Take cupcakes made from a jazzed-up chocolate cake mix, stuff them with rich and creamy chocolate ganache, and top with smooth peanut butter frosting. You’ve got Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes!
I volunteer to make the cupcakes any time there’s a baby shower at church. As a food blogger, I’m always looking for an excuse to bake and to test my recipes on others. I knew the most recent shower was for a couple expecting a baby girl, so I wracked my brain for some fun fruity flavor ideas. I had plenty of inspiration, but I kept coming back to chocolate.
Finally I decided to say to heck with the idea of a light and girly cupcake. I made these Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes instead. The cupcake recipe is the same as the one I used to make my Triple Chocolate Cupcakes; the ganache is the same, too. The frosting, though, is where things get interesting. I took my decadent cream cheese frosting and subbed for peanut butter for the cream cheese. The result was a smooth, delightfully-rich frosting that stole the cupcake show.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
1 box chocolate cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
Ganache Filling
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cup chocolate chips
Frosting
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk or heavy cream
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, oil, sour cream, milk, and vanilla. Mix for two to three minutes, or until only small lumps remain. Scoop the batter into a muffin pan lined with cupcake liners. Fill each cup half to two thirds full. Bake 14-17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and allow them to cool on a cooling rack.
To prepare the ganache, combine the cream and chocolate chips in a large bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until the cream and chocolate melt together and form a smooth, shiny sauce. The ganache will be thin, so you’ll need to refrigerator it for three to four hours before filling the cupcakes.
To make the frosting, cream the butter and the peanut butter in a large bowl for two minutes, or until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and one cup at a time, mixing to incorporate after each. Add the vanilla and milk or cream and mix on low just until incorporated. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat for three minutes, until the frosting is fluffy and has lightened in color.
To stuff the cupcakes, use a cupcake corer or a knife to remove a section from the middle of the cupcake; be careful not to cut through the bottom of the cupcake. Set aside the cupcake pieces and spoon ganache into the cored cupcakes. Place the top back on the cupcake. Frost stuffed cupcakes and enjoy!
You’re going to want to pin these Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes!
