Today I bring you one of my favorite recipe creations of ALL time: Greek Yogurt Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes. They may look like just another pretty chocolate cupcake promising perfection (there are so many these days…) but these moist, ultra-chocolatey Greek yogurt spiked sweeties are total game changers!
Greetings from “I can’t believe it’s only October and I’m already showing flu symptoms” land. Ugh. Being sick —> the worst. Being sick on a FRIDAY NIGHT —> the pits and back and then some. Womp womp. Looks like it’ll be a weekend of soup, afternoon sleep sessions, and Modern Family marathons. I need my Phil fix because um… laughter is the best medicine right?
Moving forward… straight to you! What are you up to this weekend? Pumpkin picking? Pie baking? Kicking up your feet and doing n-o-t-h-i-n-g? All of those sound pretty great to me 😉
Ok. So let’s focus! On the cupcakes. I just took a swig of NyQuil , so I better type fast or things could get weird… So —-> CUPCAKES. Let’s do this.
These chocolate cupcakes are nothing short of EPIC. The base is soft, moist, and loaded with chocolate flavor. I added cocoa powder AND melted chocolate to the batter, so they are chocolate flavor all the way home. The way all chocolate cupcakes should be… just saying.
The cupcake batter also has a heaping half cup of greek yogurt, and wow does it make all the difference. I typically bake my chocolate cupcakes with buttermilk or sour cream, so I was nervous baking these up the first time. I was so wrong to be! They were amazing! Funny enough my first batch was too moist. That’s rare when it comes to chocolate cupcakes. After a few tweaks, I worked out all of the kinks and created what I consider to be one of the best chocolate cupcakes on the market. Try it for yourself and I just know you’ll agree 😉
The frosting is thick, creamy, and, of course, booming with rich, decadent chocolate flavor. The ingredients are pretty basic as far as buttercream go: butter, sugar, cocoa powder, salt. What makes it extra extra awesome is a generous dollop of Greek yogurt and half and half. I find the combination of Greek yogurt and half and half creates a buttercream that can hold up to high swirls but still just melts in your mouth. So perfect.
This is a great recipe for when you’re looking for something a little more exciting than your standard chocolate cupcake recipe, and a little easier than making a super decadent chocolate fudge cake with chocolate fudge frosting. Moist, rich, and topped with the most addicting chocolate buttercream ever (trust me; you won’t be able to stop “taste testing”).
These cupcakes are the total package! Just be sure you have a tall glass of milk near… you’ll need it 😉 xoxo
Greek Yogurt Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup + 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, not packed
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup full fat plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup boiling water or coffee
For the Chocolate Greek Yogurt Buttercream:
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 3 cups confectioners sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons Half and Half
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a 12-cup cupcake/muffin tin with cupcake liners and lightly spray the liners with non-stick spray (optional, but it does help them peel right off).
- Melt the oil, butter,and chocolate together in the microwave, heating in 30 second increments, and stirring between increments each time. You may also melt the oil, butter, and chocolate over very low heat on the stovetop, but I find the microwave option to be much easier. Whisk mixture until completely smooth; set aside to cool.
- In a medium sized bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt; stir together until thoroughly combined; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolk, sugars, and vanilla; beat until smooth. Add the cooled oil/butter/chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth. Add half of the flour mixture, then half of the Greek yogurt. Repeat the process until everything is added, and be sure to mix until JUST combined - then quickly stir in the hot water or coffee (depending on which you're using). It's important not to over mix, here! Just stir until evenly combined.
- Divide the batter among the 12 liners in your prepared pan. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool *completely before frosting.
For the Chocolate Greek Yogurt Buttercream:
- Sift together the confectioners sugar and cocoa powder, whisking well to ensure it's bump and lump free!
- Using a handheld mixer OR a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy; about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and slowly add the sifted sugar/cocoa powder, alternating with the Greek yogurt and half and half, then add the salt. Once all of the ingredients have been added, beat on high speed until light and creamy and combined; beat for at least 1 minute on high.
- Frost cooled cupcakes and top with any decorations if desired.
- Cupcakes stay fresh at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
Erin @ Miss Scrambled Egg says
I think greek yogurt is such a wonderful substitute in baked goods. These cupcakes look like the perfect weekend treat. 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Wanda Lloyd says
Does the yogurt need to be at room temperature?
bakerbynature says
Hi Wanda. You may bring it to room temp if you like, but it’s not a must 😉
Wanda Lloyd says
Thanks! I can’t wait to taste these!
Lisa | Mummy Made.It says
I love frosting that’s soft and creamy. You know a good frosting when you lick it off the cupcake first thing!
Leanne says
hello, I’ve been looking everywhere online to find a good moist chocolate cupcake recipe and yours looks amazing. I live in the UK and i am just curious what weight in Grams is your butter, as are sticks of butter over here are 250g. Also could i substitue the canola oil for coconut oil ? Would love for your help thank you
Nadine Baister says
Hi. Did you ever suss out what the UK quantities are for this recipe?
M says
I just ran across this post somewhere on facebook and decided to make these tonight. My first time EVER making cupcakes and I have to say they came out amazing! I followed your recipe to the T except I added too much half and half and yogurt to the frosting (because it was so powdery silly me thought I need to make it more moist) so it ended up being a bit runny but still great. I was impressed and couldn’t believe I made these! So thanks 🙂
bakerbynature says
Hi Maggie! I’m so proud of you 🙂 Your first batch of cupcakes and they were a success! So awesome.
Melanie @ Nutritious Eats says
This is quite possibly the prettiest cupcake I’ve ever seen. I make a chocolate cake that is perfection, from Ina Garten I think, but I am going to have to try these for my next cupcakes. How on earth do you get the frosting to look so perfect? i have those tips and frosting bags but mine never look like this. Pinning for later!
bakerbynature says
Hi Melanie. Thank you so much! I just use a pipping bag and a wilton star tip, then quickly swirl away 😉 It took some practice, but after awhile it becomes second nature.
Lindie says
Oh my goodness! I made these cupcakes for a co-worker’s birthday and feel ashamed for deflecting attention away from herr! All day long people came to my desk to rave over these delicious treats. This is, hands down, the best cupcake recipe I’ve ever made. It is a keeper and going in my recipe box. I was unsure of the frosting, with the ratio of wet vs dry ingredients, but wow – the frosing was perfect, fudgy and decadent. Thank you so much for sharing!
ps- I’m sure that these will be a huge hit at my son’s 2nd birthday party in January. I was going to order cupcakes, but really? Why? These are amazing.
bakerbynature says
Hi Lindie! It’s not even 6 am here but you’ve already made my day with this comment 🙂 Thank you so much for making my recipe. I’m happy you loved it as much as I do. And I’m sure these will be a MAJOR hit at the party! xo
Queenie says
you did not answer about water/coffee adding to cake reciept. I 2 do not understand how much instant coffee to add to water please answer would like to make these for my church function this Friday. Yes they look excellent but need post to say how they taste. Thank u
bakerbynature says
Hi Queenie. The ingredient list notes to add hot water OR coffee to the cake batter. The method below the instructions informs you when to add the water OR coffee to the mix. I hope this helps.
shiela says
Hi,
I have been looking on these cupcakes and they look very delicious..i am excited to make one however when i was scanning the ingredients i didnt understand what’s half and half?i havent seen any of that in our shops..i am from australia maybe i just dont what it’s called here..i’ll be glad ti hear from you.much appreciated..
bakerbynature says
Hi Shiela! Half and Half is simply half whole milk half heavy cream. Here in the US it’s sold in the dairy aisle. If you can find it, just use equal parts milk and cream 🙂
Mary says
These look heavenly! Thank you for the recipe. I think I could eat a whole bowl of the frosting by itself. LOL!
Do you think I could substitute plain full fat yogurt instead of Greek? Plan to make these really soon!