Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes

Peanut butter lovers unite for a delicious chocolate cupcake topped with creamy peanut butter frosting and a secret stash of peanut butter inside. These Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes take the best combo there is – chocolate and peanut butter – and bring to life one tasty treat.

Today is our last day in Seattle before returning to LA. We have really enjoyed Seattle’s flourishing cafe culture and have spent much of our time frequenting the city’s top notch bakeries and enjoying a bounty of beautiful pastries.

Peanut butter and chocolate is definitely a weakness of mine. One of my food highlights on our trip so far was in Washington DC in an incredible cafe called Baked and Wired. They have an amazing variety of unique baked goods that go beyond your normal bakery treats.

As I posted on Instagram, they make a mean peanut butter slice that literally combines a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie and a peanut butter chocolate brownie – it is heavenly. So let’s get our chocolate and pb fix with these soft and fluffy cupcakes.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients
Cupcakes
3/4 cup (105 grams) plain flour
1/2 cup (40 grams) cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup (100 grams) caster sugar
1/4 cup (45 grams) brown sugar
2 large eggs
115 grams (1/2 cup / 1 stick) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (125 ml) buttermilk
Filling
1/2 cup (120 grams) smooth peanut butter
Frosting
1/3 cup (75 grams) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups (375 grams) icing or powdered sugar
1/2 cup (120 grams) smooth peanut butter
2-3 tablespoons milk

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (360 F). Line a 12 hole muffin tin with patty cases. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and then add the sugars. Pop the butter into the microwave for a short burst, 10 seconds or so at a time, until it becomes very soft but just before it is completely melted. Give it a stir with a fork to eliminate any lumps.  In a separate mixing bowl, add the eggs, vanilla and butter and whisk together until smooth. Then add the wet mixture into the dry mixture, along with the buttermilk and gently fold until just combined.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared patty cases and pop into the oven. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until just cooked through. Set cakes out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Carefully cut out a hole in the middle of each cake and fill with peanut butter. I found it easy to pipe in the peanut butter filling using a piping bag and a large star tip.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and gently add the icing sugar. Add a tablespoon or two of milk to help loosen up the mixture. Add the peanut butter and continue to beat. Continue to add a tablespoon of milk if needed. The icing should be nice and creamy but thick enough to hold its shape. Pipe the icing onto the cupcakes using a piping bag and a large star tip.

For tips on piping check out my cupcake frosting post HERE.