blissful eats with tina jeffers: Chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting

I had to make a dessert for a baby shower and when I found out that the mom-to- be loved peanut butter I knew I had to make these.  They were a huge hit and I’m glad I saved a few for home because there weren’t any leftovers.  It’s a recipe that I used to make years ago and it’s a pretty traditional cupcake and frosting recipe.  The batter is thinner than a normal cake batter since you add a cup of hot coffee to the mix.  The coffee adds a depth of flavor and results in a moist dense cake that is perfect counterpart to the decadent frosting.  I would recommend using a commercial brand of peanut butter for the frosting like Jif or Skippy, it will result in a super creamy not too sweet frosting.  If you decide to use a natural peanut butter you may need to add a little bit more sugar to the mix.  For more recipes visit me at www.scalingbackblog.com! 

Chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting

For the cupcakes: 

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

¾ cup good cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

½ cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

For the frosting: 

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 cups creamy peanut butter

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon kosher salt

2/3 cup heavy cream 

Method:

For the cupcakes:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners.

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.  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 the mixer still on low. Add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a spatula.  Batter should look and feel more watery than normal batters.  Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling each cup ¾ full.  A regular size ice cream scoop portions the perfect amount and allows you to get a consistent size.  Bake the cupcakes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking, until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

Immediately remove cupcakes from muffin tin and transfer to a wire rack.  Let cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.