Fastest Fudge Cake Or Cupcakes

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar (packed)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt (or less, just a pinch)
• 3/4 cup heavy cream (or 1/2 cup evaporated skim milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe

• 1 grease a 8-inch square or 9-inch round pan or put 12 cupcake papers in a cupcake pan and one extra in a custard cup.
• 2 preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.
• 3 to make the cake, whisk the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together. sift only if the cocoa remains lumpy, set aside. (i sifted it through a fine strainer as i combined it with the wet ingredients in step 5).
• 4 in a large bowl, combine the warm melted butter and brown sugar. add the eggs and vanilla and stir until well blended.
• 5 add all of the flour mixture at once.
• 6 using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon - stir only until all the flour is moistened.
• 7 pour the hot water over the batter all at once.
• 8 stir only until the water is incorporated and the batter is smooth.
• 9 scrape the batter into the pan (or cupcakes - to do that efficiently i scrape the batter into a 4 cup measuring cup and then easily pour it into the cupcake liners.
• 10 bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. cake - 25 to 30 minutes, cupcakes 17 - 22 minutes. cool the cake in the pan on a rack for about 10 minutes before unmolding. to unmold, slide a slim knife around the edges of the cake to release it from the pan. invert the cake. turn the cake right side up and cool completely on a rack before frosting the top and sides. or cool the cake in the pan and frost only the top. cupcakes can cool in the pan and remove & frost when cool.
• 11 while the cake cooks, make the fast fudge frosting:.
• 12 in a medium saucepan, melt the butter.
• 13 stir in the sugar, cocoa, and salt.
• 14 gradually stir in the cream.
• 15 heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth and hot but not boiling.
• 16 remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
• 17 cool until thickened to the consistency of frosting(takes a while at room temp - try putting in fridge to speed up, but watch it!) or use as a warm glaze or sauce.
• 18 store leftover frosting in the refrigerator.
• 19 rewarm gently in the microwave before using.