These are my “diet-buster” cupcakes. They’re moist, fudgy, and completely dangerous for anyone watching their waistline. This thick and fluffy frosting takes a full bag of butterscotch morsels, butter, sugar, and cream. They’re worth every calorie, trust me.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- ½ cup (1 stick or 115 g) butter
- 2 oz (112 g) semi-sweet baking chocolate
- ½ cup (45 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch processed)
- ¾ cup (94 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk
Butterscotch Frosting
- 11 oz package (312 g) butterscotch morsels, plus more for decorating (optional)
- 3 tsp vegetable shortening
- 1 cup (230 g) butter, softened to room temperature
- 1¾ cups (210 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tbsp heavy cream
- pinch salt
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside. Make the Cupcakes
- Melt the butter and chocolate together in the microwave or over a low heat on the stovetop. Stir until smooth and set aside to slightly cool.
- Whisk the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until smooth. Add the cooled butter/chocolate and whisk until smooth. Add half of the flour mixture, then half of the buttermilk. Stir. Repeat until everything is added. Stir until just combined, do not overmix. The batter will be very thick, like pudding.
- Pour the batter evenly into 12 cupcake liners. Bake for 18 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.
- Melt the butterscotch morsels and 2 teaspoons of shortening together in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring vigorously until smooth. Add 1 more teaspoon of shortening if the mixture is too thick. Allow to cool. In a medium bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 1 minute. Switch the mixer to low speed and slowly add the confectioners’ sugar. Quickly stir the cooled butterscotch/shortening so that it is smooth and add to the butter/sugar mixture. Switch the mixer to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes until combined. Add the cream and salt. Beat for 2 minutes until creamy. For the Frosting
- Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with additional butterscotch chips if desired. I used a Wilton #12 piping tip. The cupcakes will stay fresh stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.