Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Calling all chocolate peanut butter lovers! Ashley from Spoonful of Flavor here again. Today, I am bringing you the ultimate chocolate peanut butter cupcake. A layer of peanut butter buttercream frosting is sandwiched between two layers of chocolate cake, topped with chocolate ganache and sprinkled with peanut butter cups. It doesn’t get any better than that! As soon as I took one bite into these little darlings, I declared them the world’s best cupcake. Seriously, they are that good! They are sweet and decadent without being overly rich. And they make an impressive little treat.

Cupcakes make me happy. They are one of my favorite treats to make but I don’t make them as often as I should. I love the whole entire process, including baking the cupcakes, dreaming up a decadent frosting and assembling the layers. I almost like the process of making them more than eating them. I’m often known to randomly bake cupcakes or a cake for no apparent reason just because I really enjoy making them. My friend and neighbors are always happy to take a sweet treat off of my hands. But then again, you don’t need a special occasion to make these cupcakes.  There is so much chocolate peanut butter goodness packed into one fun little cupcake.

Are you drooling yet?

To make these cupcakes a little more interesting than your standard cupcake with piped frosting I sliced the cupcake in half, sandwiched peanut butter frosting in the middle and topped it off with chocolate ganache and crumbled peanut butter cups. They are not difficult to make but require a few steps to complete the entire process. A process that produces the ultimate chocolate peanut butter cupcake.

Can Peanut Butter Go Bad?

Peanut butter can go rancid in about a year and lose its flavor.

Is Peanut Butter Good For You?

Peanut butter is high in fat and calories.

But the good new is nuts and nut butters are a great source of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Is Peanut Butter Still Good When It Separates?

Peanut butter is still good to eat when it separates.

Simply store the bottle upside down until the oil is well mixed with the solids, or you can stir the peanut butter until it is no longer separated.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

By Sweet Basil

Prep30 minutes mins

Cook20 minutes mins

Total50 minutes mins

Servings18

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A layer of peanut butter buttercream frosting is sandwiched between two layers of chocolate cake, topped with chocolate ganache and sprinkled with peanut butter cups.

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

For the Cupcakes

• ▢ 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder , + 2 tablespoons, + extra for dusting
• ▢ 1/4 Cup Hot Water, + 2 tablespoons
• ▢ 1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• ▢ 3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, 1.5 sticks
• ▢ 1 Cup Sugar, + 2 tablespoons
• ▢ 2 Large Eggs, at room temperature
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• ▢ 1/2 Cup Sour Cream, at room temperature

For the Frosting

• ▢ 3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, 1.5 sticks, at room temperature
• ▢ 1 3/4 Cup Confectioners' Sugar
• ▢ 3/4 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
• ▢ Pinch Salt

For the Chocolate Ganache

• ▢ 6 Ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped
• ▢ 2/3 Cup Heavy Cream
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon Light Corn Syrup
• ▢ Peanut Butter Cups, for garnish

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter a standard muffin tin and dust with cocoa powder; tapping out excess.
  1/4 Cup Unsweetened Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder
• In a glass measuring cup, whisk together cocoa powder and hot water until smooth.
  1/4 Cup Unsweetened Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder, 1/4 Cup Hot Water
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour, 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda, 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder, 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• In a small medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter with sugar, stirring until combined.
  3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, 1 Cup Sugar
• Remove from heat and pour into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
• Beat on medium-low speed until mixture is cool, about 5 minutes.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated.
  2 Large Eggs
• Add vanilla and cocoa mixture; beat until combined.
  2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• Reduce speed to low.
• Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, beating until just combined.
  1/2 Cup Sour Cream
• Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool 15 minutes; invert cupcakes onto rack and cool completely.
• In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until light and creamy, about 4 minutes.
  3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter
• With the mixer on low speed, slowly add powdered sugar.
  1 3/4 Cup Confectioners' Sugar
• Gradually increase the speed and mix for another 4 minutes.
• Add peanut butter and salt.
  3/4 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter, Pinch Salt
• Beat until fully combined and frosting reaches the desired consistency.
• To make the ganache, place chopped chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl.
  6 Ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate
• Heat cream and corn syrup just to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
  2/3 Cup Heavy Cream, 1 Tablespoon Light Corn Syrup
• Pour hot mixture over chocolate.
• Let stand one minute, then stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth.
• To assemble, cut each cupcake in half horizontally, such that you have a top and bottom layer.
• Sandwich frosting between the top and bottom cupcake layer.
• Spoon the ganache over the cupcakes and sprinkle with crumbled peanut butter cups.
  Peanut Butter Cups
• Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

*If the ganache is too thick, add another tablespoon of warm heavy cream until desired consistency is reached. You can also heat ganache in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave to soften.

Recipe from Spoonful of Flavor with cake layer adapted from Martha Stewart.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 436kcal, Carbohydrates: 43.1g, Protein: 5.4g, Cholesterol: 76.7mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 31.7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Looking for more Chocolate Peanut Butter recipes?

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars | Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Cereal Bars

Reese’s Peanut Butter Marshmallow Cookie Pie | Reese’s Syrup & Double Chocolate Pancakes

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