What’s better than plain chocolate? Not much, I know, but how about adding some peanut butter? Now how about peanut butter cake AND peanut butter frosting swirled with milk chocolate ganache. Yes. These cupcakes from Kevin and Amanda taste like baked peanut butter cups. I think that might be pretty darn close to the best of both worlds.
Chocolate Swirled Peanut Butter Blast Cupcakes
The Best Chocolate Cake Ever
1 box devil’s food cake mix
1 small pkg Jello instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups mini chocolate chips
In a very large bowl, mix together everything except chocolate chips until well combined. Batter will be thick. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Peanut Butter Cake
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 eggs
1 box butter cake mix
2/3 cup water
In the workbowl of a mixer, combine 1/2 cup peanut butter and 1/2 cup butter. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add eggs one at time, mixing well after each addition. Add approximately 1/3 of the cake mix and 1/3 of the water, and mix on low speed until just combined. Repeat 2 more times with remaining cake mix and water.
Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Place the peanut butter, butter, sugar, cream and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. If necessary, add more cream, one tablespoon at a time, beating for 1-2 minutes after each addition until desired consistency is reached.
Sweet Milk Chocolate Ganache
1.5 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Place chocolate chips in a glass or heat-proof bowl. In a medium saucepan, whisk the heavy cream, vanilla, and sugar and bring to a simmer. Pour over the chocolate chips, let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk until completely smooth. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour or until the ganache reaches a thick, frosting consistency.
Note: You can leave out the sugar and/or use a darker chocolate if you’ve ever not liked a dessert because it was “too sweet”.
Cupcake Assembly
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and line standard-sized muffin tins. Add approximately 2 tbsp of peanut butter cake batter first, then 2 tbsp of chocolate cake batter to each tin. Use a spoon or knife to gently fold and swirl cake batter. For STANDARD cupcakes, bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes. For MINI cupcakes, add approximately 2 teaspoons of each batter to mini muffin tins, and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Frost using the swirled frosting method below and top with chopped peanut butter cups if desired.
How to Pipe Swirled Frosting
Good Life Eats prepared this tutorial on how to do swirled frosting.
1. Lay your colors or flavors out in different container to keep them separate.
2. Fill the frosting bags (I personally like disposable best) with your designated colors or flavors.
You will not add a tip to any of these bags. Just the bag and the frosting (as many flavors/colors as you desire).
3. Twist the tops of the bags and cut about a half inch of the ends of each filled bag.
4. Then, you’ll take (in this case) a fourth bag. Snip the end of the bag and add your favorite piping tip to the bag.
5. Now, load all three frosting bags inside the fourth bag with the piping tip. Twist the top of the fourth bag so nothing escapes and pipe as usual.
