Brigadeiro Cupcakes
Rich and moist Brigadeiro Cupcakes topped with silky Briganache frosting, a fudgy combination of classic Brazilian brigadeiro and chocolate ganache, then finished with chocolate sprinkles and a brigadeiro on top.
Servings 12 cupcakes
Calories 650kcal
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcake Batter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 127g
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 33g
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup milk 120ml
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil 80ml, such as canola oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup hot brewed coffee or hot water 120ml
Brigadeiro (for Briganache)
- 1½ cans sweetened condensed milk 594g
- 600 g table cream see notes
- 75 g semi-sweet or milk chocolate chopped
Chocolate Ganache
- 450 g chocolate chopped, I use 225g milk chocolate and 225g semi-sweet chocolate
- 200 g heavy cream
To Decorate
- Milk chocolate brigadeiros optional, see notes or recipe here
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a large bowl.
- In a separate medium bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the egg, milk, oil, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk until combined.
- Add the hot coffee and whisk until the batter is smooth. The batter will be very thin.
- Divide the batter between the cupcake liners, filling each about halfway.
- Bake for about 18 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool briefly in the pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Brigadeiro Ganache
- Add the sweetened condensed milk, table cream, and 75g chopped chocolate to a medium saucepan.
- Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, for about 15 minutes.
- Continue cooking until the brigadeiro has thickened considerably. It should fall from the spatula in a slow, thick ribbon and heavily coat the back of a spoon. Don't stop stirring at any point or it will stick to the bottom of the bowl.
- Remove from the heat and set aside while you prepare the chocolate ganache.
- Place the 450g chopped chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Melt gently in the microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring between each interval, or melt over a double boiler.
- Heat the heavy cream until it reaches approximately 105ºF (40ºC).
- Pour the warm cream over the melted chocolate and whisk gently until completely smooth and glossy.
- Add the warm brigadeiro to the chocolate ganache.
- Using an electric mixer, beat on low speed for about 2 minutes, until completely smooth and evenly combined.
- Cover the Brigadeiro Ganache and let it cool until it reaches a thick, pipeable consistency.
- If you refrigerate the ganache, it will become quite firm. Remove it from the refrigerator about 2 to 4 hours before using, or until it has softened enough to pipe.
To Assemble and Decorate
- Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before decorating.
- Transfer the Brigadeiro Ganache to a piping bag fitted with your desired piping tip.
- Pipe the ganache generously over each cupcake.
- Top with sprinkles.
- If desired, finish each cupcake with a chocolate brigadeiro on top.
Notes
Cocoa Powder: You can use either natural unsweetened cocoa powder or Dutch-process cocoa powder in this recipe. I typically use natural cocoa powder, but I have tested the cupcakes with Dutch-process cocoa with good results as well.
Coffee: The coffee enhances the chocolate flavor without making the cupcakes taste strongly of coffee. You can substitute it with an equal amount of hot water.
Cupcake Batter: The batter will be very thin after adding the hot coffee. This is normal. Only fill the cupcake liners about halfway to prevent them from overflowing.
Table Cream: Brazilian table cream, such as Nestlé Media Crema, works well for the brigadeiro portion of this recipe. You can usually find it in the Latin foods aisle or baking aisle of most grocery stores.
Chocolate: For the 450g of chocolate used in the ganache, I like to use 225g milk chocolate and 225g semi-sweet chocolate. You can adjust the ratio depending on how sweet or intense you want the chocolate flavor to be.
Brigadeiro Ganache Consistency: The ganache will continue to thicken as it cools. If refrigerated, it will become quite firm, so let it sit at room temperature until soft enough to pipe.
Brigadeiro Decoration: For the brigadeiros on top, I used a batch of milk chocolate brigadeiros. You can find my brigadeiro recipe here.
To Freeze: Place assembled cupcakes in an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the cupcakes and Brigadeiro Ganache separately and assemble them after thawing.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 650kcal