Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Happy Birthday to Me!!

I love birthdays, they give me an actual excuse to bake and even though it means I normally end up baking my own cake, at least I get to choose exactly how I want it.  This year it wasn’t hard to choose what flavor I wanted…it all started Tuesday when I was relishing in national pancake day and browsing the web.  To my dismay I realized I had completely overlooked the fact that it was also national peanut butter lovers day!  I love peanut butter so to make up for my indiscretion I simply had to make these chocolate peanut butter cupcakes for my birthday.

Start rolling your eyes now because I’m in full-on gush mode this week.  This frosting is a.m.a.z.i.n.g.  It is thick and rich, very peanut-buttery and not too sweet.  It’s like eating the middle of a chocolate peanut butter cup.  now who can argue with that.

Sift together the dry ingredients

In another bowl, whisk the wet ingredients

Add wet ingredients to dry…and then add coffee.  whats not to love?

oh so yummy chocolate cake batter

fill cupcake pan and bake…then comes the good part

Cream butter and then add cream cheese

Add peanut butter and then sugar…some other stuff…beat until it’s nice and fluffy

awaiting their fate

try to resist eating all of them…at least until they get they’re final touch

now isn’t that pretty

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Yields about 30 standard size cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 3/4  cups flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder, best available-I used a dutch processed cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra large eggs, at room temperature (although I’ve used large a few times and they turned out fine)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup freshly brewed hot, strong coffee

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup smooth, commercial peanut butter, preferable a natural kind that has little to no sugar
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon heavy cream (or more if needed)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line two cupcake pans with liners.

For the cupcakes: Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.

2. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla.  With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

3. Carefully pour batter into cupcake liners. The batter will be runny so either use a 1/4 cup measuring cup or a glass measuring cup with a pour spout.  Only fill the cupcake liners about 1/2-2/3 full or the batter will run over-these do not puff up like other cupcakes.

4. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Let stand for 15 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

5. For the frosting: Beat the butter in a large bowl until creamy.  Add the cream cheese and continue to beat until combined.  Add the peanut butter, beat until smooth.  Gradually add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl between each addition. Add the heavy cream.  If the frosting seems to thick, add a little more cream (1 tablespoon at a time), if it seems to thin, add more powdered sugar.

Recipes adapted from several sources including Hersheys, Ina Garten, Allrecipes.com, and Martha Stewart.

 

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