Did you know today is National Cupcake Day or something like that? I think we need to celebrate and what better way than with a relatively easy but incredibly delicious cupcakes like these from Gimme Some Oven. We have shared chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting before but not this level of peanut buttery. Check it out – the frosting calls for two CUPS of peanut butter with just a wee bit of butter. Oh, and there is a peanut butter cup hidden in the cake portion for good measure. Perfect. Just perfect.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used dark chocolate cocoa powder)
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup coffee, lukewarm (you can use decaf coffee if desired!)
- 24 mini peanut butter cups, unwrapped (I used Reese’s)
- (optional: melted chocolate for drizzling)
PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
DIRECTIONS:
TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUPCAKES:
Prepare 24 baking cups with paper baking liners. Place a peanut butter cup in each baking liner. Set aside.
In the bowl of stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt until combined. Then in an additional separate bowl, stir together buttermilk and coffee. Add dry ingredients to creamed butter mixture alternately with buttermilk and coffee, beating well after each addition.
Fill baking cups with batter on top of the peanut butter cups until they are about two-thirds full. Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
Top with peanut butter frosting. (Optional: Then drizzle with melted chocolate.)
TO MAKE THE PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING:
Using an electric mixer, beat peanut butter, butter and vanilla together on medium speed until combined and smooth. Add remaining ingredients and beat on low speed until incorporated. Then beat on medium-high speed for an additional minute until smooth and fluffy.
