Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes are to die for, a rich dark chocolate peanut butter cupcake is topped with sweet peanut butter buttercream and peanut butter cup.

I participated in Mom Blog Tour Winter Fancy Food Show (#MomBlogTourFF) on behalf of Wendy’s Bloggers. I received Real California Milk products to facilitate my review, but my opinions and the recipe are my own.

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes are one of the most delicious ways to get your peanut butter and chocolate fix. Truly, these cupcakes are so rich and chocolaty and so loaded with peanut butter, that you will lick your fingers clean. A dark chocolate and peanut butter cupcake is topped with the most creamy and luxurious, easy to make peanut butter buttercream and finished with a peanut butter cup. Pass me the milk and another cupcake, these are so good, that I refuse to share!

Why You Will Love These Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes Recipe:

• The cupcakes are actually very easy to make with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry
• The chocolate and peanut butter combo is delicious, especially since I used dark chocolate cocoa powder, this adds a little sharpness and nice contrast
• These are perfect for a party, special occasion or as a hostess gift
• Rich, creamy and delicious, they are guaranteed to become a show stopper on the dessert table

Tricks and Tips for perfect Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes Recipe:

• Use high quality cocoa powder – when you make chocolate desserts, as you want the chocolate to shine. You can use regular unsweetened cocoa, or Special Dark Unsweetened Cocoa, I have used the latest to achieve the dark chocolate flavor in these Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes.
• Don’t skip the salt – you see how in many desserts it says to add a pinch of salt, same in this one, and while you may skip it in other recipes, you definitely want to add it here, as the salt will enhance the chocolate flavor
• Ingredients should be at room temperature – for that perfect airy, soft and moist crumb make sure your all ingredients are at room temperature
• Use creamy peanut butter in this recipe
• Make sure you don’t over bake the cupcakes, each oven is different but checking at the 15 minute mark is key to see how much more they need to be kept in the oven, keep in mind that every minute counts so check back in 2 minutes if they are still slightly raw
• Use quality dairy products, I have used Real California Milk butter. Quality dairy products make  huge difference in recipes, especially in buttercream since you want it creamy and rich. Look for the Real California Milk seal, this way you will know you are getting the best of the best.

Now, I have something super fun for you guys, one very lucky reader is going to win a package of assorted dairy products from Real California Milk. Imagine, amazing cheese and butter delivered straight to your door! You can use the giveaway tool below to enter for a chance to win.

Giveaway will end on 4/05/17 at 11:59p ET. One winner per household, email address, or home address. If you have won this prize on another blog you are ineligible to win again. Winner must have a U.S.-based address to receive the prize.

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

 

Print

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

17 mins

Total time

47 mins

 

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes are to die for, a rich dark chocolate peanut butter cupcake is topped with sweet peanut butter buttercream and peanut butter cup.

Author: Katalina Kastravet

Recipe type: Cupcakes

Cuisine: American

Serves: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

• Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Batter:
• 1 cup all purpose white flour, preferably sifted
• ¼ cup dark chocolate cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons peanut butter
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup buttermilk
• Peanut Butter Buttercream:
• 2 sticks (1 cup/226 grams) Real California Milk unsalted butter, room temperature
• ½ cup vegetable shortening, room temperature
• 1½ cup peanut butter
• 4-6 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup cocoa powder - optional
• Garnish:
• 12 Peanut Butter Cups

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Position oven rack in the middle of the oven.
2. Line a regular muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners and set aside.
3. Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Batter:
4. In a medium mixing bowl, combine: cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, whisk and set aside.
5. In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine peanut butter, oil, and brown sugar, beat until all combined and fluffy.
6. Add in the eggs one at a time, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until combined. Stop a few times to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula.
7. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk, alternating between the two and mixing by hand (to avoid over mixing) until all combined.
8. Fill the cupcake liners almost completely full with batter.
9. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs.
10. Allow the cupcakes to cool for 3 minutes in the pan, then transfer them to a cooling rack. Place cupcakes upside down on the cooling rack to create a dome top.
11. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting them.
12. Peanut Butter Buttercream:
13. In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of an electric/stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine butter and vegetable shortening, beat until fluffy.
14. Add in the peanut butter and vanilla extract, beat until fully combined on medium-high speed. Stop a few times to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula.
15. Begin to add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mix with the mixer speed on low after that increasing it to medium.
16. Continue adding powdered sugar until the frosting tastes sweet enough to you, I used 4 cups.
17. Optional: Transfer ½ of the buttercream to another and using a mixer, mic in ¼ cup of cocoa powder.
18. Add frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star piping tip, if you use chocolate and peanut butter buttercream, add chocolate buttercream to one side of the bag and peanut butter buttercream to the other, it doesn't have to be perfect.
19. Pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes, starting in the center and swirling to the outside and swirling back into the center as you progressively stack the frosting.
20. Garnish yeah cupcake with a peanut butter cup.
21. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
22. Enjoy!

3.5.3226

Visit Real California Milk website to learn more about the assorted diary products that the company offers. You can also visit them on their social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter

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