Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
Rich, moist chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter buttercream.
Ingredients
FOR THE CUPCAKES
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (88.5 g) Cacao Barry Extra Brute Cocoa Powder (or similar premium brand)
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon (3 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 cup (236 g) hot water,
- 1/2 cup (109 g) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) pure vanilla extract
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
- 5 cups (625 g) powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
- 1 1/2 cups (339 g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
- 1 cup (250 g) creamy peanut butter , (I like Skippy)
- 1 tablespoon (4.2 g) pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (57.75 g) heavy whipping cream
- Pinch of coarse salt
- *This buttercream recipe makes enough to do a single layer swirl on each cupcake. If you want taller swirls (as pictured, make 1.5x the recipe)
Instructions
FOR THE CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place cupcake liners in the cupcake pans. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Combine eggs, buttermilk, water, oil and vanilla in a measuring cup and lightly beat with a fork.
- Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix with a whisk or your mixer until combined and no streaks for clumps of flour remain. Batter will be thin. Scrape sides and mix for another 30 seconds. Fill each cupcake liner no more than 2/3rd full.
- Bake for 22 to 25 minutes (you may need more time depending on your oven), until toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. Cool on wire racks for 10-15 minutes, then gently invert onto racks until cooled completely.
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
- In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with your hand beaters, combine the butter and peanut butter. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 45 seconds.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar to the bowl, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract, salt and heavy whipping cream, and continue to beat on high speed until very fluffy, about 3-5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Use a wooden spoon to mix frosting to get rid of air bubbles.