Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Moist chocolate cake topped with velvety peanut butter cream cheese frosting makes for the perfect treat!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, melted
• 2 cups brewed coffee, cooled
• 1 cup canola oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 4 cups flour
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk

For the frosting

• 16oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 8 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp vanilla
• milk, if needed

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together butter, coffee, oil, eggs, and vanilla. 

Sift together flour, cocoa, sugar, salt and baking soda over a medium bowl. Add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients one-third at a time. Alternate the flour mixture with the buttermilk. Whisk until just combined. 

Preheat oven to 350F.

Line cupcake pans with cupcake wrappers. Grease the wrappers. Fill cupcake tins two-thirds full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the center of the cupcakes are cooked through. The cake should bounce back when gently touched. Remove from the oven. When cool enough to handle, remove the cupcakes from the pan and allow the cakes to cool completely. 

While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and peanut butter using the paddle attachment. Gradually add the powdered sugar. Mix in the vanilla. If the frosting is too stiff, add a splash of milk. Chill for at least 2 hours.

Just before frosting the cupcakes, spoon the peanut butter frosting into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whip the frosting for 3 to 5 minutes until fluffy. Spoon the frosting into a piping bag and frost each cupcake.

Decorate with peanut butter cups if desired.

Makes 48 cupcakes

Notes from the Chef:

-Recipe makes 4 - 9in cake layers

-If any excess cake and frosting, crumble the cake, mix with frosting, drop balls into melted chocolate, and chill to make a quick cake ball