Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

  Ingredients for Cupcakes:

 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

 2 eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1/2 cup sour cream

Ingredients for Peanut Butter Frosting:

 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

 1 cup creamy peanut butter

 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup heavy cream 12 miniture reese’s peanut butter cups, halved

Directions:

 1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pan with baking cup liners.

 2. In a medium heatproof bowl, combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa. Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and combined. Set aside and cool until just warm to the touch.

 3. In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder; set aside.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs; add sugar, vanilla, and salt until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined. Sift remaining flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until batter is combined.

 5. Divide the batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean.

6. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing.

 7. To make frosting, place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl as you work. Add the heavy cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth. Place frosting into decorating bag fitted with the 1M decorating tip and approximately 1/4″ above cupcake top at a 90° angle to cupcake surface, pipe a spiral of icing, beginning at the outer edge and working inward. Place halved peanut butter cup on top of frosting.

 Source: Brown Eyed Baker