Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

November 19, 2020

Chocolate + Peanut Butter. What else can I say? It’s a classic combo for a reason. 

These chocolate peanut butter cupcakes are a great weeknight bake - they come together quickly and only require two bowls. The fewer dishes I have to wash, the more likely I am to try a recipe. It’s like a rule of nature. 

And let’s talk about this frosting. The peanut butter is the star, as it should be. It’s perfectly nutty and sweet and pairs so nicely with the soft, chocolaty cake. I frosted these using a flat top style, because I like the resulting cake-to-frosting ratio (IMO you shouldn’t have more frosting than cake!). But if you prefer a pretty swirl, the frosting is soft enough to pipe as well. 

A word of warning, the batter for these cupcakes is VERY thin. I was sure I’d done something wrong, but that’s how it's supposed to be - trust. It does make it a little harder to distribute the batter among the cupcake liners, but just use a steady hand and you’ll be fine. Otherwise, these cupcakes are super easy and will definitely be in regular rotation for birthdays, barbeques or just because it’s Tuesday and you’re hit with a chocolate and peanut butter craving.

recipe

Recipe from Sugar Spun Run’s Easy Chocolate Cupcakes and Peanut Butter Frosting

Time: ~1 hour

Quantity: 2 dozen

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

• 396 g (2 cups) granulated sugar

• 225 g (1 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour

• 63 g (3/4 cups) cocoa powder

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1 teaspoons salt

• 132 g (2/3 cup) vegetable oil (or other neutral oil)

• 8 oz (1 cup) milk

• 2 large eggs 

• 2 teaspoons vanilla 

• 8 oz (1 cup) hot water (or hot coffee)

Frosting

• 226 g (1 cup) butter, softened to room temperature

• 245 g (1 scant cup) creamy peanut butter 

• 340 g (3 cups) confectioners’ sugar 

• 1 teaspoon vanilla 

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoons milk, if necessary

Process:

Cupcakes 

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare a muffin tin with cupcake liners. 

2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix to combine. 

3. Stir in canola oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until combined. 

4. Add hot water (or coffee) and stir until the mixture is evenly combined. It is a VERY thin batter. That’s normal. 

5. Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full, being careful not to overfill. Overfilled cupcakes will sink in on themselves after baking. 

6. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. 

7. Make sure the cupcakes cool completely before frosting. 

Frosting

1. While the cupcakes cool, make the frosting. 

2. In a large bowl, combine butter and peanut butter and mix with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy. 

3. Add the confectioners’ sugar in two or three batches, mixing until well combined. You may need to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. 

4. Add the vanilla and salt and mix until combined. 

5. If the frosting is too thick, add a teaspoon of milk, repeating until you’ve reached your desired consistency. I try to avoid adding the milk, because it’s easy to go too far in the other direction and end up with thin frosting. I prefer to err on the side of thick frosting. 

Assemble

1. Once the cupcakes have cooled completely you can frost them using your preferred method. You can do swoops with a spoon or knife, pipe a swirl, or my favorite approach, the flat top. 

2. You may have extra frosting. 

3. Top with mini chocolate chips, chocolate sprinkles, peanut butter chips, or all three!

Tips:

• Recipe can be halved for a dozen cupcakes. 

• Here’s a video that shows some frosting styles that don’t require a piping bag.