifully silky and shiny look to the frosting.
One of my fears going into making this style of frosting was "is it going to taste like I took a spoon to a package of sour cream??" And the answer is a resounding NO!
Taking a bite of this frosting, you can just tell it's not your average chocolate frosting. There's just something so velvety and rich and smooth about it. But if you didn't know there was sour cream in it, you wouldn't be able to tell!
how to perfectly bake brownie cupcakes
You can slightly underbake the brownies for a fudgier texture or let them bake a decent amount for a cakier texture. Whichever you choose, do take care not to let them bake to the point a skewer test comes out clean - that means they're OVERbaked and they'll be very dry and brittle once cooled.
A skewer inserted into the center of perfectly baked brownies will always come out with a few moist crumbs, but there shouldn't be any wet batter. They're too delicate to move when they're warm, so they need to cool completely in the pan. The residual heat from the pan continues cooking them through to fudgy perfection.
how to make brownie cupcakes
1. Melt butter, then add chocolate. The heat from the butter will melt the chocolate into a silky mixture. Set aside to cool slightly while you prep everything else.
2. Whisk eggs and sugars together. There are no chemical leaveners in this recipe (like baking powder / soda), so the rise and volume in the brownies comes exclusively from air whipped into the egg mixture. By whipping the eggs with sugar and dissolving the sugar, we also create that crackly top that's so characteristic of a perfect brownie! I know you can't see the crackly top once they're frosted, but it's still an indication of a perfect brownie.
To test if the eggs are whipped enough, rub the mixture between your fingers. It shouldn't feel gritty or grainy. It should also be a pale brown color (pictured below).
3. Add your slightly cooled butter / chocolate mixture along with cocoa, vanilla, oil, and salt. Whisk to combine.
4. Mix in flour and chocolate chips until just combined.
5. Portion into your cupcake tin & bake! You can line the tin with paper liners or butter and dust with flour. If you don't use paper liners, just make sure your cupcake tin isn't prone to sticking or it'll be difficult to get the brownies out in one piece!
6. Cool the cupcakes completely to room temperature in the pan, then pull out and place on your serving plate. If you slightly underbaked your brownies for a fudgier texture, the centers will cave in slightly as they cool - it's totally normal!
7. Make the chocolate sour cream frosting: This frosting is so so simple to make, coming together in a 2 step process!
- cut butter into the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. The mixture will be very dry and crumbly. Try to get the butter as small as possible, but a few large pieces are fine.
- beat in the remaining ingredients. Add in the vanilla, salt, and sour cream and beat until light and fluffy. I find it's best to add the sour cream in 2 additions for a smoother final product.
8. Frost your brownie cupcakes!
how to decorate brownie cupcakes
The frosting holds its shape surprisingly well for something so smooth and soft - it's like the perfect mix between cream cheese frosting and buttercream. You can pipe designs on your cupcakes if you like, but I personally just went with a dollop of frosting on top that I swirled with a knife for a little wispy effect. I also topped these off with some chocolate shavings, but you could leave them plain or top with sprinkles or flaky sea salt.
storage
Keep brownie cupcakes covered and protected from air exposure to keep them moist longer. These cupcakes will keep for about 4 days at room temperature or 1 week in the fridge. If stored in the fridge, I recommend setting them out at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving so they're not too solidified.
check out these other recipes!
• Lemon Brownies
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies
• Brown Butter Brownies
• Red Velvet Brownies
Lastly, if you made this or any of my recipes, be sure to leave a comment and review below! I love hearing your thoughts! Also tag me on Instagram @eatsdelightfulblog so I can see what you're making.
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Brownie Cupcakes with Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes
Description
This brownie cupcakes recipe goes out to all the chocolate lovers! They're so perfectly tender, moist, and most importantly FUDGY. They're topped off with a not sickeningly sweet, glossy and smooth sour cream chocolate frosting to tie everything together.
Ingredients
For the brownies:
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter
- 6 ounces (170g) chopped semi-sweet chocolate, good quality *see notes
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar, light or dark
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, or any neutral flavored oil
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (80g) all-purpose flour, spoon and leveled
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (85g) semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
For the chocolate sour cream frosting:
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (130g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- chocolate shavings, sprinkles, or flaky sea salt (optional - for decorating)
Instructions
Make the brownies:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12 count cupcake tin with paper liners /or/ butter and dust the cups with flour. Set aside.
- Add butter to a small saucepot. Warm over medium heat until melted. Take off the heat.
- While the butter is still hot, add chocolate and whisk together until melted and smooth. The residual heat should be enough to melt everything together, but if you have a few stubborn pieces of chocolate that won't melt, place your pot back onto a stove burner set to low heat to finish melting. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs. Using an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat together until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture lightens in color. To test if it's ready, rub some of the mix between your fingers - it shouldn't feel gritty or grainy. You can also do this step by hand with a whisk, but it is a workout! The whole process will take about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add vanilla, cocoa, oil, and the slightly cooled butter / chocolate mixture to the egg mix. Whisk to combine.
- Add flour, salt, and chocolate chips (if using). Fold together until just combined and streak free. Take care not to overmix!
- Portion the brownie batter into your prepared cupcake tin, filling each cup no more than about ¾ of the way full.
- Bake the brownies in the center of your preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the tops are crackly and a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs. If you slightly underbaked the brownies for a fudgier texture, the centers will sink slightly as they cool.
- Cool completely in the tin before frosting.
Make the sour cream frosting:
- In a large bowl, combine butter, powdered sugar, and cocoa. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until you have a very fine crumbly mixture (pictured above).
- Mix in salt, vanilla, and about half of your sour cream to combine. Add the second half of the sour cream and whip on high speed until smooth and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
- Frost the cooled brownies and decorate with chocolate shavings, sprinkles, sea salt, or whatever else you like!
Notes
* I recommend using chocolate that's labeled "Baker's" or "couverture" on the package. It melts the most smoothly and nicely! You don't need to pick out the most expensive chocolate though - any off brand works just as good as the expensive stuff.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Bake Time: 15 minutes
Enjoy!
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