Peanut Butter Cupcakes With Chocolate Frosting

Today I made Peanut Butter Cupcakes With Chocolate Frosting

I never really got the whole Peanut Butter Craze until I started baking with it as an ingredient in my cakes. I have friends that would literally sit down with a jar of peanut butter and a spoon and be quite content. After experimenting with using it in my cupcake recipes I finally get it. Out of all my recipes that the Peanut buttery goodness features, this is definitely the "peanutbutteriest". I slather today's cupcakes with a rich, thick chocolate frosting and top with chopped peanuts and milk chocolate chips. I've tried my hand at a number of different peanut butter recipes, I've found they can be either too dry, too dense or lacking that peanut butter flavour. Then finally one day I cracked it...

These cupcakes are incredibly moist and tender, you don't have to worry about them being too dry or falling apart, my little secret weapon in this recipe is the dark brown sugar I use to sweeten the little guys up. I love baking with dark brown sugar the most out of all the sugars. It can really deliver a moist and soft texture and I feel it was the key to cracking this recipe. The best part about these cupcakes I feel is that they actually taste like peanut butter. They aren't vanilla cupcakes with a slight taste of peanut butter they are peanut butter through and through. I maxed out this batter with 85g of chunky peanut butter for just 12 cupcakes. 

All the ingredients I used in this recipes I got in Ardkeen Quality Food Store. In this recipe I use Meridian Chunky Peanut Butter. Meridian offers an organic product made by roasting peanuts in their skins then grinding them till it forms a crunchy paste. This health food product has no added sugar or salt, it is also wheat, dairy and gluten free. I never look past Meridian for all my peanut butter needs. They also have a fab smooth version. The ingredients I used to top the frosting were Ardkeen Quality Food Store own range nuts chopped and of course my Callebaut Milk Chocolate Chips. You can also use a little melted chocolate in the frosting, 10-15g. While the cupcakes bake in the oven, you can prepare the thick and creamy milk chocolate frosting. 

Ingredients:

For the Cupcakes:

• 150g All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 85g Chunky Peanut Butter
• 150g Unsalted Butter, softened 
• 100g Dark Brown Sugar
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 3 Tablespoons Milk

For the Milk Chocolate Frosting:

• 250g Icing Sugar
• 150g Cocoa Powder 
• 180g Softened Butter - you can use half butter and half Double Cream if you wish
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line cupcakes tin with your cases of choice. 

2. Mix together the sieved flour, salt and baking powder and set aside. Cream together the peanut butter, sugar and butter until light and fluffy- you  can do this with a handheld mixer or stand mixer but I normally just do it by hand with a whisk as I feel I lose a lot of the mixture trying to scrape it off all the different parts of the mixer.  

3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure to mix thoroughly after each addition. When the eggs are fully incorporated you can add in the vanilla extract and mix. I normally beat in the eggs with a wooden spoon as I feel a whisk can agitate the eggs a little too much and may lead to heavy cupcakes

 4. Slowly Beat in the Flour mixture alternatively with the milk mixing till just combined, ensure not to over-mix as this will lead to heavy dry cupcakes. Adding a little flour then milk ensure that the mixture doesn't get too thick or thin during the mixing process. The mixture should be light in colour.

 5. Divide the mixture evenly between the 12 cases. I normally use an ice-cream scooper to divide out the mixture. That way you get the exact same amount in each case so your cupcakes will all be the same size which is handy as they will all be cooked at the same time. Consistency is important while baking, as they will look prettier if they are all the same size at the end. Bake for 23-25 minutes. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

6. For the frosting, sift together the Icing Sugar and Cocoa Powder so that it is all incorporated and there are no lumps, set aside. Beat the butter by itself for a minute until it is soft and fluffy then slowly add in the Icing Sugar and Cocoa Powder along with the Vanilla Extract. 

7. I normally chill the frosting while I'm waiting for the cupcakes to cool as it's easier to work with when it's slightly firmer. If the cupcake are any way warm the icing will melt when you put it on and it will look quite messy. It's important while making the frosting that the butter you use is softened to room temperature but in no way melted as you will not get the consistency you desire. 

8. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired. You can use a piping bag if you have one, if you don't you can just place a generous amount of the frosting on top of each cupcake and then with the back of your spoon flick the frosting up so it looks peaked. 

9. When you're happy with the frosting you can then add the chopped nuts and chocolate chips, there's no one way of doing this, I like the organised chaos look. As long as you get a little bit of everything in each bite, you're good to go.

"It's Peanut Butter Cupcake Time"