Equipment Needed
- Standard 12-cup muffin tin
- Paper or foil muffin liners
- Two mixing bowls (one medium, one large)
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Ice cream scoop
- Small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl (for warming fudge)
- Cooling rack
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, we’ll get our brownie cups ready. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line your muffin tin with liners—this is crucial for easy removal later. In that medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. I like to sift the cocoa powder to avoid any lumps, as I learned the hard way when I once bit into a tiny pocket of dry cocoa. In your large bowl, whisk the melted butter and sugar until they’re combined and look like wet sand. Then, whisk in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla, until the mixture is smooth and slightly glossy.
Now, gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with your rubber spatula. Please, don’t overmix here! Stir just until the last streaks of flour disappear. A few tiny lumps are perfectly fine; overmixing is what leads to tough, cakey brownies, and we want them fudgy. Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. They should be about 2/3 full. I pop the tin in the oven and set my timer for 18 minutes.
The baking time is where you need to watch closely. Ovens vary, and the cups are done when the tops are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, not wet batter. My first batch went 22 minutes and while still tasty, they were more cake-like and didn’t sink in the middle as nicely for holding the sundae toppings. As soon as you pull them out, use the back of a spoon to gently press a well into the center of each hot brownie cup. This creates the perfect little bowl for all our toppings later. Let them cool in the tin for 10 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
Once the brownie cups are completely cool, it’s assembly time! Warm your hot fudge sauce slightly so it’s pourable. Place a brownie cup on a plate, scoop a generous ball of vanilla ice cream right into the well, and drizzle lavishly with the warm fudge. The contrast of temperatures and textures at this moment is pure magic. Top with a fluffy dollop of whipped cream, a cherry if you’re feeling classic, and the tiniest sprinkle of flaky sea salt. That salt is my secret weapon—it cuts the sweetness and makes every flavor pop.(See the next page below to continue…)