Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

in Cakes & Cupcakes, Chocolate, Lighter & Healthier, Peanut Butter

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

I don’t have a whole lot to say so I’ll stick to the facts:

I like chocolate cake.
Cook’s Illustrated Chocolate Cake is one of my favorites. If I’ve ever made a chocolate cake for you, that’s the recipe I always use. This recipe uses sour cream and makes a very dutch cocoa-y, incredibly moist cake.

I love peanut butter.
Like, zOMG love peanut butter. And it has to be Jif. Only Jif. I love peanut butter so much that I stopped writing this post to go make a batch of peanut butter cookies.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

I habitually over-frost my cupcakes. Always have. Always will.
The Foodie Groom felt that a little peanut butter frosting went a long way and took off some of the frosting on his taste-test cupcake. Blasphemy. I promptly placed it on top of my cupcake.

The world became a better place the day chocolate and peanut butter were first combined.
But really… it’s chocolate and peanut butter. You just can’t go wrong.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Sour Cream-Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

An incredibly decadent chocolate-peanut butter combo: rich dark chocolate cake, tangy peanut butter-cream cheese frosting, and salted chocolate covered peanuts.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 1/4 cup sugar
  • 3/8 cup dutch process cocoa
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 Tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 egg
  • For the Peanut Butter Frosting:
  • 5 oz cream cheese, at room temp
  • 4 Tbsp butter, at room temp
  • pinch of salt
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup peanut butter
  • For the Chocolate Covered Peanuts
  • 1/3 cup chopped semisweet chocolate
  • 1/2 cup peanuts, unsalted
  • Pinch of sea salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Spray the tops and line two muffin pans with 16 cupcake liners.
  3. Add dry ingredients to the bowl of your stand mixer. Turn on low and add sour cream and oil.
  4. When completely mixed, add water in 1/4-cup increments until the batter is uniform.
  5. Add vanilla, vinegar, and the egg, mixing on medium until combined. The batter will be very runny.
  6. Ladle batter into the cupcake liners, filling 3/4 full.
  7. Bake for ~25 minutes, until a skewer inserted in a center cupcake comes out with moist crumbs attached.
  8. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes and then cool on wire rack completely before frosting.
  9. To make the frosting, beat cream cheese and butter on high, until light and creamy (2-3 minutes).
  10. Mix in salt and powdered sugar on low speed until just combined and then beat on high for 2-3 minutes, until the frosting is fluffy.
  11. Add peanut butter and mix on high until completely combined.
  12. To make the chocolate-covered peanuts, melt chocolate in the microwave. Stir in peanuts, coating completely. Spread evenly on wax paper. Sprinkle with sea salt, if using. Let cool. Break/cut into pieces for garnish.

Notes

Yields: 16 cupcakes

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride and Sky High Cakes

Estimated time: 1 hour

Nutritional Information
Calories: 347.1 | Fat: 17.7 | Fiber 1.3
WW Points: 8

36 comments… add one
  • I’ve never met a peanut butter dessert that I didn’t like. Ever. And these are making me yeaaarn for cupcakes!

  • I agree with you on every point! I have been a chocolate lover since I was a little kid, and have been addicted to chocolate and peanut butter ever since I tasted then together for the first time. Also, I only eat cake to get to the frosting. You can never have too much frosting 🙂

  • i can’t look at these photos….good lord woman

  • “just the facts” are that your photo’s are the bomb and the recipe sounds fantastic.

  • All my favorite flavors in one cupcake! Thanks for sharing this divinity!

  • Too much PB frosting?!?!? That’s crazy talk. Did you take his temperature?

    These cupcakes look amazing!

  • blasphemy indeed! ‘i promptly placed it on top of my cupcake…’–atta girl, you’re an eater after my own heart. 🙂

  • haha so i’m totally that person who takes frosting off her cupcakes. 🙂 i just can’t handle a lot of it. poor hubby, lots of times I don’t even make frosting for cupcakes! hahaha.

  • Yea for Jif love!

    And this cake has been on my radar for at least a year now… and you’ve made it into cupcake form, which makes it even more accessible.

    Now to find people who will eat with me.

  • Peanut butter and chocolate?! The fact that I don’t have one of these cupcakes in my grubby little paws right about now is making me cry.

  • Gorgeous cupcakes! I don’t usually like a TON of frosting on mine but they sure make for pretty pictures 🙂 I love sour cream in chocolate cake. Can’t wait to try this one out!

  • Gorgeous cupcakes!!

  • oh it looks so good !!!

  • Hi,

    Please consider submitting your sour cream cupcakes photo as well as some of your other photographs/recipes to FoodGazing.com. FoodGazing.com was launched just a few weeks ago and we are looking for great food photos and recipes.

  • Such gorgeous cupcakes! Love the peanut butter frosting too…bet it tastes out of this world!

  • That is what I call an amazing cupcake! The frosting is perfect, and the flavors..My favorites! Mm.

  • FoodieMama

    These look great! I LOVE anything choc & peanut butter…will definitely be trying these

  • Wow, those are decadent! You really are talented with cupcakes! Great job on the frosting.

  • These look so great! I am a habitual over-froster too…can’t imagine removing frosting!?! There has to be a law against that somewhere!

  • I’m like you. No such thing as too much frosting! Even when I eat half of it from the bowl and get a belly ache, haha.

  • Rachel

    The measurement for the vegetable oil is missing. Is it cup or tablespoon?

  • Jen

    For the cake recipe, what size cake pan should I use if I opt for a cake instead of cupcakes?

  • Jen

    Great! I’ll be making these for my husband’s very first father’s day. By the way, hope Jason has a great Father’s Day as well.

  • This looks delicious!!! Lovely pictures 🙂

  • Dani

    My first attempt at these are in the oven baking as I type this… Man I hope they taste as awesome as they sound and look.
    *salivates*
    My fiance is practically banging on the oven door in anticipation!

  • Wow, just found your site…NICE. I’ve always used a combo of the Hersheys perfect chocolate cake/Epicurious double chocolate cake…Your recipe sounds intriquing, I may need to try. I thought I would let you know that if you add crushed graham crackers to your peanut butter frosting recipe, you will have the most orgasmic filling for cake (almost like the filling in the Reese’s PB cups)…BTW, added your site to my favorites!

  • Katie

    Silly question; Could this recipe be made into a cake, with just a change in cooking time? It looks great and I’m trying to find a good recipe for my sons first birthday cake.

    • Katie – Absolutely. I made half the original recipe for these cupcakes. The original yields a 3-layer 8-inch cake. The layers should still bake in ~25 minutes.

  • Michelle

    Thanks for the recipe. I am making these for my mom’s birthday next week. Previous experience has taught me to make the cupcakes themselves well ahead of time, just in case the recipe does not work out, freeze them, and ice them the day of. However, I had nothing to worry about, these cupcakes came out amazing. Not too sweet, which is perfect. Hopefully they will be a hit.

    Thanks!

  • Leslie

    What tip do you use for your frosting? I’ve seen several of your pictures, and they always look so nice 🙂

  • shell

    I LOVE chocolate & peanut butter (yes, it HAS to be Jif). I’m excited to make these! I think I’d only change one thing… I feel adding water to a recipe is leaving out an opportunity for flavor. I don’t know – I’ve always felt that way… I’d add cooled coffee instead. Coffee enhances chocolate flavor so it’s a win-win!
    Have a great day & thanks so much for the recipe!
    Off to bake!

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