The Ultimate Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes: A Decadent Recipe for Irresistible Indulgence
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Prepare yourself for an unforgettable dessert experience with these truly incredible Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes. This recipe delivers a perfect symphony of flavors and textures, combining super soft, moist chocolate cupcakes with a rich, creamy peanut butter filling and a velvety smooth peanut butter buttercream frosting that will melt in your mouth. If you’re a fan of the classic peanut butter and chocolate pairing, these cupcakes are an absolute must-try. They are not only delicious but also surprisingly easy to create, making them ideal for both seasoned bakers and beginners alike.
These delightful Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes come together with remarkable ease, yet they taste like they’re straight from a gourmet bakery. Each bite offers an intense burst of both peanut butter and chocolate, a combination that has captivated dessert lovers for generations. The foundation is an unbelievably soft and moist chocolate cupcake, meticulously crafted to provide the perfect base. Nestled within this tender crumb is a generous dollop of luscious creamy peanut butter, adding a delightful surprise to the center. To crown it all, a smooth, airy, and incredibly flavorful peanut butter frosting is piped on top, creating a dessert that is as visually appealing as it is delicious.
The texture of these chocolate peanut butter cupcakes is what truly sets them apart; they are incredibly soft, moist, and tender, holding their shape beautifully while practically dissolving in your mouth. This peanut butter chocolate cupcake recipe is beyond amazing, making these treats perfect for any gathering or special occasion. Whether you’re planning for the holidays, celebrating a birthday, or simply looking for a fantastic dessert to share with friends and family, these cupcakes are guaranteed to be a hit. They offer a comforting yet exciting flavor profile that appeals to all ages and palates, ensuring every celebration is a little sweeter.
If you’re looking to explore more delightful cupcake creations, be sure to try our Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes for a bright and zesty treat, the classic Red Velvet Cupcakes with their iconic cream cheese frosting, or indulge in the rich decadence of Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes. Each recipe offers a unique flavor experience, but these Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes remain a consistent crowd-pleaser.
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WHY THESE CUPCAKES ARE A MUST-MAKE
- Unrivaled Peanut Butter Buttercream: Our signature peanut butter buttercream is the star of the show. It’s light, fluffy, and bursting with rich peanut butter flavor, perfectly balanced in sweetness. It’s truly the best peanut butter buttercream you will ever taste, offering a smooth, pipeable consistency that holds its shape beautifully while remaining delightfully creamy. This frosting doesn’t just top the cupcake; it elevates the entire experience.
- Perfectly Soft Chocolate Cupcake Base: The chocolate cupcakes themselves are a marvel of baking. They are incredibly soft, moist, and tender, with a deep chocolate flavor that perfectly complements the peanut butter. What’s more, they are surprisingly quick and easy to make, even for those new to baking. The simple ingredients combine to create a deeply satisfying chocolate cake that isn’t overly sweet, providing an ideal canvas for the luscious filling and frosting.
- Stunning Showstopper Presentation: These cupcakes are not just delicious; they’re designed to impress. The combination of easy preparation and elegant decoration makes them true showstoppers. Topped with delightful mini Reese’s peanut butter cups and a sprinkle of chopped peanuts, they offer an appealing visual and textural contrast. The rich brown of the chocolate cupcake, the golden hue of the peanut butter filling, and the artfully piped frosting create a dessert that looks as good as it tastes, making them perfect for any special occasion or a simple indulgence.
ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT NOTES & TIPS
Understanding your ingredients is key to successful baking. Here are some insights into the key components of this irresistible recipe. For a full list of ingredients with precise measurements, please refer to the comprehensive recipe card below.
- Eggs: It is crucial for the eggs to be at room temperature. Take them out of the fridge at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before you plan to start baking. Room temperature eggs emulsify much better with other ingredients, leading to a smoother batter and a lighter, more evenly baked cupcake texture. The exact time needed will depend on the ambient temperature of your kitchen.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream is a secret weapon for achieving incredibly soft and tender cupcakes. Its acidity reacts with the baking soda, creating a lighter crumb, and its fat content contributes significantly to the moistness. Like eggs, measure out the sour cream and allow it to come to room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking. This ensures it blends seamlessly into the batter without curdling or creating temperature inconsistencies.
- Boiled Water: Don’t skip this step! Heating water to a boil before you begin and then allowing it to cool slightly (so it’s hot but not scalding) is important. When added to cocoa powder, hot water helps to “bloom” the cocoa, intensifying its chocolate flavor and color, resulting in a richer, deeper chocolate taste in your cupcakes. Add the boiled water to a measuring cup and let it sit while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Cocoa Powder: For the best and most intense chocolate flavor and a beautiful dark color, I highly recommend using high-quality Dutch-processed cocoa powder. Dutch-processed cocoa has been treated to reduce its acidity, resulting in a smoother, less bitter chocolate taste compared to natural cocoa powder. My personal favorite for its superior flavor is from Valrhona.
- Instant Espresso Powder: While optional, a touch of instant espresso powder will significantly enhance the chocolate flavor without making your cupcakes taste like coffee. It deepens the cocoa notes, making the chocolate richer and more profound. I use Nescafe Gold espresso powder because it dissolves quickly and is made from 100% Arabica coffee, offering a great, smooth flavor.
- Vegetable Oil: Using a flavor-neutral oil, such as canola oil, is essential for these cupcakes. Oil contributes to an incredibly moist and tender crumb, and unlike butter, it remains liquid at room temperature, which helps keep the cupcakes soft and fresh for longer. Its neutral flavor ensures the chocolate and peanut butter are the stars.
- Peanut Butter: For the smoothest, creamiest, and most delectable peanut butter buttercream, I strongly recommend using a creamy, processed peanut butter like Skippy or Jif. Natural peanut butter tends to separate and can make the frosting grainy or difficult to pipe. The consistency of these popular brands ensures a perfect texture for both the filling and the frosting.
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDANCE FOR PERFECTION
Creating these divine Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes is a straightforward process when you follow these instructions carefully. You’ll need an electric mixer (either a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer), two large mixing bowls, a whisk, and a spatula to bring these treats to life.
The complete recipe with detailed quantities and timings is conveniently located in the recipe card further down this page.
Before you begin your baking adventure, make sure to preheat your oven to 160ºC (320ºF) using a conventional oven setting. Simultaneously, prepare a 12-cup cupcake tin by lining each cavity with paper cupcake liners. This ensures your cupcakes bake evenly and are easy to remove.
STEP 1: Crafting the Chocolate Cupcake Batter. In your first large mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients for the chocolate cupcake batter. Use a whisk to gently stir them together until everything is thoroughly combined and there are no visible lumps. In a separate medium-sized bowl, add all of the wet ingredients. With a hand whisk, gently mix them until they are just combined. Avoid over-whisking at this stage, especially the eggs, to maintain the desired texture.
STEP 2: Combining and Baking. Gradually and slowly pour the wet ingredient mixture into the dry flour mixture. While pouring, gently stir everything together with your spatula or whisk until a smooth batter forms. Be careful not to overmix the batter, as this can lead to tough cupcakes. Divide the perfectly smooth cupcake batter evenly among the 12 prepared cupcake liners. Bake them in your preheated oven for approximately 20-23 minutes. You can check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of a cupcake; if it comes out clean, they are ready. Once baked, let them cool completely on a wire rack to prevent them from becoming soggy.
STEP 3: Preparing the Peanut Butter Buttercream Base. Once your cupcakes are cooling, begin preparing the exquisite peanut butter buttercream. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer, cream together the softened butter and creamy peanut butter. Beat them on medium-high speed for a full 2 minutes. This aeration step is vital for creating a light and fluffy frosting texture. Ensure your butter is at perfect room temperature for optimal creaming.
STEP 4: Finishing the Buttercream. After creaming, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl thoroughly to ensure all ingredients are incorporated. Then, add the sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk in two separate additions. Begin mixing on low speed until each addition of powdered sugar is fully incorporated into the mixture. Once all ingredients are in, increase the speed to medium-high and continue mixing for another minute. This final beat will make the frosting incredibly smooth, creamy, and wonderfully light.
STEP 5: Filling the Cupcakes. Now for the delicious surprise center! Once the cupcakes are completely cool, use the end of a piping tip (or a small round cookie cutter/corer) to carefully dig out a small core from the center of each cupcake. This creates a perfect indent for your creamy peanut butter filling. Using a small spoon, carefully fill each hollowed-out cupcake with a generous dollop of creamy peanut butter. This hidden treasure adds an extra layer of flavor and moisture.
STEP 6: Piping and Decorating. Transfer your prepared peanut butter buttercream into a piping bag fitted with your favorite round piping tip – a Wilton 1A is an excellent choice for a classic, smooth swirl. Pipe a beautiful swirl of buttercream onto the top of each filled cupcake. Finally, add your decorative touches: delicately place mini Reese’s peanut butter cups on top and sprinkle with a small handful of chopped peanuts for added texture and a professional finish. These decorated cupcakes are now ready to be admired and devoured!
EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- Use a Kitchen Scale for Precision: For the most accurate and consistent baking results, especially with delicate recipes like cupcakes, I cannot stress enough the importance of using a kitchen scale. My recipes are always developed using grams as the default measurement, as it’s the most precise way to measure ingredients, particularly flour and sugar. Volumetric measurements (cups) can vary significantly depending on how ingredients are scooped, leading to inconsistent outcomes. A kitchen scale eliminates this variability, ensuring your baked goods turn out perfectly every time.
- Avoid Overmixing Your Batter: Overmixing is one of the most common pitfalls in baking that can lead to dry, tough cupcakes. Once wet and dry ingredients are combined, mix only until no streaks of flour remain. The goal is to activate the gluten just enough to give structure, but not too much that it becomes chewy. After combining with your mixer, I always use a spatula to give the batter one final, gentle fold from the bottom up. This ensures everything at the bottom of the mixing bowl is fully incorporated without overdeveloping the gluten.
- Choose the Right Baking Pans: The type of baking pan you use can significantly impact the final texture and appearance of your cupcakes. For optimal results, an aluminum baking pan (light in color) is highly recommended. Light-colored pans reflect heat, leading to more gentle and even baking, which in turn produces a softer, more tender cupcake with a lighter crust. Conversely, dark-colored baking pans absorb more heat, often resulting in a darker crust and a potentially drier cupcake due to faster moisture evaporation. Always line your cupcake tin with paper liners for easy release and consistent baking.
- Bring Ingredients to Room Temperature: As mentioned for eggs and sour cream, this applies to butter and milk too for buttercream. Room temperature ingredients emulsify much more easily, creating a smoother, more homogenous batter and frosting. This prevents lumps and ensures even distribution of fats and liquids, which is critical for the delicate structure of cupcakes and the creamy texture of frosting.
- Don’t Overfill Your Liners: To achieve beautifully domed cupcakes without overflow, fill your cupcake liners no more than two-thirds full. Overfilling can lead to mushroom-topped cupcakes or batter spilling over the sides, making a mess and potentially altering baking time.
- Know Your Oven: Ovens can vary widely in temperature, even if they say they are preheated to a certain degree. Consider investing in an oven thermometer to verify your oven’s true temperature. An accurately calibrated oven is essential for consistent baking results, preventing burnt edges or undercooked centers.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
Absolutely! This recipe adapts beautifully to mini cupcakes. Simply follow all the recipe instructions as written, but adjust the baking time. Mini cupcakes typically bake much faster, requiring only about 8-10 minutes in the oven. Always use the cake tester or toothpick method to ensure they are fully baked; when it comes out clean, they’re done!
Yes, these cupcakes are excellent for making ahead, which can be a real time-saver! For best results, store the unfrosted chocolate cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. The peanut butter frosting can also be prepared in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. When you’re ready to assemble and serve, allow the frosting to come to room temperature for about 30-60 minutes. Give it a quick stir with a spatula or briefly re-whip it with your mixer to remove any air bubbles and restore its creamy consistency. Then, proceed with filling the cupcakes with peanut butter and piping on the frosting. They will taste just as fresh and delicious as if they were made on the day!
The most reliable way to determine if your cupcakes are fully baked is by using a cake tester or a simple toothpick. Once the suggested baking time in the recipe has passed (20-23 minutes for regular-sized cupcakes), gently insert the cake tester or toothpick into the very center of one of the cupcakes. If it comes out clean, without any wet batter clinging to it, your cupcakes are perfectly done and ready to be removed from the oven. If there’s still wet batter, bake for another 1-2 minutes and re-test.
Yes, you can freeze both the unfrosted cupcakes and the buttercream separately. For the cupcakes, once completely cooled, wrap each individually in plastic wrap, then place them in an airtight freezer bag or container for up to 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature. For the buttercream, store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then let it come to room temperature and re-whip until fluffy before piping.
STORAGE RECOMMENDATIONS
To maintain their incredible freshness and flavor, store your frosted Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes in an airtight container. Keep them in the fridge to ensure the buttercream stays firm and the cupcakes remain moist. While they are undoubtedly delicious when freshly baked, these cupcakes are best enjoyed within 1-2 days of preparation. For optimal taste and texture, allow them to come to room temperature for about 15-20 minutes before serving.
More Delicious Cupcake Recipes To Explore
- Salted Caramel Cupcakes
- Apple Pie Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream and Apple Pie Filling
- 25 Best Summer Dessert Ideas
- Biscoff Cupcakes
If you adored this recipe and brought these delightful cupcakes to life, please make sure to leave a STAR REVIEW! Your feedback helps us grow and inspires other home bakers. Don’t forget to share your creations on Instagram and tag me @juliemarieeats so I can see your masterpieces. For more mouth-watering recipe ideas and baking inspiration, be sure to follow me on Pinterest.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes
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Equipment
- 12-cup cupcake pan
Ingredients
CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE
- 120 g boiling water
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 50 g unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
- 160 g all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 120 g sour cream 14-18% room temperature
- 75 g vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING
- 150 g butter room temperature
- 160 g creamy peanut butter
- 230 g powdered sugar
- 1-1 ½ tablespoon milk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 12 teaspoon creamy peanut butter for filling
- 12-24 Reese’s mini peanut butter cups for decoration
- Small handful of peanuts for decoration
Instructions
CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE
- Preheat your oven to 160ºC/320ºF (conventional oven setting) and prepare your 12-cup cupcake tray by lining each cavity with 12 paper cupcake liners. This ensures your cupcakes are easy to remove after baking.
- Begin by boiling the water. Once boiled, carefully weigh out the specified amount of water into a heat-safe measuring cup. Allow it to cool down slightly while you prepare the remaining ingredients; it should be hot but not scalding.120 g boiling water
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of your dry ingredients: granulated sugar, unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, instant espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a whisk to give it a thorough stir, ensuring everything is well combined and evenly distributed, with no lumps of cocoa or flour.200 g granulated sugar, 50 g unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder, 160 g all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a separate medium-sized mixing bowl, add all of the wet ingredients: the room temperature sour cream, vegetable oil, large eggs (also at room temperature), vanilla extract, and the slightly cooled boiled water. Using a hand whisk, gently whisk these ingredients together until they are well combined. Be careful not to mix the ingredients too vigorously, which can over-aerate the eggs.120 g sour cream 14-18%, 75 g vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Carefully and slowly pour the wet ingredients mixture into the bowl containing the dry ingredients. While pouring, gently stir it all together with a spatula or whisk. Continue stirring only until all ingredients are just combined and there are absolutely no lumps left in the batter. Overmixing at this stage can lead to a tough, dense cupcake.
- Divide the finished cupcake batter evenly among the 12 prepared cupcake liners, filling each no more than two-thirds full. Bake them in your preheated oven for 20-23 minutes. Once baked, let the cupcakes cool in the hot pan for about 5 minutes. After this brief cooling period, gently remove the cupcakes from the cupcake pan and transfer them to a wire rack to cool down completely. This prevents them from becoming soggy.
PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING & ASSEMBLY
- First, sift your powdered sugar to ensure a smooth, lump-free frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), combine the room temperature butter and creamy peanut butter. Beat these two ingredients together on medium to high speed for a full 2 minutes until they are light, fluffy, and well combined. This step is crucial for achieving an airy frosting.150 g butter, 160 g creamy peanut butter
- Stop the mixer and use a spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, ensuring all ingredients are fully incorporated. Next, add the sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and room temperature milk in two separate parts. Mix on low speed after each addition until the powdered sugar is fully incorporated. Once everything is added, increase the mixer speed to medium-high and continue mixing for another 1 minute to ensure the frosting is incredibly smooth, creamy, and light.230 g powdered sugar, 1-1 ½ tablespoon milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Once your cupcakes are completely cooled, it’s time to add the creamy peanut butter filling. Using the back of a piping tip, a small spoon, or a cupcake corer, carefully dig out a small core from the center of each cupcake. This creates a perfect little well. Spoon 1 teaspoon of creamy peanut butter into the middle of each cupcake’s hollowed-out core. This adds an irresistible surprise to every bite.12 teaspoon creamy peanut butter
- Finally, for the grand finale! Transfer the prepared peanut butter buttercream into a piping bag fitted with your preferred round piping tip (a Wilton 1A works wonderfully for a smooth, classic swirl). Pipe a generous and beautiful swirl of buttercream onto the top of each filled chocolate cupcake. For decoration, lovingly place 1-2 Reese’s mini peanut butter cups on each cupcake and sprinkle a small handful of chopped peanuts over the frosting. Your decadent Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes are now ready to be served and enjoyed!12-24 Reese’s mini peanut butter cups, Small handful of peanuts