Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting

Taking a walk on the dark side today! Chocolate cupcakes are fabulous and all but what about DARK chocolate cupcakes? Dark chocolate cupcakes garnished with the creamiest, dreamiest peanut butter frosting to ever grace your tastebuds and sprinkled with those magical orange, yellow, and brown gems we call Reese’s Pieces.

An intensely flavored moist dark chocolate cupcake, a silky frosting, and a delightful crunch on top. This, my friends, is how you dessert.

If you have a solid “base recipe”, the options are endless. For example, a perfect vanilla cupcake can quickly transform into a peanut butter & jelly cupcake. Or turn into a pistachio cupcake with strawberry frosting. Or, my favorite, a coconut and caramel filled variation. We all know the saying if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But, by all means, jazz things up a bit!! And that’s exactly what we’re doing today. I made a batch of my super moist chocolate cupcakes, intensified the chocolate flavor, and topped with something all of us peanut butter aficionados can appreciate. Totally appropriate for your Monday morning, no?

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup (95g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
• 1/2 cup (42g) Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder*
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder or instant espresso*
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature*
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable or canola oil (or melted coconut oil)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
• Peanut Butter Frosting
• 5 Tablespoons (75g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup (250g) creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup (120g) confectioners' sugar
• 1/3 cup (80ml) heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• optional: crushed Reese's Pieces for topping

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second pan with 2 liners - this recipe makes about 14 cupcakes. Set aside.
2. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla together until completely smooth. Pour half of the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Then half of the buttermilk. Gently whisk for a few seconds. Repeat with the remaining wet ingredients and buttermilk. Stir until *just* combined; do not overmix. The batter will be thin.
3. ...............................

for full recipes please see : sallysbakingaddiction.com

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