2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup strong brewed coffee, room temperature
1/2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
FILLING:
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 to 4 tablespoons 2% milk
GANACHE:
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING:
1 cup packed brown sugar
4 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
Chocolate curls, optional
1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine first 6 ingredients. Whisk buttermilk, coffee, oil, eggs and vanilla until blended; add to the dry ingredients until combined. (Batter will be very thin.) Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.
2. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
3. In a small bowl, cream peanut butter, butter, confectioners' sugar and enough milk to achieve piping consistency. Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry bag; insert a small round tip. Fill with peanut butter filling. Insert tip into the top center of each cupcake; pipe about 1 tablespoon filling into each.
4. Place chocolate chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Dip the top of each cupcake into ganache; place on wire racks to set.
5. In a large heavy saucepan, combine brown sugar, egg whites, salt and cream of tartar over low heat. With a hand mixer, beat on low speed 1 minute. Continue beating on low over low heat until frosting reaches 160°, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour into a large bowl; add vanilla. Beat on high until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.
6. Add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. If mixture begins to look curdled, place frosting bowl in another bowl filled with hot water for a few seconds. Continue adding butter and beating until smooth. Beat in peanut butter 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth.
7. Place frosting in a pastry bag with large star tip; pipe onto each cupcake. If desired, top with chocolate curls. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Let stand at room temperature before serving.
I've been baking cakes for years and enjoy trying new combinations of flavors and textures. For this peanut butter cupcake recipe, I blended peanut butter and chocolate. As soon as I took the first bite, I knew I had created something divine!
TOTAL TIME: Prep: 55 min. Bake: 20 min. + cooling
YIELD: 2 dozen.
Nutrition Facts
1 cupcake: 498 calories, 33g fat (16g saturated fat), 69mg cholesterol, 196mg sodium, 50g carbohydrate (39g sugars, 2g fiber), 6g protein.