Peanut Butter Stuffed Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
Why I Love This Recipe
A twist on the Cream-Filled Cupcakes, this version adds peanut butter and dark chocolate to the mix.
Ingredients You'll Need
Cupcake Ingredients:
1 egg
2/3 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. buttermilk
2 c. flour
1 3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. cocoa (use the dark version, if preferred)
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. baking soda
1 c. hot coffee
Filling Ingredients:
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
4 tbsp. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
2 c. powdered sugar
1 tbsp. milk
Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. heavy cream
15 dark chocolate mini peanut butter cups, halved, for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pans with paper liners (about 30).
Combine egg, oil, vanilla and buttermilk. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Combine the egg mixture and the flour mixture, mixing well. Slowly mix in hot coffee. Batter will be thin.
Fill the muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched
For the filling, beat together the butter, cream cheese and peanut butter in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the powder sugar, ½ cup at a time, beating after each addition. Add the milk and beat until creamy.
Fit a pastry bag with a long narrow tip and fill with peanut butter filling. Insert tip about 1/2 inch deep into the top of each cupcake and fill cupcake with frosting. Set aside unused filling.
Place the chocolate chips in a small bowl. Heat the heavy cream over low/med heat until it just starts to simmer. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips and let it sit for 2 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir the chocolate chips and the cream until well-blended.
Swirl the top of each cupcake into chocolate glaze, coating the top of each cake. Let the glaze harden for a few minutes (you can chill them, if desired), then, using leftover filling, pipe a swirl of buttercream on top of each cupcake. Garnish each cupcake with 1/2 mini peanut butter cup.
