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0 from 21 votes

Dark Chocolate Fudge Merlot Cupcakes

A simple and flavorful recipe that's sure to be a favorite.

Servings: 12 cupcakes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

cupcakes
  • 1 1/8 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup milk, 2% or higher
  • 2 tablespoons merlot
  • 8 ounces of high-quality dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
frosting
  • 1 1/2 sticks, 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 6 tablespoons merlot
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • melted chocolate for drizzle
  • chocolate sprinkles for topping

Instructions

cupcakes
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, powder and salt. Set aside. Line a cupcake tin with liners.
  2. In a bowl, whisk egg, oil and sugar until together until smooth and no lumps remain. Add melted butter, merlot and vanilla and mix until combined. Add half of the dry ingredients, stirring to combine. Add the milk, then the remaining flour mixture. Mix until batter is smooth with a large spoon. Fold in chocolate. Line a muffin tin with liners and using a heaping 1/4 cup measure, add batter to each cup until 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.
frosting
  1. Beat butter in the bowl of your electric mixer until smooth and creamy, for a full 2 minutes. Add in powdered sugar gradually (about 1/2 cup at a time) with the mixer on low speed, slowly increasing the speed until it’s combined. Add in vanilla extract and merlot, then beat on medium-high speed for 5-6 minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides if needed, until thick and fluffy. Frost cupcakes and top with melted drizzled chocolate and sprinkles!
  2. Note: neither the cupcakes nor frosting have a super strong merlot flavor – just a hint – so I do recommend serving them with small glasses of wine to intensify the flavor.

Notes

  • [cupcakes from peanut butter stuffed hot fudge cupcakes]