Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

I think this might have been my best cupcake yet, well maybe its tied with the Lemon Blackberry Cupcakes. The cupcake itself came out very chocolaty & moist but not too pudding like. The Perfectly Chocolate Frosting came out smooth & shiny. The peanut butter added just the right enough of saltiness & had the great stick to the roof of your mouth feel. If you have kids make this one for them, they'll love it.


1/2 c unsalted butter
1/4 c Dutch-processed cocoa powder
6 T water
1 c sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 t vanilla
1 c all-purpose flour
1/4 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/8 t salt
3/4 c creamy peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare 12 muffin cups by lining with paper or greasing.
Melt butter in a large heavy sauce pan over med-low heat. Whisk in cocoa. Add water & whisk until smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in separately sugar, egg, yogurt and vanilla. Stir flour, baking soda, baking powder & salt together then sift into cocoa mixture. Whisk until just combined. Fill cupcake tins 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool.
Fill a pastry bag with the peanut butter & fit it with a star tip. Stick the tip into the top of a cupcake, pushing it about 3/4 inch deep (I found the perfect depth was the length of the tip). Gently squeeze the pastry bag to fill the cupcake, withdrawing it slowly as you squeeze. Scrape any excess peanut butter from the top of the cupcake. Fill all the cupcakes.


Frost the cupcakes with Perfectly Chocolate Frosting.

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine
2/3 cup dutch processes cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.

About 2 cups frosting.

Top each cupcake with a star of peanut butter.