I've some MAJOR catching up to do on here! I figured a good place to start would be with a new post for a delicious cupcake recipe I found. If a Reese's peanut butter cup had a love child with a rich cake, this would be it. The cake itself is moist and very chocolaty & the icing is definitely unique (and extremely peanut butter-y). I did make the mistake of putting some of the leftover icing on some freshly made chocolate chip cookies and *good lawd* it was delicious. I'll definitely be adding this one to my recipe collection!
Dark Chocolate Cake & Peanut Butter Icing
Makes 12 cupcakes
8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter
2oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 C Dutch-processed cocoa powder
3/4 C all-purpose flour
1/c tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
3/4 C granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C (4 ounces) sour cream
Preheat to 350 degrees F and line standard-size muffin pan with baking cup liners.
Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and combined. Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.
Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine.
Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt until incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined.
Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is smooth and thick.
Divide the batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake about 18-20 mins or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Cool cupcakes in pan until cool enough to handle and then move to a wire rack to continue cooling before icing.
Peanut Butter Icing
1 C confectioners’ sugar
1 C creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 C heavy cream
Place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.
