Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
These Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting are dark, moist, and covered with creamy peanut butter frosting, and we all know that peanut butter is the perfect complement to chocolate. What more could you ask for? You’ll be making this recipe time and time again!!
We’re going to the dark side today. The deep dark chocolate side. And what goes great with dark chocolate? Peanut Butter!!! If you love both chocolate and peanut butter, you’re gonna love these deep dark chocolate cupcakes topped with swirls of creamy peanut butter frosting. Then for an added bonus, we’ll just throw in some mini Reese pieces. Oh yeah!!
Now just how far on the dark side are we going? All the way! We’re going with the deepest, darkest cocoa in these babies. Hershey’s “special” dark cocoa. Of course, if you wanted to go a little lighter on the chocolate, you could use regular cocoa, but why I ask why?
Cupcake Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cocoa (I used Hershey’s special dark)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup full-fat buttermilk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons brewed coffee
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 extra-large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Cupcake Instructions
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt and set aside.
- In a second medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream and coffee and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, (or use a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugars on high speed until the mixture is very light and fluffy. This will take about 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
- On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and dry ingredients alternately in thirds to the mixing bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the dry ingredients. When adding the flour, mix only until it’s incorporated. Do not over mix. Run a rubber spatula under the paddle to make sure all flour is incorporated.
- Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, using one mounded ice cream scoop per liner. Bake on a middle oven rack for approximately 20-25 minutes, when an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and allow to completely cool before frosting.
Peanut Butter Frosting Ingredients
- 1 Cup creamy peanut butter
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- Reese Pieces
Peanut Butter Frosting Instructions
- Add the powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or use a hand mixer. Mix on medium-low speed until the powdered sugar is incorporated. Mix on medium speed until creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Add the cream and mix on high speed until mixture is very light and smooth.
- Frost cupcakes and garnish frosting with chopped Reese pieces.
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PrintDark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
- Prep Time: 30 Minutes
- Cook Time: 20 Minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 24 Cupcakes 1x
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting are dark, moist and covered with creamy peanut butter frosting, and we all know that peanut butter is the perfect complement to chocolate. What more could you ask for? You’ll be making this recipe time and time again!!
Ingredients
CUPCAKES
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cocoa (I used Hershey’s special dark)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup full-fat buttermilk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons brewed coffee
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 extra-large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
FROSTING
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
GARNISH
- Chopped Reese pieces
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with 24 liners and set aside.
CUPCAKES
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt and set aside.
- In a second medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream and coffee and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, (or use a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugars on high speed until the mixture is very light and fluffy. This will take about 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
- On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and dry ingredients alternately in thirds to the mixing bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the dry ingredients. When adding the flour, mix only until it’s incorporated. Do not over mix. Run a rubber spatula under the paddle to make sure all flour is incorporated.
- Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, using one mounded ice cream scoop per liner. Bake on a middle oven rack for approximately 20-25 minutes, when an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and allow to completely cool before frosting.
FROSTING (This frosting is enough to generously frost 12 cupcakes)
- Add the powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or use a hand mixer. Mix on medium-low speed until the powdered sugar is incorporated. Mix on medium speed until creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Add the cream and mix on high speed until mixture is very light and smooth.
- Frost cupcakes and garnish frosting with chopped Reese pieces.
Recipe adapted from Food Network
Notes
- This frosting is enough to generously frost 12 cupcakes. I doubled it for these chocolate cupcakes.