Fudgy Brigadeiro Cupcakes

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These brigadeiro cupcakes made with a chocolate cake mix are rich and moist treats topped with a fudgy chocolate frosting like our brigadeiro cake.

Close up of one brigadeiro cupcake in a platter.

Table of Contents

1 How to Make Brigadeiro Cupcakes
2 Other brigadeiro recipes
3 Expert Tips For Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes
4 FAQs
5 Storage
6 Fudgy Brigadeiro Cupcakes

How to Make Brigadeiro Cupcakes

Prepare the cupcake batter

Preheat oven to 350º F (180º C) for a shiny metal cupcake tin or 325º F (about 160º C) for a dark or non-stick cupcake tin. Line cupcake paper baking cups.
Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and beat at low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. TIP: Don't overmix the batter! Use an ice cream scoop to fill the lined paper cups ⅔ full.
Bake for about 18-23 minutes (mine were ready in 20 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool down completely before frosting.

Make the Brigadeiro Frosting

Mix the condensed milk, cocoa powder, and butter. Then, choose your preferred cooking method below.
Stovetop method: Cook in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture starts to show the bottom of the pan when you scrape it with your wooden spoon. (PHOTO 1) The brigadeiro mixture should be thick enough to reveal the bottom of the pan for a couple of seconds before the mixture levels out again. If not, cook it a little longer.

Collage showing how to make Making brigadeiro mixture.

Microwave: Pour mixture into a deep microwaveable bowl. If 900 watts, let cook on full power for about 6 minutes -- removing and stirring at least every 2 minutes, or until thick. While it is cooking, do not leave the microwave unattended because the mixture will rise and possibly bubble over, making a mess. Every time it rises, pause until the mixture settles back down. If 1100 watts, cook at 80 % power. Double batches take more time to cook.

When it is ready, mix in the vanilla extract and the heavy cream well. Let cool to room temperature before spreading the chocolate frosting (PHOTO 2).

Other brigadeiro recipes

Expert Tips For Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes

Don’t overmix the ingredients of the batter; otherwise, cupcakes will become dense with a tough texture!
Fill the lined paper cups ⅔ full so the batter won’t overflow when rising.
Don’t overbake the chocolate cupcakes, or they will become dry!
Make sure to neither undercook nor overcook the brigadeiro frosting. If undercooked, it won’t hold its shape on top of the cupcakes. If overcooking it, the fudgy frosting will become too hard, or with an unpleasant texture.

FAQs

How to thicken up brigadeiro frosting?

Your brigadeiro frosting is too soft because it was undercooked. To thicken up, cook it a little longer, or thick enough to reveal the bottom of the pan for a couple of seconds before the mixture levels out again.

How to fix hard brigadeiro frosting?

Your brigadeiro frosting is too hard because it was overcooked. To fix it, gradually stir in heavy cream into the frosting until softens enough to spread as a frosting and hold its shape. Start with one teaspoon and increase the amount as needed.

Storage

Store brigadeiro cupcakes in a clean airtight container either at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You may freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 2 months. Thaw them at room temperature and frost them.

PIN AND ENJOY!

Pin showing chocolate fudge cupakes in a platter.

Several brigadeiro cupcakes in a platter.

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5 from 2 votes

Fudgy Brigadeiro Cupcakes

These brigadeiro cupcakes made with a chocolate cake mix are rich and moist treats topped with a fudgy chocolate frosting. You can easily decorate them for Valentine's Day, Halloween, and more.

Course:Dessert

Cuisine:Brazilian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings cupcakes

Calories357.8 kcal

Author Denise Browning

Cost $ 0.75 per cupcake

Equipment

1 oven
1 12-cup standard-size muffin tin
1 large bowl
1 hand mixer
1 medium saucepan
1 wooden spoon
1 Offset spatula

Ingredients

For the Cupcake Batter

15.25 oz chocolate cake mix I used Betty Crocker milk chocolate super moist cake mix
1 ¼ cups water I used coconut milk for a moister batter
⅓ cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs at room temperature

For the Brigadeiro Frosting

14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
¼ cup baking cocoa powder
2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream or more (just enough to make the frosting spreadable but not too soft that drips)

Instructions

To make the batter: Preheat oven to 350º F (180º C) for a shiny metal cupcake tin or 325º F (about 160º C) for a dark or non-stick cupcake tin. Line cupcake paper baking cups.
Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally (Do NOT to overmix the batter). Use an ice cream scoop to fill the lined paper cups ⅔ full.
Bake for about 18-23 minutes (mine were ready in 20 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool down completely before frosting.
To make the frosting: Mix the condensed milk, cocoa powder, and butter. Then, choose your preferred cooking method below.
On the Stove: Cook in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture starts to show the bottom of the pan when you scrape it with your wooden spoon. The brigadeiro mixture should be thick enough to reveal the bottom of the pan for a couple of seconds before the mixture levels out again. If not, cook it a little longer.
In the Microwave: Pour mixture into a deep microwaveable bowl. If 900 watts, let cook on full power for about 6 minutes -- removing and stirring at least every 2 minutes, or until thick. While it is cooking, do not leave the microwave unattended because the mixture will rise and possibly bubble over, making a mess. Every time it rises, pause until the mixture settles back down. If 1100 watts, cook at 80 % power. Double batches take more time to cook.
When it is ready, mix in the vanilla extract and the heavy cream well. Let cool to room temperature before spreading the chocolate frosting and topping them with sprinkles.

Recipe Notes

Storage

Store brigadeiro cupcakes in a clean airtight container either at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

You may freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 2 months. Thaw them at room temperature and frost them.

How to Decorate Spider Cupcakes for Halloween

You will need:

Chocolate vermicelli sprinkles
Black Twizzlers
White M&M's (Cookie and Cream)
Candy melts, melted, and place in a condiment squeeze bottle

Instructions:

Frost cupcakes with the prepared chocolate frosting, mounding frosting in center of cupcake to create a dome shape. Then, sprinkle cupcakes with chocolate sprinkles.
Cut black Twizzlers into 4-inch lengths, and then cut these sections in half lengthwise in order to use for the spider legs (Place twizzlers on top of the cupcake and press a bit. Do not stick them into the cupcake or it'll break the cupcake apart).
Place white M&M's on each cupcake for the whites of the eyes, and then place a dot of melted candy melts on top of these to make the black part of the eyes.

Nutrition

** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.

Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.

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This post was first published on October 16, 2012.

CUTE SPIDER

Brigadeiro Cupcakes