Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

These Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes are perfect for my fellow chocolate peanut butter lovers. They're rich and fudgy with a salty, yet sweet peanut butter buttercream. They're also topped off with mini peanut butter cups to make them look extra fun.

These Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes have three delicious elements, their chocolate cake base, chocolate ganache filling, and peanut butter buttercream.

All three elements work together perfectly to create a delicious and flavor filled cupcake.

A FEW NOTES BEFORE WE GET STARTED

• Room Temperature Ingredients:
  • Butter: It’s important that your butter is softened. In a pinch, you can put your butter in the microwave for about 5 seconds on each side, but watch closely to make sure it is just softening and not melting.
  • Eggs: You also want to make sure that the eggs are at room temperature to ensure that they are properly incorporated into your batter. If you forget to leave them out before you start baking, place them in a bowl of warm water for about 15 minutes until they become room temperature.
• Measuring Your Ingredients:
  • I strongly encourage that you use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients and ensure that you have the most accurate measurements possible.
  • However, if you don’t have a scale on hand and will be using cup measurements, make sure to use the “spoon and sweep” method when measuring to avoid packing in too much of any dry ingredient.
• Oven Temperature:
  • Make sure to preheat your oven for at least 15 minutes before you start baking.
  • I recommend purchasing an oven thermometer to get to know your oven so you can adjust your baking temperatures accordingly. Some ovens run slightly warmer or colder so its important to know yours to make sure your baked goods come out right.

You'll first get started on making the chocolate ganache. Place the chopped chocolate in a heat safe bowl. Place the heavy cream in a smaller heat safe bowl and microwave for 10 second intervals, stirring in between until the cream is hot.

Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until combined. Reheat for 10 seconds if the chocolate isn't fully melted. Let cool before covering with plastic wrap and placing in the fridge to chill.

Next you'll get started on the cupcakes. Preheat oven to 350º F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt and set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with your spatula as needed. Add vanilla.

With the mixer on low, add the buttermilk. Beginning and ending with the flour mixture, alternate between adding the flour mixture and the coffee to the batter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, carefully scoop 2 tablespoon of batter into each cupcake liner. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and split the remaining batter among the cupcakes until they look even.

Bake for 22-24 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the pan cool on the cooling rack for 15 minutes before gently pulling the cupcakes out of the pan and letting them cool completely on the cooling rack.

Now you'll start to make the peanut butter buttercream. Blend the butter and peanut butter on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar and mix on low until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Use a cupcake corer or a small knife to carefully cut the center of each cupcake about ¾ of the way. Save the tops that you cut out as these will be added back.

Add the chocolate ganache to a pastry bag and carefully pipe into the centers of each cupcake until they're ¾ full. If your ganache is too thick, carefully reheat in the microwave for 10 seconds until it is a better piping consistency.

Gently add the tops back so they cover up the chocolate ganache. Scoop the peanut butter buttercream into a pastry bag fitted with a Wilton 1M or similar piping tip.

Starting on the outer rim of the cupcake, hold the piping bag upright and apply pressure to pipe straight down, moving in a spiral until you get closer to the center. Gently lift up in a swift swirling motion to leave a slight tip.

Repeat this with the remaining cupcakes. Top each cupcake with a mini peanut butter cup. Enjoy!

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